Progress Towards the WSIS Targets in ESCAP and Regional Perspectives on Measuring ICT Development Objectives

The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of regional progress in implementing the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). Survey data collected in 2013 from ESCAP countries, and publicly available data suggest that there has been progress in the past decade towards achieving the WSIS objectives. However, progress is incomplete, and in some instances the digital divide has actually increased as more advanced countries have surged ahead in implementation of WSIS objectives. In this context, ICT will provide ever more opportunities for development, as well as more challenges. Policymakers will need to closely track and analyse the contribution of ICT to future sustainable development goals. Consequently the development of a new set of ICT development indicators beyond 2015 will be necessary, updating some WSIS targets and creating new ones when required. The future goals should explore inclusive and sustainable connectivity, particularly through broadband, and the factors required for affordable universal access to broadband. In addition, future ICT goals should support the achievement of sustainable development goals, and should reflect lessons drawn from the WSIS implementation experience over the past decade. This includes using existing statistical standards when possible, involving the statistical community in the design of the targets at an early stage and reviewing the targets more frequently than before, to ensure ICT goals remain relevant as technology rapidly evolves.