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    Tonga Declaration

    By Graham Crumb | June 25, 2010

    There’s been lots of discussion in the region recently of the recent ICT Ministers’ meeting in Tonga. In order to help things along, here’s link to the actual Tonga Declaration 2010 document.

    Update:

    Here’s the OCR’ed text below the cut. Any errors are mine….

    Secretariat of the Pacific Community

    PACIFIC REGIONAL INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) MINISTERS’ MEETING

    18 June 2010

    Nuku’alofa, Tonga

    ICT for development, governance and sustainable livelihoods

    Tonga Declaration

    We, the representatives of the Countries and Territories meeting in Nuku’alofa,

    Tonga:

    Noting the important role of ICT in meeting the Millennium Development Goals
    (MDGs);

    Recalling the Resolution 64/187 of the UN General Assembly, of 21 December 2009 recognising the importance of partnerships with all relevant stakeholders in enhancing access to ICT and that ICT has the potential to provide new solutions to development challenges;

    Recognising the unique challenges faced by Pacific Small Island Developing States
    and Territories in ICT development;

    Noting that the Pacnfic Plan as endorsed by the Forum Leaders’ Meeting in Madang,
    Papua New Guinea in October 2005 provides a framework for strengthening regional
    cooperation and integration between Forum countries;

    Recalling the Wellington Declaration of the 2006 Pacific Islands Forum
    Communications Ministers meeting set priorities and identified challenges to be
    addressed in implementing the Digital Strategy;

    Recalling the 2009 PacWc ICT Ministerial Forum Communiqué that was endorsed by
    the InternationalTelecommunication Union (ITU) Pacific member states;

    Acknowledging the important role of development partners in progressing ICT
    development in the Pacific region;

    Noting that Forum Leaders requested in their Cairns Communiqué that the Digital
    Strategy, an essential component of the Pacgfic Plan, be reviewed and revised;

    Acknowledging the review of the Digital Strategy by the Pacific Islands Forum
    Secretariat (PIFS);

    Acknowledging the development of the Framework for Action on lCT for
    Development for the Pacific by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) in
    partnership with Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific (CROP) agencies and
    development partners;

    Declare that we:

    1. Are committed to using ICT as a key tool for the development, governance and sustainable livelihood of the people of our countries;

    2. Recognise that while ICTs have enormous potential for socio economic
    development, they pose risks to our communities that need to be carefully
    managed;

    3. Will work together to support the advancement of Pacific countries through
    improved deployment and use of ICTs in our societies; and

    4. Endorse the concept of ’many partners, one team’ in progressing a more
    coordinated and coherent approach to ICT development.

    Accordingly, we:

    (i) Endorse the recommendations in the PacWc Regional ICT Officials’
    Meeting Report and Outcomes;

    (ii) Endorse the Framework for Action on ICT for Development for the
    Pacijic;

    (iii) Request SPC to work with USP, PICTs and development partners to
    develop the three year rolling Strategic Action Plan that will be updated
    annually, and to report back on targets set in the framework, and
    outline upcoming ICT activities in the region;

    (iv) Request SPC to coordinate the implementation of the framework in
    collaboration with USP, and other CROP agencies and development
    partners;

    (v) Agree that the Framework be reviewed before mid 2013; and
    (vi) Agree to convene a Pacific ICT IVIinisters’ meeting after the review to
    consider the findings and provide direction to the implementation of
    the Framework.

    18 June 2010
    IN WITNESSED WHEREOF the undersigned have affixed their signatures to this Agreement

    DONE at Nuku’alofa, Tonga, this 18″‘ day of June, the year two thousand and ten.

    [Signatures follow]

    Topics: geek, soft-core, wonk | 2 Comments »

    2 Responses to “Tonga Declaration”

    1. blah Says:
      August 19th, 2010 at 1:31 pm

      http://www.islandsbusiness.com/islands_business/index_dynamic/containerNameToReplace=MiddleMiddle/focusModuleID=19312/overideSkinName=issueArticle-full.tpl

    2. Graham Crumb Says:
      August 19th, 2010 at 1:54 pm

      [Not sure what the relationship is between the link above and this article, but it's a legitimate story, so I've left it be. ed.]

    Comments