DOT Force : Final Report of the G8 DOT Force, and its Legacy for ICT for Development
Canada 23 December 2002
 
The G8 Digital Opportunity Task Force (DOT Force) presented its final report entitled ‘Digital Opportunities for All’ to leaders of industrialised countries at the annual G8 summit held in Kananaskis (Canada) from 25 – 28 June 2002. One year after the Genoa Plan of Action, which laid the basis for the work of the DOT Force, the report sets out the achievements made against those objectives set. Canada, as the current Chair of the G8 and DOT Force, reported on the achievements made. Along with the DOT Force ‘Report Card’, the seven DOT Force implementation teams also each prepared reports on their individual initiatives and plans for future work. The DOT Force will now cease to exist as a formal organization after the summit, although the momentum of its work will be carried on through an informal DOT Force network and through both the UN ICT Task Force and other bodies.

‘A global agenda is taking shape, as numerous international fora are now addressing the digital divide challenge and opportunity,’ said Peter Harder, Deputy Minister at Industry Canada and Chair of DOT Force, speaking previously at the United Nations General Assembly session on Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for Development held in New York last week (see [ilink=http://www.ictdevagenda.org/frame.php?dir=07&sd=10&sid=2&id=216]UN: General Assembly Session on ICT for Development[endilink]). ‘The private sector - through innovation, risk taking and investment - has a key role in developing a country's ICT infrastructure. Governments, on the other hand, are entrusted with the mandate of providing a favourable policy and regulatory environment to ensure market fairness and flexibility and exercising leadership through strategic investments in ICT applications and content. Civil society stakeholders complement these policy objectives by facilitating the integration of a truly inclusive information society to maximize its social, civic and community potential…The DOT Force's all-inclusive approach is now serving as a model for other "ICT for development" initiatives by other international organizations and the private sector. For instance, the World Economic Forum's Global Digital Divide Initiative [see [ilink=http://www.ictdevagenda.org/frame.php?dir=07&sd=10&sid=2&id=74]WEF: The Global Digital Divide Initiative, and the Digital Divide Task Force[endilink]] now includes government and civil society participants at its meetings.’

DOT Force Final Report: ‘Digital Opportunities for All’

Released on 25 June 2002, the final DOT Force report outlines how governments, businesses and civil society can work together to advance human development and reduce poverty through the use of ICTs. It follows up on the 2001 Genoa Plan of Action, which called for a concerted plan to narrow the technological gap between developed and developing nations (see [ilink=http://www.ictdevagenda.org/frame.php?dir=07&sd=10&sid=1&id=49]DOT Force: Review - The Genoa Plan of Action[endilink]) and draws together the achievements of the implementation teams.

The report begins: ‘The value and legacy of the DOT Force is clear – it has focussed global attention on sustainable, ICT-enabled development, and has encouraged the international development community to mainstream ICTs in its bilateral and multilateral assistance programmes.’

‘The success of the DOT Force has relied on the close co-operation among representatives from G8 governments, developing nations, international organisations, and the non-profit and
private sectors. Each participated fully and equally in its work. The multi-stakeholder approach of the DOT Force now serves as the model for other global ‘ICT for development’ initiatives that follow in its footsteps’.

DOT Force Team’s Final Report Cards

The Genoa Plan of Action was to be achieved through a Framework of Implementation which saw teams established against each of the action points, each with distinct policy goals, key initiatives and 12-month deliverables. Culminating at the Kananaskis summit, each of the teams presented a final report card. ‘In less than a year,’ notes the report, ‘the work of the DOT Force and its implementation teams has progressed rapidly. This work has produced an impressive array of initiatives to address key building blocks in the advancement of the information society, such as strengthening readiness for e-development; increasing access and connectivity; supporting skills development; as well as fostering local content and promoting ICTs for health care.’ During the year, each team made periodic updates on progress achieved, but in their final reports have included full details and also highlight new initiatives undertaken or which are to be embarked upon.

These report cards are:
[ordered]

  • Help establish and support developing country and emerging economy national e-strategies (see [ilink=http://www.ictdevagenda.org/frame.php?dir=07&sd=10&sid=1&id=222]DOT Force: Final Report of Team 1: E-Strategies[endilink]);

  • Improve connectivity, increase access and lower costs (see [ilink=http://www.ictdevagenda.org/frame.php?dir=07&sd=10&sid=1&id=223]DOT Force: Final Report of Team 2: Access and Connectivity[endilink]);

  • Enhance human capacity development, knowledge, creation and sharing (see [ilink=http://www.ictdevagenda.org/frame.php?dir=07&sd=10&sid=1&id=224]DOT Force: Final Report of Team 3: Human Capacity Development[endilink]);

  • Foster enterprise and entrepreneurship for sustainable economic development (see [ilink=http://www.ictdevagenda.org/frame.php?dir=07&sd=10&sid=1&id=225]DOT Force: Final Report of Team 4: Enterprise and Entrepeneurship[endilink]);

  • Establish and support universal participation in addressing new international policy and technical issues raised by the Internet and ICTs;

  • Promote information and communications technologies to support health care and the fight against HIV/AIDS and other infectious and communicable diseases.

  • Encourage national and international efforts to support local content and applications creation.
    • [endordered]

    The Future, and the DOT Force Legacy

    ‘As a process conducted under the G8, the DOT Force formally sunsets with this report,’ concludes the report. ‘Its agenda, however, has now become the business of a number of other bodies that will carry on the leadership role of the DOT Force within the international community.’

    ‘The DOT Force will cease to exist as a formal organization at the conclusion of the summit,’ confirmed Peter Harder. ‘I am confident, however, that, through the synergies and close cooperation established with the UN ICT Task Force and other international bodies, we will be able to keep the drive to ensure future implementation of the DOT Force agenda in the coming years. The DOT Force momentum will also be maintained through the formation of an informal DOT Force Implementation Network. The Network will be used to share information and maximize cooperation amongst the various DOT Force implementation teams. Each team will also decide how it wants to pursue its activities and the degree of formal, or informal, cooperation with other entities and interested partners.
    ‘In November 2001, the United Nations Secretary-General launched the UN ICT Task Force to provide a focal point for addressing digital divide within the broader international community. As with the DOT Force, the UN ICT Task Force includes membership from all segments of society. Given its three-year mandate, its reliance on a permanent structure and wider international reach, it is well positioned to build on the work and success of the DOT Force and to strengthen the coalition of forces committed to promoting the role of ICT for development.

    We expect that the Task Force will continue:

    [ordered]

  • To mobilize political commitment, including a commitment to mainstream ICT in development assistance programs;

  • To promote policy coherence and coordination amongst international initiatives; and

  • To act as a catalyst in pulling resources together on key international initiatives.
    • [endordered]

    The DOT Force momentum will also be maintained through the formation of an informal DOT Force Implementation Network. The Network will be used to share information and maximise cooperation amongst the various DOT Force implementation teams. Each team will also decide how it wants to pursue its activities and the degree of formal, or informal, cooperation with other entities and interested partners.’

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