National ICT Strategic Plan Government of St Kitts and Nevis monitoring and proposing required adaptations. ECTEL presents itself as the best possible facilitator of such a need. x Existing legislation regarding intellectual property rights should be revised and adapted to the globalised ICT environment. Due account should be taken of the similar developments in other countries as well as of the need for protecting the natural and cultural heritage of the Caribbean nations. Appropriate provisions should be made for all materials essential for the citizens or produced with public funding to be made accessible in open archive systems. x Legislation would need to be devised with a view to facilitate the establishment and activities of virtual companies operating mainly from physical installations in an OECS country and/or owned by a majority of individuals or companies of these countries, or owned by foreign interest, as well as those operating mainly from physical installations outside of the OECS countries but having a domain name from these countries. x Standards and regulatory bodies representing all categories of stakeholders, including civil society organisations, should be put in place with a view to supporting pluralism and preventing over-concentration in the ICT sector generally, and digital media specifically. Summary Objective The four main areas of legislation that need to be urgently addressed are Electronic Transactions, ICT Crimes, Data Protection, and Intellectual Property Rights. It would become the top priority of the GSTK&N to create the enabling legal environment for the development of ICTs including the enactment of required Laws by Parliament to facilitate e-government, ebusiness as well as attract ICT-related foreign direct investment. Keeping abreast of the developments on the WSIS, WTO, UNCITRAL, WIPO and other important international organizations and acceding to related treaties are critical to having an up-to-date legal framework. Ministry of Finance, Sustainable Development, Information and Technology November, 2006 32