Asian Forum on ICT Policies and e-Strategies for Asia Pacific

In 20-22 October 2003, APDIP held an Asian forum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to discuss successful ICT policies and e-strategies along with suggested ways forward for countries to achieve their aims.  While applicable to Asia-Pacific countries, the discussions on the roles of five stakeholder groups in setting ICT agendas and on ten specific topics, identified as priorities in ICT development, have relevance for all nations in guiding their e-strategies.

Under the auspices of the Asian forum, APDIP invited delegations of approximately two to four senior government ICT policymakers from each of twenty-one countries in Asia-Pacific. Officials, including Ministers and deputy ministers, from the following countries attended: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam. Also in attendance were representatives from the private sector and civil society in some of the participating countries and from multilateral institutions like the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific (UNESCAP), Global Knowledge Partnership, Markle Foundation, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations’ ICT Task Force. 

The gathering, the second of three such events sponsored by the UNDP around the world, developed the Kuala Lumpur Declaration—a common position among the participants on principles of ICT for presentation at the upcoming World Summit. The Declaration reflects the participants’ deliberations, which form the basis for this paper’s text on guiding principles and recommended approaches.

The Asiam Forum was an opportunity for the Cambodian and Lao delegates to discuss and seek recommendations from countries from the region and from regional experts.

Study Tour to Viet Nam

To enhance the ICT policy formulation process in Cambodia and Lao PDR, under the e-Policies and –Strategies for Least Development Member Countries of ASEAN project, UNDP-APDIP supported focal points from STEA and NiDA , directly managing the process, to attend the second round of National ICT Roundtables in Hanoi, Viet Nam, as an observer.

UNDP/APDIP also assisted Viet Nam in a similar ICT policy and strategy formulation exercise.  The strategizing involved a series of National ICT Roundtables, led by the ICT Steering Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam.  The National ICT Roundtables in Hanoi (19-20 August 2003), was part of a series of roundtables discussions, as a part of Viet Nam’s ICT policy and strategy formulation exercise.

After the roundtable, the Lao and Cambodia delegates paid a study visit to the newly established National Institute of Posts and Telematics Strategy (NIPTS) and had discussions with their Vietnamese counterparts who are leading the Vietnamese effort to develop a national ICT strategy.

Since Vietnam is at a more advanced stage in terms of policy formulation, the study visit allowed an opportunity for the Lao and Cambodia delegates to observe the process and share with the Vietnamese government and with each other their experiences, successes, and challenges.

UNDP Vietnam played a key role in facilitating the visit, including organizing the programme and meetings between government officials, conducting their own meetings with the delegates.