International Telecommunication Union

1. International Telecommunication Union Regional Office for Asia and Pacific Bangkok, Thailand

2. Creating Universal Access to ICT Joint Asia-Pacific Regional Conference “E-commerce Strategies for Development” UNCC, Bangkok, 20-22 Nov. 2002 Dr.Eun-Ju Kim, Ph.D. Senior Advisor for Asia and Pacific, ITU

3. Agenda • What is E-Commerce (EC) ? • Results of a survey on EC • What are ICT & its trends: pros & cons ? • Access to converged ICTs as a prerequisite of EC: ICT indicators & statistics • An issue of access to ICT: gender digital divide • ITU’s activities on EC • Mechanism for creating universal access • Let’s work together for the better world !

4. What is E-Commerce ? Commercial activities* using a data message generated, sent, received or stored by electronic, optical or similar means including, but not limited to, electronic data interchange (EDI), e-mail, telegram, telex or telecopy’ By UNCITRAL Model Law on E-Commerce * These include, but not limited to, such transaction as any trade transaction for the supply or exchange of goods or services; distribution agreement; commercial representation or agency; factoring; leasing; construction of works; consulting; engineering; licensing; investment; financing; banking; insurance; exploitation agreement or concession; joint venture and other forms of industrial or business cooperation; carriage of goods or passengers by air, sea, rail or road.

5. Enhancing Infrastructure Building Trust Establishing Ground Rules & Maximizing Benefits Results of a survey on E-Commerce OECD established four main categories of regulatory & policy objectives

6. Access to Information & Communication Technology (ICT)* infrastructure& EC services required to be a top level priority for national development goals; Regulations & policies on international interconnection & pricing* required to revise for affordable EC services; Banking & financial services are identified as equally critical elements for seamless links with businesses, consumers, & the international financial community to allow efficient transactions and to participate in the digital economy. Enhancing infrastructure ?

7. Building trust ? Security of data transmissions: the need for - treatment of cryptography in both domestic law & international agreements; - government access to public key codes of private cryptography; & - mutual recognition of cryptography standards Privacy protection: the need for explicit privacy protection laws & regulations or policies to govern the use of personal data by on-line services Digital signatures & electronic contracts: the need for revising / new legislation on electronic transactions Certification & Certification Authorities: the need for credibility & security for EC transactions both domestic & international

8. Establishing ground rules ? The success of worldwide E-Commerce depends on a worldwide harmonization of basic policies such as taxation, duties, treatment of intellectual property right (IPR), domain name etc. especially through • Creating culture with stable social, economic and political environment for maximizing benefits of E-Commerce.

9. What is ICT* ? Technologies Legislations Telecommunications (fixed & mobile) Computer INTERNET Mass Coms Administrations Regulations Policies * Refer to Table 1 in hand-out

10. ICT Trends: pros • Internet as the fastest-growing medium: e.g., global accesses in 205 countries; • Absence of centralized control or authority over the use of Internet developed at markets without or least regulations; • ICT as great potentials for small & large enterprises with more employment opportunities; • ICT with great potentials and numerous possibilities of applications from e-commerce, e-government, to e-medicine; • Estimated e-commerce sales in 2003/5 are US$ 1,000 billion compared to US$26 billion in 1996/7; • Transactions (e.g., e-payment) across-borders especially via e-commerce; and • Many others.

11. ICT Trends: cons • Transactions across national jurisdictions especially via e-commerce; • Lack of harmonization in national & international laws; • Ever fast increasing number of reported cybercrimes; • 1,500% increase in new viruses reported in the 2 days around New Years of 2000 alone; • Security (e.g., e-payment), fraud, privacy, Spam etc. are growing concerns, if not threats; • Digital divide between haves & have-nots, knows & know-nots and even men & women; • Any others.

12. Access to converged ICTs:As a prerequisite of E-Commerce

13. ICT indicators* & statistics: Digital Divide ! {Source: ITU’s various publications} & * Refer to Tables 2&3 in hard-out

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22. Transform from just ‘access’ to ‘quality’ * S.Korea reached its penetration rate of 17.16% by the end of Oct. 2002

23. ‘Access with quality’ vs. ‘investments’ {Source: Asia Pacific Development, 2002}

24. An issue of access to ICT:gender digital divide

25. Requirements for gender balance • Awareness of ICT & EC; • Accessibility to ICT; • Affordability of ICT services (e.g., EC); & • Bridging gender digital divide through:e.g. • Adopting & implementing gender-sensitive policies & legislations on ICT; • Coordinating various institutions dealing ICT & gender issues separately; • Creating social, cultural and economic environments etc. so that men & women alike equally access to and benefit from ICT & its various potentials & applications like E-Commerce.

26. Some examples for both ICT & gender • Specific gender-aware policy guidelines on ICT developed by ITU and other organizations; • A planed joint seminar on ‘ICT & Gender preparing for inputs to the WSIS’ in Malaysia, 2003; and • Various projects such as ‘telecenters managed by women in communities’ as a way to reach universal access.

27. ITU’S ACTIVITIES

28. ITU-T standards for global connectivity & operability with security; E-Commerce for the developing countries High Level Experts (HLE) Meeting in Dec. 1999; E-Commerce Seminar on World Telecom Day, May 17 1999; & National survey on E-Commerce etc. Relating to E-Commerce Technical & Standards Hands-on Assistance Policy & Regulatory

29. Strengthen the standard activities of ITU on E-Commerce:e.g., ITU: Technical Activities • ITU-T X.509: a joint text with ISO/IEC 9594-8: • applications related to Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) as a tool for authentication - to form security policy; • better support services and protocols in resource constrained (e.g., wireless) and business-to-business (B2B & web-based e-commerce) environment [under the development] • ITU-T X.841-3: new Recommendations for approval in 10/2000 to develop Security Techniques - e.g., • security information objects for access control; • guidelines on the use and management of trusted third party services; • specification of TTP to support the application of digital signature

30. Launched at the ITU WDTC-98, Malta; Aimed at establish the infrastructure & services necessary to provide secure e-payment, transaction & trust services; Assists DCs to acquire and use E-Commerce technologies in such areas as: infrastructure development; capacity building & technology transfer; national policies and raising awareness; collaboration with the public & private sectors ITU: Hands-on Activities - E-Strategy

31. . Reviewed policy & regulatory issues on E-Commerce through organizing a meeting of HLE, which largely recommended the ITU: ITU: Policy & Regulatory Activities • enable & facilitate reasonable & appropriate authentication measures (e.g., e-signature) to create legal certainty in cross-border transactions; • encourage ‘voluntary’ rather than mandatory approaches and promote effective competition; • not engage in activities that constrain the development & implementation of market-based initiatives & standards or private arrangements; • be technology-neutral; • be attentive to the needs of developing countries and cultural differences; • facilitate authentication across borders, and so on

32. MECHANISM FOR CREATING UNIVERSAL ACCESS

33. Policy* & Regulatory Frameworks • Competition for a choice of services & suppliers as well as for competitive – if not, affordable - prices; • Universal Service Obligation & its funds from the incumbents &/or various PTOs for access to even rural & underprivileged groups; • Pricing & Rebalancing to reduce/update tariffs for affordability; etc. because of correlation between ‘policy/regulation’ & ‘access’

34. Internet Access ( 2001 ) {Source: ITU’s various publications} & Refer to Tables 2 & 3

35. Prerequisites for access to ICT • Mechanisms to raise capital or funds (e.g., USO Funds), • Development of infrastructure (e.g., electricity, road, transportation), • Payment mechanisms (e.g., banking, exchange with goods etc.), • Education and training for human resources • Socio-cultural awareness (e.g. for poverty eradication, equality of genders, access from the underprivileged groups including the disabled), • Economic empowerment (e.g., for new business and employment opportunities), • Local languages and contents (e.g., multi-lingual software, local contents), • Technical and legal measures for security and confidence (e.g., standards, cyber laws), • Research, development, transfer, and implementation of new technologies • Political wills with transparency and commitment, & • Stable social, economic and political environment

36. Implementation through partnerships • Policy-makers & Regulators • Policy & regulatory tools with political wills • Industries • Operators/suppliers with their own interests or as an obligation of universal service • Various SMEs with more creative entrepreneurship • Communities • Various initiatives like telecenters • Users • Demands for ICTs at affordable prices with choices and quality of services • International & Regional Organizations • Harmonizing rules to deal with trans-border issues

37. Let’s work together ! To maximize benefits of ICT Through universal access to ICT Regardless gender, age, disabilities ….. In both have & have-not countries For the world better place !

38. Thank You for Your Kind Attention For further information: Mr.Georges Sebek for ITU-T SG7 standard activities; Mr.Arthur Levin for HLE activities; Mr.Alexander Ntoko for E-strategy at the ITU, Geneva Tel) +41 22 730 5111 Web: http://www.itu.int Dr.Eun-Ju Kim Senior Adviser for Asia & the Pacific ITU Regional Office, Bangkok, Thailand Tel) +662 574 9326 Fax) +662 574 9328 e-mail) eun-ju.kim@itu.int