Context
Since 2012, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has implemented an international ICT volunteers programme in collaboration with the National Information Society Agency of the Republic of Korea (NIA) known as NIA/ITU International ICT Volunteers. The programme has dispatched over 300 volunteers to more than 10 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
Having recognized the power of youth and benefits of this programme, at the WTDC-14 Regional Preparatory Meeting (RPM) held in Cambodia during 30 April and 2 May 2013, Asia-Pacific member countries endorsed a proposal on ‘international collaboration on multistakeholder empowerment of ICT volunteers’ which was initiated by the Republic of Indonesia and tabled at the meeting.
Later in the same year, at the Connect Asia-Pacific Summit held in Bangkok, Thailand on 18 November 2013 whereby some 625 participants from 37 ITU Asia-Pacific Member States, including 7 Head of State/Government, 30 Ministers, deputy ministers, and Ambassadors attended the Summit, ITU announced the ITU International ICT Volunteers Programme known as IIV Programme.
The WTDC-14 held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates during 30 March and 10 April 2014 adopted the Dubai Action Plan (DuAP) which includes an Asia-Pacific Regional Initiative on ‘development of broadband access and adoption of broadband’. The initiative identifies an expected result which is “international collaboration on multi-stakeholder empowerment of ICT volunteers” in that ITU is mandated to foster and coordinate efforts in implementing ICT volunteer programmes in the Asia-Pacific region.
International ICT Volunteers (IIV)
International ICT Volunteers programme (IIV) is an open platform for multi-stakeholders including governments, NGOs, academia, private sector, international organizations, and others to mobilize human and various resources aimed at empowering people at all levels including youth, professional, women and girls, and retired people; and providing them an opportunity to work towards promoting ICT for development in national and international levels.
IIV Framework enables national and international ICT volunteer programmes whereby volunteers come from different backgrounds with various skills and expertise. The framework also provides an opportunity for volunteers to network with each other thereby exchanging their knowledge and experience and driving creativities and innovations among them.
NIA/ITU International ICT Volunteers
The NIA/ITU International ICT Volunteers is a unique programme jointly implemented by ITU and NIA under the IIV framework. The programme dispatches young Korean volunteers to countries around the region and to work with various organizations in the countries for a period of either one month or two months usually around July and August of each year. Volunteers are dispatched in groups (teams). Each team consists of four members.
Prior to dispatching, volunteers are required to participate in a boot camp with an intensive programme aimed at preparing and training the volunteers to be ready for on-site works. The programme also monitors and evaluates performance of the volunteers in that they are required to present their work achievements at an evaluation meeting usually organized at the end of their assignments.
This year, the NIA/ITU IIV 2015 programme will dispatch 100 Korean volunteers to seven countries namely Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos PDR, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. The IIV-2015 Boot Camp will be hosted by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. The evaluation meetings will also be hosted by MCMC and be held at Cyberjaya, Malaysia.
