Uruguay will host the Eighth Ministerial Conference on the Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean

From November 16 to 18, 2022, the Eighth Ministerial Conference on the Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean will be held in Montevideo, which will bring together the main leaders and decision makers in digital matters from the public and private sectors. , the technical community and civil society in the region.

The Conference, organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in conjunction with the Government of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay, aims to define a set of policy priorities at the regional level to promote the transformation digital, with a vision beyond 2022, within the framework of the Digital Agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean (eLAC).

Digital technologies are essential instruments to boost productivity and growth, and have significant effects in various critical areas for development such as health, education and government. That is why the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) consider access to these technologies and the Internet as one of their main goals.

In this context, Latin America and the Caribbean faces the challenge of fully inserting itself into the new economy, for which it is urgent to apply a set of policies that not only reduce digital exclusion but also promote innovation and technological development, taking advantage of the regional integration and cultural and linguistic similarities.

In 2022 it will be 17 years since the first Ministerial Conference was held, a process that has made it possible to consolidate a common vision on the role of digital technologies for development, in addition to promoting the exchange of experiences, capacity building, political dialogue and the generation of knowledge.

Digital technologies have an impact on all economic and social activities. This demands a comprehensive view of the policy and the definition of strategies to coordinate different efforts, objectives and tools in areas as diverse as telecommunications, defense of competition, consumer protection, data protection and cybersecurity, among others. . Likewise,

The current technological and digital revolution, marked by fifth generation networks (5G), artificial intelligence, blockchains and the Internet of Things, poses enormous opportunities that must be taken advantage of by the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean to promote productivity, innovation and productive development.