“Our goal is to see information technology made accessible to all. We recognise that the wealth of human and technical capital within the Commonwealth can be shared for the benefit of our developing member states.” Malta Declaration, 2005.
Commonwealth agencies support member countries’ development of national ICT strategies, e-government applications, training programmes and access to online education. The Commonwealth’s flagship programme on ICT for Development, Commonwealth Connects is designed to share the resources of ICT-rich member states with countries with low ICT capacity, enabling them to access new technologies. Lead by the Commonwealth Secretariat and working with other partner agencies, it acts as a vehicle for technology and knowledge transfer across the Commonwealth, in areas such as eGovernment, eLearning and Telecommunication regulation. The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization (CTO), which develops knowledge-sharing programmes in the areas of telecommunications and the Internet, and the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (CBA) which supports broadcasting across the Commonwealth and beyond are also actively engaged in ICT for Development activities.
Latest News
Africa Progress Panel calls on African governments to drive towards Millennium Development Goals
May 14, 2012African leaders urged to launch 'big push' as inequality, marginalisation and disenfranchisement threaten MDG progress. The Africa Progress Panel, chaired by Kofi Annan, the former UN secretary general, said while the continent had made notable gains in the past decade, its record on poverty does not match its overall economic growth.
Nigeria: World Leaders Chart Roadmap for Female ICT Education
May 03, 2012Nigerian information technology (IT) practitioners met to dissect why few females students were taking up science and technology courses in institutions of higher learning and only a handful were playing active roles in the sector.
Commonwealth and The Gambia team up to to establish an anti-corruption commission
May 02, 2012In a tête-à-tête meeting with journalists before he ended his first visit after eight years to The Gambia, Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma said the organisation has “entered a new chapter in its history of reform and renewal”.
Gambia: Youth Participation Local Governance, Decentralization
Mar 23, 2012Youth Programme links with Commonwealth of Learning to develop pilot course on Commonwealth values. One hundred young participants from four regions of the Commonwealth to participate in a 10-week live pilot of the Embracing Commonwealth Values (CV) e-learning course.
Commonwealth Launches Youth Awards
Mar 23, 2012Nominations for the Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work are now open. We are calling for entries that recognise young people whose commitment to development work within a Commonwealth country has made a difference to the lives of others.
Scramble is on for social media users in Africa
Mar 21, 2012New platforms challenge Facebook and Twitter in a market that can only grow. With the popularity of social media platforms continuing to grow, South African users should brace themselves for more and more players in the market.
