Legislation
Here you will find resources on declarations, regulations, cyberlaws, and other related mechanisms used to develop an ICT4D framework, their effectiveness and implications. This section also includes projects and training initiatives focused on ICT-related legislation.
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APDIP e-Note 12 on Promoting ICT Access and Use by SMEs
- New release: This APDIP e-Note examines what role governments play in promoting ICT access and use by SMEs. Additionally it outlines considerations for public policy.
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Legal and Regulatory Issues in the Information Economy
- This e-primer discusses the need for a legal and regulatory environment that is conducive to the development of e-commerce and e-business. It helps developing nations define their requirements for shaping appropriate legislation and corresponding regulatory and institutional frameworks.
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Legal, Regulatory and Policy Issues of e-Commerce in Asia
- Legal, Regulatory and Policy Issues of e-Commerce in Asia, in ICT Policies and e-Strategies in the Asia-Pacific: A critical assessment of the way forward, pp. 171-186. The full publication is available at http://www.apdip.net/publications/ict4d/ict4dsayo.pdf
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Worldwide Centres of Excellence
- he Worldwide Centre of Excellence (CoE) Network consists of regional mechanisms aimed at strengthening the capacity within each region in order to develop high-level know-how and expertise in telecommunication policy, regulatory issues, corporate management and advanced telecommunication technology.
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The Keys to the Back Office: Building a legal and policy framework to attract IT-enabled outsourcing
- A 20 page May 2002 paper produced by the Global Internet Policy Initiative outlining the elements of the ideal legal framework for ITenabled outsourcing. Section 1 has defined IT-enabled outsourcing and described in broad terms the factors that motivate firms to use it. Section 2 analyzes firms that are engaged in IT-enabled outsourcing to determine their legal needs. Section 3 analyzes the legal frameworks in several countries that have taken steps to develop an IT-enabled outsourcing economy. Section 4 presents a three-tiered legal framework that should help any country interested in attracting IT-enabled outsourcing.
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Discussion Paper on Retention of Traffic Data
- On 27 November 2001, a plenary session took place in Brussels of the EU Forum on Cybercrime, organised by the European Commission. The main topic for discussion was retention of traffic data, on which the European Commission had prepared an informal discussion paper.
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Research and training in ICT policy, regulation and management in Southern Africa
- The LINK Centre is the leading research and training body in the field of information and communications technology (ICT) policy, regulation and management in Southern Africa. LINK focuses on capacity building in the public sector and development arenas through quality training, applied research and consultancy services necessary to maximise the benefits of the Information Society and the Knowledge Economy. LINK is a founding partner in Research ICT Africa! and hosts the South African Chapter of Creative Commons.
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OpenNetInitiative.Net
- Explores the relationship between censorship, technology, and resistance using a technical analysis of state-imposed content filtering, blocking, and monitoring schemes. OpenNet acts as a clearinghouse, investigating and challenging state filtration and surveillance practices and sharing information on tools that can be used to circumvent censorship. Their aim is to generate a credible picture of these practices at a national, regional and corporate level, and to excavate their impact on state sovereignty, security, human rights, international law, and global governance.
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Information Technologies Group (ITG)
- The Information Technologies Group is a global thought leader in the area of ICTs and development. We endeavor to translate cutting edge thinking about how ICTs can improve economic development into practical projects, advice and action. The ITG works at the intersection of business, policy and technology to understand the issues at the core of global efforts to use ICTs to enhance the economic development process.
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A Regulator's Guide to Building a Global Information Community
- This guide produced by the Federal Communications Commission presents the challenges and opportunities for regulators, especially in developing countries, ranging from the basic issue of structuring a regulatory agency to the complexities of licensing service providers. This document covers essential functions of regulators and outlines important regulation goals.
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Privatization Toolkits: Telecommunications regulation
- These Privatisation toolkits provide an overview of telecommunication regulation, discuss objectives and principles, and gives guidance on the regulatory decision-making process. Detailed analysis of issues related to licensing, including a discussion of the types of licensing regimes, practices, and the contents of licenses are given.
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Mass Media Regulation and the Internet
- In many countries, the question is being asked: What is the proper legal framework for the Internet? In particular, it is being asked: Should the Internet be regulated under the laws applicable to the mass media (radio, television or printed periodicals)? If the Internet is not to be treated as a mass medium, does that mean it is unregulated? This 10 page document fom the Global Internet Policy Initative responds to these questions.
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Best Practices for Telecommunications Reform
- The main objective for telecommunications reform is to increase accessibility, quality and affordability of services. This 11 page document produced by the Global Internet Policy Initative details the best practices for telecommunications regulatory reform.
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Declaration on Access to Research Data from Public Funding
- This announcment is from the meeting of the OECD Committee for Scientific and Technological Policy at Ministerial Level, 29-30 January 2004. The OECD webpage provides details of the meeting and highlights 25 key points emphasising the importance of ensuring the long term sustainability of the research enterprise and the need to involve civil society and business more effectively in the governance of public research.
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Licensing Options for Internet Service Providers
- Part of the Global Internet Policy Initiative, this 8 page paper looks at the benefits and disadvantages of adopting licensing or authorization requirements for ISPs and looks at “best practices” for how the licensing or authorization rules and procedures should be structured.
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Application of Defamation Laws to the Internet
- This 11 page PDF looks at the application of defamation laws to the Internet. The starting point being: what is illegal offline remains illegal online. While many Internet-related legal issues can be addressed under already established doctrines, technological changes undoubtedly affect the case-by-case application of various legal doctrines or distinctions, and may require new approaches. This paper looks into the challenge of deciding what elements of existing law can be applied to the Internet and what merits development of special rules.
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A Process for Developing Internet Policy: The model of the national ICT / Internet Summit
- A national ICT strategy is best developed through a consultative process involving a wide range of stakeholders. This principle was recently demonstrated in the Kyrgyz Republic, where the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Global Internet Policy Initiative (GIPI) collaborated with the Government in co-sponsoring a process that included a national ICT strategy "summit." The process leading up to and continuing after the summit provides an important model for digital divide/digital opportunity efforts in other countries.
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ICTs for every Pacific Islander
- This draft policy and strategic action plan sets out a framework of guiding principles and policies and recommended activities to guide future policy development and co-operation by the Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs).
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Center for Policy Modernisation
- The Objectives of the Center for Policy Modernisation are to study the policies connected with the overall economic development and governance of the public sector, education, science, culture and technologies; to develop conceptions, strategies and models for their development and modernisation with a view to the world processes of globalisation and the accession of the Republic of Bulgaria to the European Union;
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Building a legal and policy framework to attract IT-enabled outsourcing
- This 20 page PDF from the Global Internet Policy Initiative outlines the principal factors in creating a legal and policy framework conducive to the enablement of a healthy back-office economy.
