Development cooperation in the age of information technologies: the role of the United Nations and its agencies

CDP Background Paper No. 2

By Ryokichi Hirono

This paper addresses the growing concern in the international community in recent years with the widening IT gap, or ?information divide? so called, between urban and rural areas in developing
economies and between the rich and the poor economies. The paper will first look at the current situation of management and utilisation of IT in developing economies and secondly at possible strategies and measures that the United Nations could take to assist developing countries to improve the management and utilisation of IT for efficient, effective, equitable and sustainable development.