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------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date sent:              Fri, 16 Apr 1999 18:46:10 -0500
From:                   "Alamango Henry_at_MITTS" <Henry.D.Alamango@magnet.mt>
To:                     gkd@phoenix.edc.org
Subject:                [GKD] Global Survey of On-line Governance
via:    gkd@phoenix.edc.org

Global Survey of On-line Governance - a joint UNESCO/COMNET-IT initiative

A key enabling element in the development of an Information Society and in
the related process of democratization is the application of ICT
technologies to Governance. Driven by public and political pressures for
reform, accountability and improved service, the emergence of On-Line
Governance, whilst delivering these services, is becoming a vehicle for
far-reaching developments in public-access to information, the promotion
of public fora, and the evolution of both legislative and administrative
institutions. Although the industrialized countries have gained a
considerable lead in harnessing these new technologies, developing
countries, given the adoption of enabling policies, have an opportunity to
leap-frog over decades of evolutionary development.

UNESCO is mandated by its Member States, inter alia, "to promote the free
flow of ideas by word and image and to foster international co-operation
in the fields of communication, information and informatics in order to
narrow the existing gap between the developed and developing countries in
these areas. UNESCO's Medium-Term Strategy for 1996-2001 foresees a
special focus on the application of communication and information
technologies for development, democracy and peace. With this and other
considerations in mind, UNESCO has decided to give attention to the
development of On-line Governance, undertaking to provide its
Member-States, particularly developing countries, with information on the
experiences, trends and issues in this area.

The Commonwealth Network of Information Technology for Development
(COMNET-IT) - a foundation sponsored by the Commonwealth Secretariat and
the Government of Malta - is committed to the dissemination of good
practice in IT policy and application, particularly in the areas of Public
Service and National Strategies.

UNESCO and COMNET-IT have therefore agreed to collaborate in the conduct
of a global survey in On-line Governance. At this first phase (ending in
autumn, 1999) responses to a detailed questionnaire, together with
ancillary material, will feed into the production of an analytical report
(detailing status and trends), a database, and a Web site providing access
to both. Resources permitting, the scope and depth of treatment may be
extended at a second stage.

The survey questionnaire (available at the COMNET-IT Web site,
http://www.comnet.mt) requests information on the overall situation in
each country and specific applications in the three main areas of:

- on-line information
- on-line services
- public input to the process of governance

UNESCO and COMNET-IT are pleased to announce this project and welcome
comments from GKD members on desirable directions for future work,
ancillary information to complement the questionnaire and possible sources
of authoritative country information. Please address your comments to Mr.
Joshua Zammit at <Joshua.zammit@magnet.mt>

The addresses of the UNESCO National Commissions who will be responsible
for completing the questionnaire, in consultation with other concerned
national authorities, are listed at
<http://www.unesco.org/general/eng/partners/commission/listecn.html>





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