Guiding Principles/Objectives

Programmes

UNESCAP is working towards managing globalization, poverty reduction, and tackling emerging social issues, which are in line with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). As the information, communication and space Technology is one of the major driving forces of the globalization, and has potential to facilitate the achievement of the MDGs, particularly, to combat poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environment degradation and gender inequality. Accordingly, UNESCAP established the new sub-programme on information, communication and space technology in July 2002. The sub-programme has given its major focus on bridging the digital divide through creating an enabling environment and enhancing access to opportunities for the development, transfer and application of information, communication and space technology.

UNESCAP's ICT strategy focuses on two main areas:

1. Strengthening national capacities to develop and implement policies and programmes, including regulatory and institutional frameworks, to facilitate affordable and equitable access to information, communication and space technology;

2. Enhancing national capacity in the application of information, communication and space technologies to support national efforts in planning and implementing socio-economic development programmes.

http://www.unescap.org/icstd/index.asp

Areas of Application:

► Networking of women
► Rural development and poverty alleviation
► Human Resource Development
► Trade and investment
► Economic policy formulation
► Population/Demography
► Environment and natural resources management
► Natural Disaster Reduction
► Transport and logistics
► Statistics
► Health care and distance education

► Capacity building for ICT policy and institution enabling environment
► Capacity building for ICT and space technology applications
► Interagency Working Group on ICT
► Regional Roadmap towards Information Society as follow-up to phase I and Preparation to phase II of WSIS
► Task Force on ICT development for persons with disabilities
► Women's Information Network for Asia and Pacific (WINAP)
► Asia-Pacific Population Information Network (Asia-Pacific POPIN)
► Regional Space Applications Programme for Sustainable Development (RESAP)
► Maritime transport networking (MARINET)
► Asian Highway Database
► Asia-Pacific Regional Road Accident Database (APRAD)
► Asian Highway Database
► Asia-Pacific Regional Road Accident Database (APRAD)

Participation in Multi-donor Programmes:

n/a

Asia-Pacific economies

n/a

Mr. Xuan Zengpei, Chief Information, Communication and Space Technology Division, ESCAP-ICSTD@UN.ORG