Using ICT to strengthen Local Governance in Developing Countries
14 June 2004: The International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) merged their intellectual resources for a week in June to find new ways to strengthen the capacities of local governments through the use of ICTs. The workshop, which took place in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, brought together participants from across Africa to debate, discuss and deliberate new and exciting innovations to bring high technology to remote communities in a way that can strengthen democracy and further development among some of the world's poorest populations.
The objectives of this workshop were: 1) to examine ways for strengthening local governance in least developing countries (LDCs) through the use of information and communication Technology (ICT); and, 2) to analyze developing trends and implementations of ICT in local governance.
The workshop provided practitioners with an inventory of research needs. Case studies of ICT applications in the context of local governance as well as technological issues affecting local governance in LDCs were presented. In addition, the workshop examined the links between local governance initiatives and national and regional ICT policies and plans.
For more information, and access to the studies prepared for the workshop, please visit this page at the IDRC website.
