What were the main digital policy regional updates in the Caribbean? This space brings you the main updates month by month, summarised by the observatory's curators.
Follow the GIP's January 2020 briefing on Internet governance, which will include updates from the Caribbean region during January. Register to attend.
January 2020
Curated by Wanda M. Pérez
Public Key Infrastructure project launched in Jamaica
18 Jan 2020 | Capacity development
A national Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) project was launched on 15 January. The project will be rolled out during the next seven months, with the objective of making Jamaica a more digital society, in which there is ubiquitous use of information and communications technology (ICT) in all spheres, such as home, work, school, and recreation. It is part of the Government's National Identification System (NIDS).
One of the first goals of the PKI project is the delivery of electronic passports (e-passports), as part of the transformation process taking place at the Passport, Immigration, and Citizenship Agency (PICA).
Mapping vulnerability in Puerto Rico
10 Jan 2020 | Capacity development
As part of a larger project supported by the Pulitzer Center regarding property rights and vulnerability in Puerto Rico, an interactive map of the country was created.
This project looks at the effects of economic and environmental vulnerability in three areas of Puerto Rico: San Juan’s gentrifying district of Santurce; the historically Afro-Caribbean community Loiza; and, the island of Vieques. Each of these areas is engaged in a different struggle to secure land tenure and property rights.
The data mapped here includes demographic data from the US Census, foreclosure data from Puerto Rico’s Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions, flood zone data from the Federal Emergency Aid (FEMA), and FEMA’s open data on aid to property owners from Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
Bahamas launches the ‘Sand Dollar’
8 Jan 2020 | Cryptocurrencies, E-commerce and trade
The Central Bank of The Bahamas recently launched a pilot of the digital currency the ‘Sand dollar’ which is not a typical cryptocurrency, but a digital version of the existing Bahamian paper currency.
The premise behind its launch is to facilitate people throughout the chain islands with a fully digital payment service, as well as to accommodate those who do not have access to a physical bank.
