SELA Press Office

Caracas, 13 October 2008 - The Permanent Secretariat of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA) is organizing the “Regional Seminar Networks and Digital Integration: digital contents, application and use of ICTs in Latin America and the Caribbean”, to be held in the headquarters of this organization on 27 and 28 October 2008, with the participation of delegates of the member countries and representatives of regional and international organizations.

This Regional Seminar, whose main topic will be digital inclusion, is aimed at examining and encouraging social and technological convergence, giving support to the construction of inter-institutional synergies and regional networks, while strengthening the social fabric and a culture for innovation.
Its general objective is to create a space for rapprochement for public sector officials, civil society organizations, academic and private sector representatives, in order to conduct a dialogue that allows for exchanging experiences as regards the design of digital contents, software development and emergent economy practices, which leads to digital inclusion and integration within the context of Information and Knowledge Society in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Among its specific objectives, the seminar is intended to discuss the new proposals for the design of interactive digital contents as an expression of effective social management of ICTs; to exchange experiences in the countries of the region with a highly developed software industry; and to identify possible areas for convergence, with a view to outlining a programme for development of a software industry with regional scope to contribute to accomplish digital integration in Latin America and the Caribbean.
It also seeks to exchange experiences as regards practices in emergent economies such as cross-border paperless trade exchanges, so as to emphasize the capacities that should be built to undertake regional cooperation and integration processes in this area.
Last but not least, the seminar is aimed at contributing with the effective accomplishment of the goals of the Regional Action Plan eLAC 2010, with special emphasis on those objectives related to Public Management and the Productive Sector related to the creation of contents industries, interoperativity and applications, thus contributing to consolidating comprehensive Information Societies favouring integration and aimed at development.
Speakers invited to participate in this activity include key government actors, academicians, entrepreneurs, civil society organizations, subregional integration organizations and multilateral organizations, who will make presentations and share their views about best practices and experiences with the participants, in a constructive regional dialogue.
This activity has the significant support of the Ministry of Science and Technology of Brazil, under the auspices of “CANTV”, the Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV), Cisco Systems Venezuela, Microsoft Venezuela, the SELA-IBERPYME Programme and the Andean Development Corporation (CAF)