An integrated approach to ICT

The Hummingbird Vol.5 No.10

Disability, human rights and public policy in the Caribbean: A situation analysis

This study presents a situation analysis of persons with disability in the Caribbean. It includes a compilation and analysis of national census data from 16 countries including data from both the 2000 and the 2010 census rounds. The study also assesses national laws, policies and programmes in the context of relevant international treaties and agreements. The topics covered include health and rehabilitation, accessible buildings, transport, information and communications technology, education and labour market participation. In each of these areas, good practices, gaps, and priorities for acti…

The Hummingbird Vol.4 No.7

Strengthening cooperation between telecommunications operators and national disaster offices in Caribbean countries

In Caribbean countries, modern telecommunications infrastructure is vulnerable to an array of natural disasters, as exemplified by the impacts of Tropical Storm Erika in Dominica, Hurricane Joaquin in the Bahamas, and Hurricane Earl in Belize. At the same time, telecommunications service —especially mobile telephony and data services— can provide invaluable support to disaster management efforts by facilitating communication, coordination, and intelligence collection during emergency situations. Thus, as a matter of public safety, ensuring the resilience of telecommunications infrastructure in…

The Hummingbird Vol.4 No.5

Prospects for blockchain-based settlement frameworks as a resolution to the threat of de-risking to Caribbean financial systems

Caribbean countries have been seriously impacted by the trend toward “de-risking” in the global financial system, and this is damaging to their economic security and the ability of Caribbean businesses to innovate. De-risking is the name given to the tendency of banking institutions to turn away from working relationships and lines of business for which the cost of regulatory compliance—and the risk of non-compliance— is deemed to be too high in comparison to the returns. This is a phenomenon that is affecting developing economies around the world, but the small and vulnerable economies of the…

The Hummingbird Vol.4 No.2

The Hummingbird Vol.4 No.1

Information and communications technology for people with disabilities

The Hummingbird Vol.3 No.7

Expert survey on priorities for the information society in the Caribbean

An on-line survey of experts was conducted to solicit their views on policy priorities in the area of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the Caribbean. The experts considered the goal to “promote teacher training in the use of ICTs in the classroom” to be the highest priority, followed by goals to “reduce the cost of broadband services” and “promote the use of ICT in emergency and disaster prevention, preparedness and response.” Goals in the areas of cybercrime, e-commerce, egovernment, universal service funds, consumer protection, and on-line privacy rounded out the top 10. S…

The Hummingbird Vol. 3 No. 4

The Hummingbird Vol. 3 No. 3

Opportunities and risks associated with the advent of digital currency in the Caribbean

This report examines the usage of digital currency technology in the Caribbean subregion with a view to drawing attention to the opportunities and risks associated with this new phenomenon. It discusses the broader context of an emerging activity at the global level and considers how this technology could address subregional deficiencies in the electronic payment infrastructure. The report also discusses mobile money solutions, and the relationship of that technology to digital currency.…

Regional approaches to e-government initiatives in the Caribbean

This paper examines the potential benefits and challenges of regionally managed e-government development initiatives. It examines the current state of e-government in four Caribbean countries – Barbados, Jamaica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago – in order to establish a broader understanding of the challenges that face e-government initiatives in the region. It also reviews a number of e-government initiatives that have been undertaken through projects managed at a regional level. Based on this analysis, it presents a set of best practices that are recommended to agen…

The Hummingbird Vol.2 No.11

The Hummingbird Vol.2 No.9

A new era in Caribbean telecommunications

The Hummingbird Vol.2 No.8