HIPCAR Project - First Consultation Workshop for Working Group 1
Relating to Information Society Issues
8-12 March 2010  (St. Lucia)

The First Consultation Workshop for Working Group 1 (Information Society Issues) of the HIPCAR Project – “Enhancing Competitiveness in the Caribbean Through the Harmonization of ICT Policies, Legislation and Regulatory Procedures" – is to be held in St. Lucia from 8-12 March 2010.

The aim of the HIPCAR Project is to support Caribbean countries in improving their competitiveness by harmonizing approaches to ICT development. It brings together Caribbean governments, regulators, service providers, civil society, private sector, and regional and international organizations involved in ICT. HIPCAR’s Working Group 1 on Information Society Issues deals specifically with the following work areas:

·        E-Commerce (Transactions)
·        E-Commerce (Evidence)
·        Access to Public Information (Freedom of Information)
·        Cybercrimes / E-Crimes
·        Privacy & Data Protection
·        Interception of Communications

The objectives of the Workshop are to:

1. Review, discuss and contribute to finalizing the following documents prepared by a HIPCAR team of regional and international experts:

   a.      Assessment Report on current legislation in the Caribbean in the above work areas, and
   b.    Proposed Policy Guidelines in these areas, upon which Model Legislation for the region is later to be drafted under the project
    

2. Allow participants to better understand the issues and options relating to developing ICT policy & legislation in the region, and to share this understanding with colleagues in their home countries.

Who can participate

The Workshop is addressed to participants from relevant government bodies, regulators, service providers, civil society, private sector, and regional organizations from the following HIPCAR beneficiary countries: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, The Commonwealth of Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.