"This report provides an overview of the comparative innovation capacity of the Africa region through ICT-centric Innovation policy monitors and shares insights about good practices strengthening the capacity to integrate ICT innovation in national development agendas. Overall, although sub-Saharan
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Africa has benefited from rapidly growing innovation systems, its performance in the three engines of growth must improve for the region to become a real actor on the global stage. Nigeria for example, has an entrepreneurial ecosystem that is performing well, while its technological and innovation ecosystems need further support to turn the country into a thriving digital innovation ecosystem.
To understand these discrepancies, the report introduces two ICT-centric innovation policy monitors: the three engines of growth monitor and the enablers of digital transformation monitor. The report notes that there are many good practices in the region fuelling the entrepreneurial journey. Each practice presented in the report was analysed based on its impact in a third ICT-centric innovation policy monitor, the ecosystem maturity map monitor. Each stakeholder group, at each of the five stages of the entrepreneurial journey, is assessed by its level of engagement to assess the maturity of the ecosystem. For example, the first stage of the journey for entrepreneurs is entrepreneurial interest, while for the public sector, it is having a vision and strategy. The monitor enables stakeholders to visualize the maturity of the ICT-centric innovation ecosystem and identify which practices to keep, which must be improved and which to replace." (Introduction)
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"Intended as a guide for policy-makers and other stakeholders in crafting a national AI and data strategy for development, the report highlights opportunities and outlines good policy and regulatory practices for implementation, while also flagging key challenges and offering hands-on suggestions in
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managing and overcoming these roadblocks. The report describes the main building-blocks of a national AI and data system for development, including governance, regulation, ethical considerations, digital and data skills, the overall digital environment, the technological innovation landscape and opportunities for international collaboration. It goes on to detail the main components of an effective AI and data system action plan, including the principles governing stakeholder engagement, the setting of clear milestones and budgets and administrative structures to support implementation and coordination mechanisms." (Foreword)
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"Southeast Europe’s strong tradition of regional cooperation for media reform can be leveraged to address the renewed threats independent media face. Countries in the region have shared cultural and trade ties, common media markets, and face similar threats to a free and independent press. They al
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so benefit from numerous existing regional coalitions and networks that have worked for decades to develop shared norms and standards and promote cross-border knowledge sharing and solidarity. Southeast Europe’s regional media coalitions, organizations, and networks are a significant force for promoting media freedom, independence, and pluralism. Regional coalitions are important drivers of national reform efforts. They need to be equipped to take advantage of new windows of opportunity and tap into the power and influence of the numerous multilateral organizations that serve the region. The support of international donors and multilateral institutions is critical to advancing media reform agendas in Southeast Europe. However, more needs to be done to broaden and deepen support, and to tap into the collective capacities and assets of local media organizations and regional media coalitions." (Key findings)
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"This report provides an overview of the innovation capacity of the Asia-Pacific region through ICT-centric innovation activity and offers an insight to how good practice can strengthen Member State capacity to integrate ICT innovation into development agendas.
Although the Asia-Pacific region has a
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strong tradition of innovation, there is room for improvement, for example, some countries have healthy innovative ecosystems that perform well in some elements of the ecosystem but need further support in others to develop a thriving digital innovation ecosystem.
This report uses international indices to monitor the current state of innovation ecosystem performance, aspects of growth, gaps, and discrepancies. The information from these major indices has been analysed to create an ICT-centric innovation performance monitor that provides a comparative assessment of the innovation ecosystems both within and among countries in the region and a threshold for action by decision-makers.
There are many good practices in the region. Each practice presented in this report has been assessed according to three engines of growth (innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology) and the current state of the seven enablers of digital transformation. In addition, the ecosystem maturity map helps to assess stakeholder levels of engagement, for example where the first stage of the journey for entrepreneurs is entrepreneurial interest, and for the public sector it is having a vision and developing a strategy. These monitoring tools enable stakeholders to visualize the maturity of the ICT-centric innovation ecosystem and identify practices to keep, those that must be improved, and those to be replaced." (Introduction)
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"This report provides an overview of the comparative innovation capacity of the Arab States region through ICT-centric innovation policy monitors, and an insight into how good practices can strengthen capacity to mainstream ICT innovation into national development agendas. It showcases a number of c
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ountries that display exemplary innovation practices and occupy leading positions in all three ecosystems (entrepreneurial, innovation and technology ecosystems), and looks at other countries of the region which lag behind in all three ecosystems as well as in terms of hard and soft infrastructure. To understand this divergence, the report introduces two ICT-centric innovation policy monitors: the 'Three Engines of Growth' monitor and the 'Digital Transformation Enablers' monitor.
The report notes that there are many good practices in the region fuelling the entrepreneurial journey. Each practice presented in the report was analysed on the basis of its impact, in a third ICT-centric innovation policy monitor, the 'Ecosystem Maturity Map' monitor. Each stakeholder group, at each of the five stages of the entrepreneurial journey, is assessed by its level of engagement in order to gauge the maturity of the ecosystem. For example, the first stage of the journey for entrepreneurs is 'entrepreneurial interest', while for the public sector it is having a 'vision and strategy'. This monitor enables stakeholders to visualize the maturity of the ICT-centric innovation ecosystem and identify which practices to keep, which must be improved and which to replace." (Introduction)
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"This report provides an overview of trends and developments in ICT infrastructure, access and use in the Americas region, which includes 35 Member States and is home to a population of 1 billion people. The report highlights changes in ICT adoption since the last World Telecommunication Development
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Conference in 2017 (WTDC-17) and during the COVID-19 pandemic, tracks the evolution of regulation, and reviews progress and challenges in implementing the ITU regional initiatives for the Americas region. Its objective is to serve as a reference for the ITU membership in reviewing progress and identifying ICT development priorities in the Americas region." (Abstract)
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"This report provides an overview of the comparative innovation capacity of the Americas region through ICT-centric innovation policy monitors and insights on how good practice can strengthen capacity to integrate ICT innovation into national development agendas.
Overall, the Americas region has sho
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wn divergent scenarios in reaching the full potential of the innovation ecosystem. Few countries have a traditionally strong innovation system, and most performances in one or all three engines of growth must improve for the region to become a real actor on the global stage. Canada and the United States of America perform well, while emerging economies such as Argentina, Brazil or Mexico are struggling on the technological, entrepreneurial or innovation ecosystems, and others such as Haiti need further support to turn the country into a thriving digital innovation ecosystem.
To understand these discrepancies, the report introduces two ICT centric innovation monitors: the three engines of growth monitor and the digital transformation enablers monitor.
The report notes that there are many good practices in the region fuelling the entrepreneurial journey. Each practice presented in the report was analysed based on its impact in a third ICT-centric innovation policy monitor, the ecosystem maturity map monitor. Each stakeholder group, at each of the five stages of the entrepreneurial journey, is assessed by its level of engagement to assess the maturity of the ecosystem. For example, the first stage of the journey for entrepreneurs is entrepreneurial interest, while for the public sector, it is having a vision and strategy. The monitor enables stakeholders to visualize the maturity of the ICT-centric innovation ecosystem and identify which practices to keep, which must be improved and which to replace." (Introduction)
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"La ley TIC (tecnologías de la información y las comunicaciones) 1978, aprobada en julio de 2019 por el Congreso de la República de Colombia, es fruto de numerosas polémicas que desencadenaron movilizaciones, debates ciudadanos y cuestionamientos públicos. ¿Cuáles fueron sus ejes de discusió
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n? A continuación presentamos un relato con los principales acontecimientos." (Página 1)
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"Content moderation—the process of deciding what stays online and what gets taken down— is an indispensable aspect of the social media industry. Without it, online platforms would be inundated not just by spam, but by personal bullying, neo-Nazi screeds, terrorist beheadings, and child sexual ab
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use. Despite the centrality of content moderation, however, major social media companies have marginalized the people who do this work, outsourcing the vast majority of it to third-party vendors [...] Examples include custome-help centers in the Philippines, digital device factories in China, and clothing-production facilities in Bangladesh. Outsourcing is not inherently detrimental—if workers are paid fairly and treated humanely. A central question raised by outsourcing, in whatever industry it occurs, is whether it leads to worker exploitation. In social media, there’s an additional concern about whether outsourcing jeopardizes optimal performance of a critical function." (Executive summary)
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"En gran parte de América Latina existen normas que buscan regular los actos de discurso, ya sea a través de normativas contra el discurso de odio, o mediante la penalización de los “delitos de honor” (cuyo traslado al ámbito civil y la correspondiente despenalización, dicho sea de paso, es
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tá en mora en gran parte de la región). Resulta dudosa la necesidad de regular el discurso de odio en línea a través de legislación específica que aborde el medio a través del cual se comete, sin haber justificado por qué las normas preexistentes resultan insuficientes para ser análogas al entorno en línea; más aún, resulta preocupante que se regule el discurso de odio en línea a través de normas que consideran que el medio digital debería constituir un agravante, buscando aumentar el tipo y duración de las penas específicamente para las redes sociales." (Conclusiones)
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"China is making a sustained effort to become a ‘cyber superpower’. An integral part of this effort is the propagation by Beijing of the notion of ‘internet sovereignty’ – China’s supreme right to govern the internet within its borders and keep it under rigid control. Chinese companies w
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ork closely with Chinese state authorities to export technology to Africa in order to extend China’s influence and promote its cyberspace governance model. This contribution argues that the rapid expansion across Africa of Chinese technology companies and their products warrants vigilance. If African governments fail to advance their own values and interests – including freedom of expression, free enterprise and the rule of law – with equal boldness, the ‘China model’ of digital governance by default might very well become the ‘Africa model’." (Abstract)
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"The Forum on Information & Democracy proposes a number of policy steps to democratic governments and their supporters. Transparency and accountability need to be shored up and content moderation should be done according to democratic mandates and oversight. The impact of new platforms where disinfo
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rmation can go viral, such as private messenger services, needs to be understood. Through a global democratic coalition, a meaningful alternative should be offered instead of the two dominant models of technology governance: the privatized and the authoritarian. Through the intergovernmental Partnership on Information & Democracy, democratic leaders recognize the information and communication space as a ‘public good’. Now they have to implement their commitments in policies on the national and international level. Our recommendations are designed to shape and support their policy agenda." (Foreword, page 13)
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"In 2021, the international community has the chance to radically reform global digital governance. The aim should be to guarantee a global, open, free, stable and secure Internet while promoting responsible State behaviour in cyberspace. Mapping the two strands of this policy – improving models f
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or cooperation on the collective development of Internet governance, and implementing the cyber norms already adopted – is a matter for the United Nations (UN). A reformed architecture for digital cooperation has the potential to make Internet governance more inclusive and effective, while new mechanisms can help to advance the currently divided debate on cyber norms and enhance the predictability of State behaviour in cyberspace." (Page 1)
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"This knowledge brief showcases RNW Media's experience with online community moderation. It explains what community moderation means, why we believe it is an essential component of our Citizens' Voice programme, and the strategies we have developed together with our moderators to guide them in the w
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ork they do and the decisions they need to make. Also, we present results from research that we conducted on three of our communities to test the effectiveness of our approach. Lastly, our moderators working in Burundi, DRC and Mali share their experience and insights, showing how moderation goes in practice. They talk about the secret of being a good moderator and share the challenges they experience in their daily work. Citizens' Voice is active in Burundi, China, DRC, Egypt, Libya, Mali and Yemen and focuses on social cohesion and inclusive governance. Applying a user-centred approach and persuasive storytelling, Citizens' Voice creates and maintains digital platforms offering safe spaces where young women and men from across political, ethnic, racial, regional or religious divides can come together in a way which is often impossible in the offline space. In-country teams create multi-media content relevant to the local context to attract and engage young people via a variety of digital channels. Through moderated discussions, they encourage disparate groups to voice their opinions on issues of common interest both online and offline. To achieve impact, Citizens' Voice aims to engage the broadest possible spectrum of stakeholders at all levels." (Introduction)
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"Was macht Desinformation im deutschsprachigen Internet aus? Wie wirkt Desinformation? Wie kann sie mithilfe technischer Mittel erkannt werden? Was kann und könnte mit regulatorischen und rechtlichen Maßnahmen gegen Desinformation getan werden? Aus den Erkenntnissen von Journalistik, Medienpsychol
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ogie, Informatik und Recht werden Handlungsempfehlungen an die relevanten Adressaten hergeleitet: An den Gesetzgeber, Presserat, Medienschaffende, Betreiber von Social Networks, Einrichtungen der Forschungsförderung und nicht zuletzt Mediennutzende. Dieser Band endet nicht bei der Analyse, sondern zeigt auf, wie die Verbreitung von Desinformationen über das Internet wirkungsvoll eingedämmt werden kann." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
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"This paper provides an overview of current responses to fake news and digital disinformation inside and outside the EU, and assesses the advantages and disadvantages of each solution. Four approaches emerge: (1) self-regulation (i.e. actions undertaken on a voluntary basis by the digital platforms)
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; (2) co-regulation (i.e. cooperation framework between EU-level and national-level authorities, the internet platform companies, media organizations, researchers, and other stakeholders); (3) direct regulation (i.e. legal measures & sanctions); and (4) audience-centred solutions (i.e. factchecking and media literacy). We argue in favour of the co-regulation approach, while drawing attention to some current challenges in the response against disinformation. Furthermore, we need to go beyond the understanding of disinformation as an information/truth fraud, and draw additional measures to reflect the particular understanding of disinformation as a form of users’ engagement fraud." (Abstract)
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"Divisive Internet regulation is fragmenting the formerly worldwide web into numerous shards that follow their own rules. The US, the EU and China are influential in shaping regulation even beyond their own jurisdictions, with consequences for human rights, particularly in Africa. This paper argues
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that, as of 2020, the Western post-9/11 security agenda and uncontrolled digital capitalism had a more detrimental impact on Internet regulation in Africa than the authoritarian Chinese concept of Internet sovereignty, seriously affecting freedom of expression and the right to privacy online. However, particularly authoritarian governments in Africa use China’s economic and political agenda to their advantage, leaving civil societies at the mercy of digitally empowered states. Direct ways of impacting Internet regulation in Africa include loans, development programs or influential laws, whereas indirect means include engagement in multilateral and multi-stakeholder fora. Besides the political and economic interests of states, the datafication agendas of ICT corporations shape Internet landscapes in Africa. An emerging data protection framework pushed by the EU has the potential to mitigate their impact. Other means of protecting human rights require a united approach by the African Union and a deconstruction of digital capitalism and dependence relations between African states and the Global North." (Abstract)
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"Although the Proclamation has good intentions of curbing hate speech in Ethiopia, it fundamentally restricts freedom of expression online and the right to information. Further, the proclamation has a chilling effect on online and offline rights, which could lead to self-censorship. For instance, jo
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urnalist Yayesew Shimelis was on April 21, 2020 arrested for allegedly attempting to incite violence by spreading false information contrary to article 5 of the Proclamation and charged by the high court Lideta branch. The government should accordingly repeal or amend the law to ensure that it promotes an online and offline environment that progressively facilitates the enjoyment of free speech and access to information in line with international and regional human rights instruments." (Page 4)
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