The Advisory Boards of the m-Powering Development and Smart Sustainable Development Model Initiatives released their first reports in Doha, Qatar, on 6 December, on the eve of the ITU Telecom World 2014. The reports will soon be available on the Initiatives' websites.
Mr Brahima Sanou, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau, commended the Advisory Boards for the hard work, commitment and enthusiasm they had exhibited in producing the reports. "I am confident that these reports will help us raise awareness of the potential of these two initiatives," he added.
The Advisory Boards also adopted action plans to guide in the implementation of the initiatives. The action plans focus mainly on areas critical to advancing the initiatives including innovation and new technologies, policy, regulation and advocacy and access to infrastructure and financial resources.
The m-Powering Development Initiative report focuses on the harnessing of mobile technology to build an inclusive information society. It says technological innovations and initiatives that use mobile phones can potentially bring exponential benefits to entire communities and make a valuable contribution to the global development agenda.
The report by the Smart Sustainable Development Model Initiative focuses on the link between ICT for Development (ICT4D) with ICT for Disaster Management (ICT4DM) and their role in sustainable development processes. It says ICTs can have a profound effect on individuals, communities, and nations as specific technological solutions can be utilized in all the phases of disaster management, including disaster preparedness, reduction, mitigation and post-disaster rehabilitation.
The Smart Sustainable Development Model Initiative (SSDM) is an international, multi-stakeholder platform that seeks to link ICT for development with ICT for disaster management in order to achieve sustainable development.
The m-Powering Development Initiative seeks to leverage the ubiquity of mobile technology beyond basic communications. Its objective is to capitalize on the availability of mobile networks to strengthen economies and offer new opportunities to improve health, education, governance, banking, sport and commerce.
Video interview with Brahima Sanou, Director BDT, ITU
Video interview with John Nasasira, Chairman, SSDM Initiative
Video interview with Sam Pitroda, Chairman, m-Powering Development Initiative
