On a Caribbean regional level, CARICOM in collaboration with its stakeholders has developed a Regional Digital Development Strategy (RDDS) which addresses the implications of international treaties, regulations, standards and trade agreements, and pressing development/digital divide issues, e.g. WSIS. The broad Caribbean regional goals included commitment to: Collaborative leadership, Research and Innovation for Sustainability, and Key social and economic development measures and objectives. The Regional Digital Plan of Action addresses, among other things: Access, Connectivity and Internet Governance; Capacity-building and Sustainability Business, Trade, Culture and Disaster Management; and Policy Formulation and the Legal and Regulatory Framework for Implementation ICT4D Statistics These objectives included: 1. ICTs used to provide a supportive environment (business, regulatory, soft and hard infrastructure), for learning, working and social development 2. Education and lifelong learning environment established to support use of ICTs at levels of community, business and government 3. Creative use of ICT and a framework that is anchored in cultural industries, to encourage innovation The Regional Vision: An inclusive Regional Knowledge Society driving sustainable development incorporated a number of objectives.  The Broad Regional Strategic Objectives  To fully establish modern regional regulatory and open telecommunications infrastructures with affordable networks using converged technologies, to provide affordable and ubiquitous access  Build a digital Community culture and increase the value and volume of the region’s trained ICT workforce that can create with, develop and use ICT to improve life style and otherwise add personal and economic value The OECS Sub-Region has developed an ICT strategy and has already developed a robust regional regulatory framework in ECTEL governed by a council of Telecommunications Ministers and national NTRCs. Through the EGRIP project, the OECS is developing the capacity to manage its e-Government initiatives and to strengthen the integration movement. This will build on the wider Caribbean regional effort on collaboration, create economies of scale, improve efficiency of administration, and ensure social inclusion and people participation.   To manage and use ICT to demonstrate good governance and increase efficiency in operations To establish a culture of innovation and quality, and to enable sustainable production of Regional digital goods and services, the development of cultural industries and the inclusion of local content in delivery of information To guide businesses and governments to use ICT for sustainable growth and support social development objectives through partnerships that use networked technologies St. Vincent & the Grenadines National ICT Strategy and Action Plan P a g e | 12 The OECS’s efforts have now turned to filling the gaps, monitoring the implementation and bringing more significant benefits of telecommunication liberalization and ICT to the people of the sub-region. Fortunately, SVG can take advantage of the international experience and lessons learnt from countries like Barbados, Estonia, Malta and Singapore, to create its own unique ICT-enabled opportunities, and accelerate its national social and economic development. SVG can use ICTs to promote the core tourism, agricultural, and cultural attributes that the country is known for. It can improve the internal efficiencies and effectiveness of its ministries and agencies for the benefit of the country. It can use technology to create new electronic service delivery channels via the telephone and the Internet so that citizens will not have to travel to urban areas to obtain much needed government services. Knowledge can now be codified and used for individual and national development. SVG can derive the known benefits of being a knowledge based society that is linked to the global information economy. In this context, it is useful to consider SVG’s recent history of ICT planning and implementation. In 2002, the country’s first fiveyear ‘National ICT Strategy and Action Plan’ was adopted by Cabinet after public consultation. A series of short term and long term goals were identified in the plan which included the complete liberalisation of the telecommunications market, and the development of a robust regulatory framework which included ECTEL and NTRC. However, over the last ten years, there have been substantial technological advancements, including the emergence of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and the resultant convergence of technologies. There have also been dramatic changes in the economic, financial, and geo-political make-up of the