| DIRSI Workshop on ICT Regulation and Equity in LAC |
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| Written by Alejandro Artopoulos | |
| Wednesday, 26 April 2006 | |
 From April 18-20 WDR's Latin America and Caribbean partner, the Regional Dialogue on the Information Society (known by its Spanish acronym DIRSI) organised a workshop on ICTs Regulation and Equity in Latin America and the Caribbean. The activity took place in the headquarters of the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in Santiago, Chile and was sponsored by IDRC as part of its global initiative on pro-poor, pro-market ICT policy.
DIRSI is a network composed of researchers from various disciplines who study the challenges posed by the development of the information society and accompanying public policy and regulation problems and solutions. DIRSI's research focus is propoor and development-oriented, with a particular interest in areas such as public policies that emphasise digital inclusion, strategies for universal access to the internet, regulatory modernisation and programmes to expand efficiency and transparency in the public sector. The main items on the agenda involved evaluating the research already done by the network, preparing for the next research phase, and ensuring the growth and consolidation of the network. Also discussed were issues related to the network's expansion to new countries, the incorporation of new researchers, creating a board of advisors, the hiring an executive coordinator for the network, and cooperation with regional and international partners. In addition to IDRC and ECLAC, representatives from OSILAC, LIRNE, ECLAC, UNDP and others attended the workshop. Local researchers and experts were brought into the discussion on the last day. This session was intended to present to a wider audience some of the work undertaken by DIRSI in its previous research cycle, and to preview the research agenda for the next cycle. Chile’s Deputy Minister of the Economy, Ana Maria Correa, presented that country's Digital Agenda (2006-2010). The Chilean Digital Agenda is still in a process of formation, and participants took the opportunity to raise concerns about legislation, extending the network to rural and low-income communities, and government intentions around funding for universal access. |
