GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Ministers with responsibility for Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have approved the Integrated Work Plan for the Community’s Single ICT Space.

The approval was made on Friday, during discussions at the 68th Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) on ICT during a virtual meeting anchored at the CARICOM Secretariat here.

The single ICT Space is conceptualised as the digital layer of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) – the region’s flagship programme.

It encompasses the management of regional information, human resources, legislation and infrastructure in the sector to elicit maximum benefit for the Region’s populace.

The single ICT space and the Region’s Digital Agenda 2025 are premised on the Regional Digital Development Strategy (RDDS) which was approved in 2013, and will also have inputs from key regional Commissions and the Post-2015 Agenda.

CARICOM Heads of Government approved the Road map for the single ICT Space in February 2017, and the Integrated Work Plan was developed and fine-tuned following several meetings of senior officials of ICT in the Region.

The integrated approach allows for the coordination of activities which are geared towards the best solutions to meet the needs of the people, and to achieve economies of scale across the Region.

CARICOM Assistant Secretary-General, Trade and Economic Integration, Joseph Cox said that in the course of developing the workplan, several matters were brought to light, including the fact of the different stages of ICT development across CARICOM Member States.

“The Single ICT space workplan provides a guide for issues that the region can work on together- with those that have done some things before helping the ones now embarking on those projects.”

Cox also reminded the Meeting that this week the world observed World Telecommunication and Information Society Day with the theme of ‘Big data for big impact’.

“Big data is just one of the issues on the front burner of the digital sector. Are we dealing with the issues of standards, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence at the national and regional levels?

He cautioned that “our citizens are very aware of what is happening around them and possible resulted impact. We as servants of the citizens of this Region and the practitioners and decision-makers in the sector have to give them the assurance that we are aware too and are earnestly working to ensure that we do not retard their progress as digital citizens.”

The ministers also acknowledged the cyber security action plan which was recently approved by the Council for National Security and Law Enforcement (CONSLE) and agreed to forge ahead with a coordinated approach to keeping national assets secured. They agreed to meet before July to discuss digital broadcasting and switch-over issues.