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Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)

Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). Access to ICT Technologies in the ESCWA Member Countries Omar Bizri Technology Section SIPD/ESCWA Presented at “The Public Voice in Emerging Market Economies” Dubai, UAE 15 January, 2001.

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Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)

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  1. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) Access to ICT Technologies in the ESCWA Member Countries Omar Bizri Technology Section SIPD/ESCWA Presented at “The Public Voice in Emerging Market Economies” Dubai, UAE 15 January, 2001

  2. Access to ICT Technologies in the ESCWA Member Countries • Table of contents • Access to New ICTs • Access to conventional communications modes • Obstacles facing dissemination of new ICTs • Issues for short- and medium-term action • Policy and institutional initiatives • Long-term action • ESCWA work on new ICTs • Database on telecommunications contracts • Tables Dubai 2001

  3. Access to ICT Technologies in the ESCWA Member Countries Access to modern information and communications technologies (ICTs) in the ESCWA member countries is still at an embryonic stage. In many ESCWA countries, the availability of PCs and access to the Internet are inadequate for making a difference in many areas of application. Dubai 2001

  4. Access to New ICTs PCs per 1000 inhabitants (1999, based on ITU data published in 2000) Dubai 2001

  5. Access to New ICTs 10Internet users per 1000 inhabitants1999 (ITU) and 2000 (DIT) data Dubai 2001

  6. Access to New ICTs Top-level domain names (July 2000 data published by ISC) Dubai 2001

  7. Access to New ICTs Cellular phone subscribers per 1000 inhabitants (1998 UNDP and 1999 ITU data) Dubai 2001

  8. Access to ICT Technologies in the ESCWA Member Countries The following chart provides a more detailed picture of Internet users and top-level domain names in the ESCWA member countries. Dubai 2001

  9. Dubai 2001 Sources: 1999 (ITU) and 2000 (DIT) data

  10. Dubai 2001 Source: ISC July 2000 data

  11. Access to ICT Technologies in the ESCWA Member Countries Conventional modes of communication and information dissemination do not fare a lot better. They too, are less accessible than in other regions/countries Dubai 2001

  12. Access to conventional communication modes: aggregate values Printing and writing paper consumption in kg/capita (1997 UNESCO data) Dubai 2001

  13. Access to conventional communication modes: aggregate values Fixed telephone lines per 100 inhabitants; (1998 UNDP and 1999 ITU data) Dubai 2001

  14. Access to conventional communication modes: aggregate values Television sets per 100 inhabitants; (1996-1998 data by UNDP/UNESCO) Dubai 2001

  15. Access to conventional communication modes: aggregate values Radio sets per 100 inhabitants; (1997 data by UNESCO) Dubai 2001

  16. Access to ICT Technologies in the ESCWA Member Countries The following chart presents a more detailed view of country TV and radio dissemination. Dubai 2001

  17. Dubai 2001 Sources: 1996-1998 data by UNDP and UNESCO

  18. Access to ICT Technologies in the ESCWA Member Countries As for the future: Many obstacles face wider dissemination of new ICTs. Infrastructure inadequacies; High costs; Inadequate awareness of benefits; Education and literacy related problems. Last but not least, there are often language, cultural and political impediments. Dubai 2001

  19. Access to ICT Technologies in the ESCWA Member Countries Web Sites in the Arab World • Nearly 18,000 Arab sites at the end of 1999 out of more than 10M sites around the world, up from 8,000 in 1998* • Around 4,000 web sites had Arabic texts in 1999 up from 1,200 in 1998* • Intellectual Property Rights are at stake *Source: DIT net (www.dit.net) Dubai 2001

  20. Access to ICT Technologies in the ESCWA Member Countries E-Commerce • E-commerce evolving very rapidly in the world*: • B2B - worldwide: $45B (1998)  $3.2T (2003) • B2C - US: $20B (1999)  $185B (2004) • B2B reduces prices: 4% average, 40% electronics, 14% automobile • B2C volume: Computer $7.5B (9.3%), Travel $7.3B (2%), Financial brokerage $5.8B (15.2%) • Companies turning virtual: Cisco e-commerce revenues $10B (1999) • Still very limited in the Arab world *Source: The Economist, 26June 1999 and 26 February 2000 Dubai 2001

  21. Access to ICT Technologies in the ESCWA Member Countries E-Commerce in ESCWA countries • E-stores exist in UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Egypt and Lebanon • Online transactions reached nearly US$100M in 1999 up from US$11.5M in 1998* • Advertisement in 1999 reached about $1M up from US$120,000 in 1998* • Most of the transactions are carried out in the Gulf countries *Source: DIT net (www.dit.net) Dubai 2001

  22. Access to ICT Technologies in the ESCWA Member Countries E-Banking in ESCWA countries • E-banking / Internet banking is carried out through Secured Electronic Transaction (SET) • E-banking is gaining ground in UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Lebanon • Legal aspects are still at an elementary stage Dubai 2001

  23. Access to ICT Technologies in the ESCWA Member Countries Clearly a lot has to be done if one is to rely on modern ICTs for future socioeconomic development. Further liberalization (progressing very slowly in many countries of the region) may be expected to produce positive changes. But by then … Dubai 2001

  24. Access to ICT Technologies in the ESCWA Member Countries What is to be done? In the short- and medium-term responses are needed at the level of policy and institutional initiatives. Dubai 2001

  25. Access to ICT Technologies in the ESCWA Member Countries • Policy initiatives • Objectives of governmental and institutional policies should include: • accelerating the dissemination; • promoting “strategic applications”. • To do so, policies should address the need to: • improve infrastructures; • reduce barriers (of numerous kinds); • create a conducive climate for private enterprise and for popular participation. Dubai 2001

  26. Access to ICT Technologies in the ESCWA Member Countries Institutional initiatives: Should have aims that take into account demand in priority areas and should help respond to local issues, ensuring good value for money. Institutional initiatives are often launched through joint government/enterprise efforts and aided by national, regional and international organizations. Dubai 2001

  27. Access to ICT Technologies in the ESCWA Member Countries Policy initiatives Policies by governments and civil society institutions could make a huge difference for enhanced penetration and dissemination of crucial applications within frameworks that respect good governance, and human rights. But, to devise useful policies there is need for accurate and detailed information. Dubai 2001

  28. Access to ICT Technologies in the ESCWA Member Countries • More detailed information is needed on a number of issues, including: • Internet use patterns; • the needs and behavior of present and potential users; • strategies of main players; • etc. Dubai 2001

  29. Access to ICT Technologies in the ESCWA Member Countries Obtaining such information is not easy. It is costly. It poses political problems in some countries. Areas where cooperative multi- organizational efforts would pay off. Dubai 2001

  30. Access to ICT Technologies in the ESCWA Member Countries There is also need to acquire information about: new technology trajectories; recent experiences of other developing and developed countries. And to: render such information available to the decision makers and to civil society institutions at large; enhance awareness of the general public. Dubai 2001

  31. Access to ICT Technologies in the ESCWA Member Countries • Research is needed to find out: • what particular area of ICT capacity building, and what ICT applications, might best catalyze and accelerate progress; • where a breakthrough might produce best value for money. Dubai 2001

  32. Access to ICT Technologies in the ESCWA Member Countries Institutional initiatives Research and technology parks (technopoles) including incubation schemes are among such initiatives. Government-University-Business alliances (not only national but also regional as well as international) should exert positive influences. Dubai 2001

  33. Access to ICT Technologies in the ESCWA Member Countries Longer-term efforts are needed to tackle issues pertaining to cultural and social impediments. Though difficult, these will probably relent to action at the policy level as well as to focused initiatives. Proactive approaches are needed with greater emphasis on content and demand creation. Dubai 2001

  34. Access to ICT Technologies in the ESCWA Member Countries Focusing on certain key applications (e.g. e-government, distance education, etc.) stands a good chance of catalyzing and accelerating change in a variety of ways. Policies and institutional initiatives should be designed to address capacity building in such application areas. Dubai 2001

  35. Access to ICT Technologies in the ESCWA Member Countries ESCWA proposes to act along these lines within its present and future work programmes. The Technology Section in cooperation with other ESCWA substantive sections is conducting a number of activities within its present and future work programmes with the aim of instituting such policy and institutional initiatives. Dubai 2001

  36. Access to ICT Technologies in the ESCWA Member Countries ESCWA is providing assistance to a number of countries in the formulation of their own IT strategies. Additionally, a special ESCWA initiative was launched in November 2000 with the aim of establishing a series of technology parks, technology incubators and high-tech clusters in the member countries. Dubai 2001

  37. Access to ICT Technologies in the ESCWA Member Countries ESCWA is part of the United Nations system. It is accountable to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and to a biannual council of ministers concerned with socioeconomic development in the member countries. ESCWA has built expertise and credibility in the region as an impartial agent for development and a vector for change. Restructuring efforts that took place in the nineties has contributed enormously to its present capabilities. Dubai 2001

  38. Access to ICT Technologies in the ESCWA Member Countries • ESCWA credibility is particularly noted in relation to national policy and institutional strategy formulation in areas such as: • technology acquisition with particular emphasis on new technologies (ICTs, in particular); • harmonization of standards and norms in a number of areas including industrial development, transport issues, etc.; • women’s development; • improving the performance of private enterprise. Dubai 2001

  39. Access to ICT Technologies in the ESCWA Member Countries At the Technology Section, we maintain a database on ICT contracts concluded by the member countries. An overview of patterns exhibited by these contracts over the period 1992 - 2000 is included in the following table and charts. Dubai 2001

  40. Access to ICT Technologies in the ESCWA Member Countries One word of warning is due in reference to the following tables! For several reasons, information contained in the database is not complete! (We estimate that figures for a mere 60-75% of the total are included) They are, nevertheless, useful in that they indicate certain trends and cross-country differences. Dubai 2001

  41. Number and values of IT and telecommunications technology transfer contracts in the ESCWA member countries during the period 1992-2000* Dubai 2001 Source: MEED 92-00

  42. Expenditure on IT and telecommunications in the ESCWA member countries during the period 1992-2000* Dubai 2001 Source: MEED 92-00

  43. Per capita value of expenditure on IT and telecommunications in the ESCWA member countries during the period 1992-2000* US$ Mil US$ Dubai 2001 Source: MEED 92-00

  44. Dubai 2001 Sources: DIT 2000, ITU 2000, ISC 2000, UNDP 2000

  45. Dubai 2001 Sources: ITU 2000, UNESCO 1999, UNDP 2000

  46. Dubai 2001 Sources: DIT 2000, ITU 2000, ISC 2000, UNDP 2000

  47. Dubai 2001 Sources: ITU 2000, UNESCO 1999, UNDP 2000

  48. Dubai 2001 Sources: DIT 2000, ITU 2000, ISC 2000, UNDP 2000

  49. Dubai 2001 Sources: ITU 2000, UNESCO 1999, UNDP 2000

  50. THANK YOU Dubai 2001

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