In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), APC is focusing its policy advocacy with the open access framework to guide research, advocacy and ICT policy capacity development by civil society groups.

We are working hard to open up the LAC region’s only regional policy space following on from the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), eLAC2007, to civil society inputs. By strengthening our partnerships with organisations active in policy issues, APC is building its capacity to understand and participate in policy processes, whether regional, thematic or national.

To facilitate the engagement of grassroots activists and communities in ICT policy processes, we are popularising ICT policy and internet rights content, materials and research through various dissemination channels. For example, we are producing radio spots on the APC internet rights charter in partnership with community radio activists. We also produce issue papers on relevant issues, aimed at informing advocacy. We also produce issue papers on relevant issues, aimed at informing advocacy. For instance, we are covering issues such as digital radio and TV and regulatory challenges for the deployment of wireless networks in Latin America.

As in Africa, LAC has adopted the open access framework to guide our different components: research to inform advocacy; ICT policy capacity development by civil society organisations to influence ICT policy processes; networking and collaborating with members and partners to increase our impact; ICT policy advocacy at regional and national levels; and production of relevant information and content resources for monitoring ICT policy developments and orientate advocacy actions.

The APC Latin American and Caribbean ICT policy monitor website (lac.derechos.apc.org) was revamped and re-launched in late 2006. The new site reflects the evolution of the project’s objectives, including new thematic areas and useful resources such as the national statistics section.

The ICT policy newsletter in Spanish (“Políticas TIC y Derechos en Internet”) covers key issues such as the expansion of Creative Commons in Latin America and the eLAC2007 regional ICT policy process.

Get involved

To be informed on ICT policy developments in the LAC region, members can subscribe to the Internet Rights and ICT Policy Newsletter
To contribute articles to the newsletter, contact: info.lac.monitor [at] apc [dot] org
To be engaged with events and other networking/advocacy regional activities, contact: valeriab [at] apc [dot] org