Socially Inclusive and Equitable Development It is important for the ICT-fuelled development to benefit all groups of the society, including, in particular, vulnerable groups, including women, children, lower income people, and people with disabilities. However, overall level of access to and utilisation of ICTs across all social groups is currently very low. Therefore the Government considers it pragmatic, especially at this stage, to primarily concentrate on programmes and initiatives supporting the contribution of ICTs to the general socio-economic development, rather than on specifically targeted programmes. In the first instance, the Government intends to emphasise absolute gains from the increased ICT utilisation, rather than a specific focus on relative gains for specific social groups. Such general development would provide greatest socioeconomic advances for the country as such, and would enable identification of developmental gaps, which could then be specifically addressed by more targeted approaches. This is also in line with international observations, recognizing that marginalised groups are most effectively served by “general, non-targeted interventions” rather than “targeted efforts”59. Notwithstanding the above, the Government is committed to remain vigilant in monitoring development outcomes for all groups in the society, so that gaps in the development could be identified and addressed before they result in significant developmental divides, which would seriously disadvantage certain social groups. Furthermore, the Government recognises importance of including all social groups as beneficiaries of generic developmental initiatives. Frequently more inclusive and equitable development outcomes can be achieved without significantly increasing costs or complexity of respective initiatives, but by simply ensuring that the design and manner of implementation of such initiatives give due regard to challenges faced by different groups60. In this context, wherever appropriate, the Government will promote availability and use of universally designed ICT-related goods, services, equipment and facilities, as required by Article 4 (1) (f) of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities61. Being a Responsible Member of the International and Regional Community The Government considers that, in achieving the objectives of this Policy, it is important for Vanuatu to have regard to its international and regional commitments, including its rights and duties as a member of such organisations as the International Telecommunication Union, Asia-Pacific Telecommunity, Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation, World Trade Organization, World Intellectual Property Organization, and United Nations Educational, 59 The Independent Evaluation Group/The World Bank Group (2011). Capturing Technology for Development. An Evaluation of World Bank Group Activities in Information and Communication Technologies. 60 e.g., moving from an original male-only Rensarie Telecentre staff team to mixed-gender one significantly improved prospects of women and girls using services of the facility. 61 Article 2 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities defines universal design as “the design of products, environments, programmes and services to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. “Universal design” shall not exclude assistive devices for particular groups of persons with disabilities where this is needed.” Approaches and Principles 51