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INTERNET GOVERNANCE SEMINAR OPENS IN ANGUILLA Island Praised For Strides Forward

An Internet Governance Ministerial Briefing Seminar, organised by the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), opened at Paradise Cove Resort in Anguilla on Tuesday evening with an impressive escort of dignitaries by young uniformed members of the Pathfinders and salutes from three of their drummers.

Attorney General & Mrs. Bourne and delegates

The some 40 delegates from territories, including some Ministers of Communications, were officially welcomed by their Anguillian counterpart, the Hon. Kenneth Harrigan. He said internet services were first introduced in Anguilla in 1995 and had expanded to such an extent that most homes were now connected to the system.

“It is important for the member states of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union… to make internet governance a priority policy area for us in the region,” Mr. Harrigan stated. “The limitation of our small size coupled with the growing use of the internet for business communication, means that it is important that we act now to ensure that there are proper policies in place for management of the internet. This must include full involvement of the Government, the private sector, civil security and international organisations.”

L-R: Kenn Banks, Larry Franklin, Governor & Mrs. George, Kenneth Harrigan, Foster Rogers and Ms. B. Lewis

Governor Andrew George said Anguilla had benefited enormously from the revolution in communications which had transformed the world in the last half century. “Places which were once remote are now accessible from any corner of the planet,” he observed. “This has helped particularly with the development of two very important industries on Anguilla: tourism on one hand and on the other financial services.”

He stressed that all of the telecommunications advances could only work on the basis of international cooperation in setting and monitoring standards. “National authorities have to be ready to work across boundaries in organisations like the CTU to set up systems that are flexible enough to cope with the pace of change in technology which every day seems to become faster,” he went on. “These systems of regulation and monitoring are essential because modern communications technology embracing the internet has great potential both for good and for bad. The record transmission of information and opinion brings people closer together, increases knowledge and speeds up business of all kinds.

Ministers and other delegates

“At the same time it can be used to promote undesirable activities and ideas and to facilitate crime. A regulatory regime that is firm and flexible is essential so that the benefits of better communication can be realised, while minimising the undesirable impact. The work that you all are doing here this week is of very great importance to the whole Caribbean Community.”

Permanent Secretary, Foster Rogers, spoke on behalf of Chief Minister, Osbourne Fleming. He thanked the CTU for holding such an important seminar in Anguilla. He hoped that it would be beneficial to the participants especially the policy-makers in the formulation of public policy. He hoped that at the end of the seminar policy-makers would have a more comprehensive grasp of the impact of the internet on modern societies. He noted the importance of the internet to such critical national infrastructures like the banking and financial sector, health, aviation, public sector systems and community life.

The response from the CTU was delivered by Bernadette Lewis, Secretary-General of the Trinidad-based organisation. She said: “In an era where time and space have become almost irrelevant through the rapid technological innovation, internet governance is a multi-faceted expansive topic; and over the next three days we will strive to hammer out some policy directions and approaches that we will need to adopt to ensure that Caribbean citizens are able to access, use effectively and derive tangible benefits from the internet and internet-based resources and services.”

She stated that the purpose was first and foremost to build the awareness of policy-makers. “I need to congratulate Anguilla on the strides it has made in harnessing the power of the internet to promote national development,” she added. “We trust over the next few days that Anguilla’s example would be a great source of encouragement to CTU Ministers to take charge of the internet resources that are indeed national resources and use them, leverage them for the benefit of your citizens.”

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