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THE CLINTON/GORE ADMINISTRATION:
FROM GLOBAL DIGITAL DIVIDE TO DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY
President Clinton and Other G-8 Leaders to Create Digital Opportunity
Taskforce
July 22, 2000
TODAY, THE CLINTON/GORE ADMINISTRATION WILL ANNOUNCE NEW EFFORTS BY THE
PUBLIC AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO BRIDGE THE GLOBAL DIGITAL DIVIDE: The
Clinton/Gore Administration will announce new public and private sector
efforts to bridge the global digital divide and to create digital
opportunity for the people of the developing world.
President Clinton and other G-8 Heads of State will support creation
of Digital Opportunity Taskforce: As part of the Okinawa Charter on the
Global Information Society, which will be released at the G-8 Summit,
President Clinton and the other G-8 leaders will establish a Digital
Opportunity Task Force, or "dot force." The dot force will mobilize the
resources and coordinate the efforts of governments, the private sector,
foundations, multilateral and international institutions and others to
bridge the international digital divide and create digital opportunity.
President Clinton will challenge private sector to join with him to
close the Global Digital Divide: President Clinton is also issuing a
"Global Call To Action" to encourage the U.S. private sector to get
involved. This "Call To Action" has already been endorsed by leading
high-tech companies and non-profit organizations.
This issue is a long-standing priority for the Administration. Vice
President Gore unveiled the Administration's vision of a "Global
Information Infrastructure" in a major policy address in 1994, and has
led Administration efforts to promote the expansion of the Internet in
developing countries.
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES ARE NOT YET FULL PARTICIPANTS IN THE INFORMATION
REVOLUTION -- Of the estimated 332 million people online as of March
2000, less than 1 percent (2.77 million) live in Africa. (Nua Internet
Surveys, March 2000.) -- Less than 5 percent of the computers that are
connected to the Internet are in developing countries. -- The developed
world has 49.5 phone lines per 100 people, compared to 1.4 phones in
low-income countries. (International Telecommunications Union, 1999.)
PRESIDENT CLINTON AND CORPORATE AND NON-PROFIT LEADERS WILL ANNOUNCE NEW
STEPS TO BRING DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOPING WORLD -- The
Clinton-Gore Administration will invite 7 developing countries to join
the Internet for Economic Development (IED) Initiative, bringing the
total to 20. -- The Ex-Im Bank will accept the credit of states and
other subsovereign entities in many emerging markets, expanding access
to U.S. Information Technology Products and Services. -- The Overseas
Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) will establish a $200 million line
of credit for E-commerce and Digital Divide projects in developing
countries. -- Markle Foundation, World Economic Forum, IBM, Harvard
University, United Nations Development Program and UN Foundation will
create a network readiness initiative - available to all developing
nations. -- United Nations Development Program, Andersen Consulting, and
Markle Foundation will develop a strategy and implementation plan for
bridging the Digital Divide. -- Cisco Systems will expand its Cisco
Networking Academies to 24 of the Least Developed Nations. -- Global
Business Dialogue on Electronic Commerce (GBDe) will partner with ASEAN
nations to strengthen E-Commerce policies. -- Intel will expand "Teach
to the Future" (technology training for teachers) in at least 10 more
countries, including developing countries in Africa, Asia, Middle East
and South America. -- AOL will launch four international PowerUP Sites
in 2001 in four countries. -- StarMedia Foundation & Partners will
expand IT Training Program for Low-Income Youth to all Latin American
countries. -- Microsoft will support 4 Digital Divide projects in India,
Columbia, Korea and Russia.
###
A LIST OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR INITATIVES TO BRING DIGITALOPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
President Clinton and Other G-8 Heads of State will support creation
of Digital Opportunity Taskforce: As part of the forthcoming Okinawa
Charter on the Global Information Society, the United States and other
G-8 nations will help create a Digital Opportunity Taskforce. The "dot
force" will mobilize resources and coordinate the efforts of
governments, the private sector, foundations, multilateral and
international institutions and others to bridge the international
digital divide and create digital opportunity. Among other steps, the
task force is expected to:
Foster appropriate policy and regulatory environments by supporting
the provision of policy advice and facilitating the sharing of
experiences among developing countries and other partners;
Improve connectivity by mobilizing resources to support community
access programs and encourage the development of IT hardware and
software tailored to the special needs of developing countries;
Build human capacity by focusing on basic education and lifelong
learning with a particular emphasis on building IT skills among users
and policy professionals; and
Encourage participation in global e-commerce by increasing e-commerce
readiness and use, and providing advice to start-up businesses in
developing countries.
The Okinawa Charter also highlights the importance of promoting
applications of IT - such as publicly available "digital libraries" that
allow nations to share their cultural heritage.
President Clinton will challenge private sector to join with him to
close the Global Digital Divide: President Clinton will issue a Global
Call To Action to close the digital divide and to create digital
opportunity in developing countries. The call to action challenges
companies, foundations and non-profit organizations to work together to
create digital access and education for all by the year 2010. Already,
many of America's leading high-tech companies and non-profit
organizations have endorsed this Global Call to Action.
President Clinton will expand Internet for Economic Development
Initiative to 20 Developing Countries: The Internet for Economic
Development (IED) initiative is an Administration effort led by Vice
President Gore to encourage the spread of the Internet and e-commerce in
developing countries. Consistent with the goals of the G-8 Summit,
Guyana, Indonesia, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Romania and Senegal are being
invited to join IED in July 2000, bringing the total number of countries
to 20. The initiative focuses on telecommunications policy development,
infrastructure, training, and applications. Significant results have
already been achieved. In Uganda, for example, USAID, in collaboration
with the World Bank, is installing computer labs, Internet access, and
teacher training in dozens of schools and teacher training institutes
that will reach more than 7,000 students a year.
The Ex-Im Bank will accept the credit of States and other Subsovereign
Entities in in many Emerging Markets, expanding access to U.S.
Information Technology Products and Services: The Export-Import Bank of
the United States (Ex-Im Bank) has decided to accept the credit of
state, provincial, city and other subsovereign entities that have
received a sufficient rating from a global credit rating agency. This
new initiative will immediately benefit subsovereign entities located in
the emerging-market countries of Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, China,
Colombia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Malaysia,
Poland, Slovakia, and South Korea by giving them enhanced access to U.S.
goods and services, including cutting-edge U.S. information technology
and technology-related services, to help address their infrastructure
needs. Ex-Im Bank is exploring ways to expand this initiative in the
near future to encompass an even greater number of subsovereign
entities. This initiative responds to the requests of leading American
IT companies.
more -
The Overseas Private Investment Corporation will establish a $200
Million line of credit for E-Commerce and Digital Divide Projects in
Developing Countries: OPIC will establish a $200 million line of credit
for U.S. companies seeking support for e-commerce and IT projects, and
for projects that will help close the digital divide in developing
countries. OPIC will give priority to applications for support in these
sectors, and will also participate in the U.S. Government's outreach
efforts to highlight investment opportunities in developing countries.
This announcement builds on OPIC's track record in this area. OPIC has
issued over 350 U.S. insurance contracts for technology projects, and
OPIC supports over 100 telecommunications projects through its insurance
and financing programs.
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will implement work
plans with key developing countries to ensure adoption of procompetitive
regulatory regimes and to promote telecommunications infrastructure
buildout: Since mid-1999, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) has worked under its newly-announced development initiative with
Ghana, Uganda, South Africa, Peru, Jamaica and Argentina to strengthen
regulatory bodies in these countries with the aim of decreasing the
digital divide and promoting the development of telecommunications
infrastructure. Additional countries will be added in 2000, including
India, Thailand and the Philippines.
Markle Foundation, World Economic Forum, IBM, Harvard University,
United Nations Development Program and UN Foundation will create a
network readiness initiative - available to all developing nations: A
public-private partnership of leading companies, foundations and
non-governmental organizations will launch a new Global Network
Readiness and Resource Initiative - intended to help developing
countries become full participants in the Global Information Society.
The initiative will have two major components. First, partners will
sponsor the development of country-specific Self Assessment Readiness
Guides, building on the work of APEC, the World Bank, and Harvard
University's Center for International Development. Second, the
initiative will create a Global Task Force to offer pro bono advice to
the developing nation governments and private sector entities.
United Nations Development Program, Andersen Consulting, Markle
Foundation will develop strategy and implementation plan for bridging
the Digital Divide: To support the activities of the Digital Opportunity
Task Force, the United Nations, Andersen Consulting, and the Markle
Foundation will join forces to create a strategy and implementation plan
for bridging the digital divide. The implementation plan will suggest a
broad timetable and set specific targets for bridging the digital
divide. Andersen Consulting expects to contribute about $3 million
worth of personnel and other resources to the 12-month project, which
with the contribution of these and additional partners is estimated to
be a $10 million initiative.
Cisco Systems will expand its Cisco Network Academy Program to 24 of
the Least Developed Countries: Cisco Systems will invest $3.5 million to
expand its Cisco Networking Academy Program to 24 of the least developed
countries. The program teaches people around the world to design, build
and maintain computer networks. To implement this initiative, Cisco
will partner with the USAID Leland Initiative, the United Nations
Development Program, the Peace Corps, and United Nations Volunteers.
Global Business Dialogue on Electronic Commerce will partner with
ASEAN nations on E-Commerce Policies: The Global Business Dialogue on
Electronic Commerce (GBDe), a group of leading e-commerce companies,
will work with the eASEAN initiative and other representatives of
developing countries to identify the policy and regulatory issues that
must be addressed to speed Internet adoption and the development of
e-commerce. Issues to be addressed include telecommunications,
encryption, intellectual property, trade barriers, electronic
contracting and digital signatures, privacy and consumer protection.
Intel Will Expand Its "Teach to the Future" program to additional
Developing Nations: Intel, with support from companies such as
Microsoft, has launched a "Teach to The Future" initiative, which is
focused on providing over 400,000 classroom teachers with the skills to
effectively apply technology to their curriculum. The estimated total
investment by all participating corporations exceeds half a billion
dollars. Universities or other agencies with appropriate expertise are
selected to translate and adapt the curriculum to the local culture and
educational environment. Intel is committed to implementing Intel Teach
to the Future in at least 10 additional countries and is actively
working with agencies and ministries of education in Africa, Asia, the
Middle East, and South America. -more -
PowerUP will expand its program to four international sites in 2001:
AOL will launch four international PowerUP sites in 2001 in four
countries. PowerUP (www.powerup.org) is a collaborative effort from
corporations and government organizations to give youth the resources
they need to acquire skills for success in the digital age. PowerUP
currently includes more than 250 existing and planned after-school sites
in the U.S. The pilot international program will provide resources
donated from partners, including Gateway (computers), Hewlett Packard
(printers), AOL (Internet accounts) and full-time staff and volunteer
mentors who will adapt the program to meet the needs of various
cultures, languages and economies.
AOL and its corporate partners will create an international channel
for the Digital Divide Network: AOL and its corporate partners will
expand their successful online clearinghouse of information about
solutions to the digital divide - www.digitaldividenetwork.org - to
serve international audiences as well as domestic ones. The Digital
Divide includes grants, funding opportunities, best practices and
toolkits for bridging the digital divide. The new "International
Channel" within the Digital Divide Network will include links to the
best available resources around the world and a community chat area for
international partners and members to discuss and exchange ideas fir
program and policy initiatives. The Digital Divide Network will begin
making content available in other languages, starting with the
International Channel.
StarMedia Foundation and its Partners will expand IT Training Program
for Low-Income Youth to all of Latin America: The StarMedia Foundation,
the Inter-American Development Bank and CDI Brazil have created a
partnership to bridge the digital divide among low-income Latin American
youth. The partnership, Committee for Democratization of Information
Technology Americas (CDI Americas), builds on a successful model
demonstrated in Brazil, which has graduated 40,000 students from the
favelas in the last five years. The program teaches basic computer,
Internet and hardware maintenance skills to underprivileged youth in an
intensive 3-month module. Young people who have completed this training
have been able to get jobs with some of Latin America's leading Internet
companies.
Microsoft will support 4 new projects to close the Digital Divide
worth more than $1 million: Microsoft will provide more than $1 million
in cash and software grants to four new projects, including a multimedia
computer center for children in India with developmental disabilities, a
computer lab with trained staff in a poor Columbian school district, and
5 computer centers which will train 500 young people in Western Siberia.
This is an addition to Microsoft's $21 million ($8 million in cash and
$13 million in Microsoft software) in support for projects outside of
the United States in the year 2000 alone.
United States Telecommunications Training Institute will train
additional 170 senior policy makers and regulators from Developing
Countries: The USTTI will provide free training on Internet and
e-commerce policy issues to an additional 170 senior communications
officials and regulators from developing countries. Since its creation,
USTTI has trained 5,670 regulators, entrepreneurs and other leaders from
developing countries.
CEO Forum on Education and Technology will create a self-assessment
tool for Developing Nations: The CEO Forum plans to develop a
"self-assessment tool" to permit nations, regions, districts and schools
to systematically examine their use of technology in education. Such a
self-assessment can serve as a platform for future plans to improve the
use of technology in delivering top quality instruction. While some
self-assessment tools exist for education technology, none of them have
been adapted for developing nations. This will permit governments and
educational institutions to develop programs to leverage technology for
students with the best set of options that will enable world-class
digital content to be integrated into an educational curriculum.
###
THE IMPORTANCE OF BRIDGING THE GLOBAL DIGITAL DIVIDE
There is a large "digital divide" between developed and developing
countries:
Of the estimated 332 million people online as of March 2000, less
than 1 percent
(2.77 million) live in Africa. [Source: Nua Internet Surveys,
March 2000.]
Less than 5 percent of the computers that are connected to the
Internet are in developing countries. [Source: International
Telecommunications Union, Challenges to the Network: Internet for
Development, 1999.]
The developed world has 49.5 phone lines per 100 people, compared
to 1.4 phones in low-income countries. Lack of a telecommunications
infrastructure is a serious impediment to the growth of the Internet.
[Source: International Telecommunications Union, World Telecommunication
Development Report, 1999.]
Africa outside of South Africa generates only 0.02 percent of
global Internet content. [Source: World Bank, The Digital Divide and
the World Bank Group, May 2000.]
The global divide between developed and developing countries is
growing:
A recently created Index of Technological Progress demonstrated
that access to technology became more unequal between 1992 and 1997, far
more rapidly than differences in income distribution. The index
measured personal computers, Internet hosts, fax machines, mobile
phones, and televisions. [Source: E. Wilson and F. Rodriguez, Are
Poor Countries Losing the Internet Revolution? 1999.]
It is critical that developing countries participate in the networked
economy:
Global electronic commerce could reach $7 trillion by 2004.
[Source: Industry Standard, February 21, 2000.]
As much as one half of the difference between Africa's
manufactured exports as a share of GDP and East Asia's share could be
accounted for by weak communications networks in Africa. [Source: World
Bank, The Networking Revolution: Opportunities and Challenges for
Developing Countries, June 2000.]
Promoting competition and privatization in the telecommunications
sector is key to bridging the global digital divide:
Only 12 percent of local telecommunications markets in developing
countries are liberalized.
In the 5 years following privatization of telecommunications
companies in Peru, the number of fixed lines increased 165 percent, the
number of mobile lines increased from 20,000 to nearly half a million,
and access among the poorest households increased from near zero to
around 20 percent.
[Source: World Bank, The Networking Revolution: Opportunities and
Challenges for Developing Countries, June 2000.]