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 October 2019 briefing on Internet governance, which will include updates from the Caribbean region during October. Register to attend.
September 2019
Curated by Wanda M. Pérez
World Bank approves USD$30.6 million project to build resilience of public health systems in the OECS
4 Sep 2019 | Economic - other issues
The World Bank has approved a USD$30.6 million regional health project to improve regional co-ordination and resilience for public health emergencies and extreme weather events in four member states of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS); Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
The project will finance critical renovations in telecommunications, electrical safety, plumbing and water storage, lighting, and other critical areas.
The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the OECS Commission will co-ordinate regional activities, including establishing well co-ordinated preparedness plans and strategies
Suriname and CTU to demonstrate the power of digital transformation
10 Sep 2019 | Development - other, Capacity development
Following a successful launch of Caribbean FutureScape in April 2019, the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) is taking its technology immersion road-show to Suriname, where it was stated that the government of Suriname is on its way towards achieving digital transformation by launching its electronic identity service.
Caribbean FutureScape is a simulation of four Caribbean countries that have come together and moved into the digital age. Fundamental to experiencing its services is the unique digital identifier or e-ID. The assignment of an e-ID will allow citizens to move freely from country to country with their capital and goods; establish businesses; buy and sell land; and, access government services in any of the countries.
Google launches Caribbean School of Data
12 Sep 2019 | Development - other, Capacity development
Google.org and the Caribbean Open Institute (COI) have joined forces to help reduce the digital divide in the region.
Google.org will support the COI to deploy the Caribbean School of Data (CSOD), an educational initiative that will develop a comprehensive and sustainable ‘data literacy’ programme for underserved populations in Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Haiti, Saint Lucia, and Puerto Rico. The aim is to generate greater awareness, skills, competencies, and capabilities around data science, creating employment skills for the digital age.
The Caribbean School of Data will enable the training of at least 1500 disadvantaged youth on topics ranging from data literacy to advanced management skills, visualisation, integration, and data analysis, aligned with the needs of the labour market over a period of two years.
