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Gambia launches assessment of its digital environment
The process is supported by UNESCO, and nationally led by the Information Technology Association of The Gambia (ITAG) in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy of The Gambia.
The assessment is aimed at developing a clear and substantive understanding of the national Internet environment and of Internet policies thereby contributing to sustainable development. The findings of the assessment are used to formulate policy recommendations that can help improve Internet development in the country.
Beran Dondeh, president of ITAG, said the Gambia IUI assessment will help in understanding the internet in its entirety, in terms of accessibility, affordability, openness and the involvement of stakeholders in its regulation.
鈥淚t is a unique study because it touches on a lot of areas,鈥 Mrs Dondeh said.
Lamin Camara, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy, said the indicators that will be assessed in the IUI process are very important when developing policies and legislations regarding the internet and digital governance.
As a government, we formulate policies and legislations based on indicators and benchmarks. Therefore, this assessment will help to have benchmark indicators for relevant policies on the digital environment
Michel Elvis Kenmoe, the Regional Adviser for Communication and Information for UNESCO Dakar, said 91麻豆国产精品自拍 over the years supported the conduct of IUI assessment in at least seven West African countries, including Senegal, Benin, and Cape Verde. Across the world, more than 40 countries have conducted the assessment.
In each country, a Multistakeholder Advisory Board is established to oversee the assessment as well as the implementation of the recommendations.
There have been a lot of positive actions on the recommendations of the report. IUI report is not a UNESCO report. It is a national report that is to be nationally owned by the respective stakeholders. This is why the recommendations that come with the findings of the assessment are for all the stakeholders to own up and implement; not just the government.
UNESCO developed the IUI as a framework for voluntary assessment of Internet environment and formulation of actionable recommendations to inform policy, strategies and actions for advancing Internet development, access and rights.
The framework is applied at national level through a multistakeholder approach by which various interested, concerned and impacted parties come together to reflect on various dimensions of Internet environment covered by the indicators under the interdependent Rights, Open, Accessible to All, Multistakeholder participation (ROAM) principles.
