from "New Directions for TCDC"

The "New Directions for TCDC" initiative which was released by the Special Unit for Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries (SU/TCDC) in early 1995, and subsequently endorsed by the High-level Committee on TCDC in May 1995, has placed information technology (IT) as one of the Special Unit's highest priorities. The initiative has called for speeding up the full utilization of IT to accelerate the expansion of TCDC.

Actively pursuing these new directions, SU/TCDC has recently established a "Home Page" on the World Wide Web (WWW), the hottest and fastest growing phenomenon on the Internet today. . Created nearly 25 years ago as a United States Department of Defense experiment, the Internet is a global resource connecting millions of computer users, via their telephone lines, all over the world. There were only four Internet nodes or installations in the network in the early 1970's, however, recent improvements in access to the Internet, coupled with the proliferation of hardware and information, have encouraged a host of institutions and individuals - including quite a few from the developing world - to place vast amounts of information on the Internet today.

The Internet has shown spectacular growth over the last few years. Today, thousands of nodes are set up on the Internet, with more coming on-line every day. In fact, the number of nodes has been doubling every year since 1988. About 30 million people currently use this gigantic computer network and the number is expected to continue to grow at a rate of 20% a month, expanding every day in ways that no one ever imagined possible!

SU/TCDC has established an important presence on the Internet through which users can access, with a click of the mouse, all INRES (Information Referral Service) information, important documents and articles about TCDC. Through the use of hyperlink technology, visitors are guided to other web sites established by key institutions, universities, etc. that possess information relevant to TCDC. The placement of INRES on the Internet, particularly, provides the global on-line community with easy access to this database - a resource rich in information about training facilities in developing countries. There are over 11,000 training courses offered by these organizations across a wide spectrum of fields relevant to developing countries - they include education, agriculture, social services, health, architecture, management, training and information technology. There are further plans to expand TCDC-INRES into a multi-dimensional database including information not only on institutional capacities, but also on individual experts, centres of excellence and innovative project experiences that can be transferred among developing countries.

TCDC discussion forum

Another popular use of the Internet is the growing use of electronic mail, or E-mail. E-mail makes possible as never before the free exchange of ideas and the creation of a sense of global community. The Internet is also replete with thousands of electronic discussion groups on almost every conceivable topic. These discussion groups, sometimes known as bulletin boards, or special interest groups, allow continuing discussion of practical developments in the fields they cover and spread new ideas among their members in an interactive manner. Participants in these on-line discussion groups are able to ask questions, debate issues and exchange insights.

Using this powerful technology, SU/TCDC again broke new ground recently with the introduction of a TCDC electronic discussion forum for the exchange of information among institutions and people interested in promoting South-South Cooperation. Through this forum, members can discuss areas of common interest, seek help and provide timely information on upcoming TCDC-related events that might be of interest to those involved in the promotion of TCDC. The list of the forum participants currently comprises development practitioners such as TCDC focal points who have E-mail facilities. Our intent is to expand the membership to include other individuals, institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other bodies interested in promoting South-South cooperation. This will put TCDC on an entirely new footing providing its participants use this vital information utility actively! A lively exchange of views is already underway. A "letters to the editor" column for Cooperation South magazine is also planned as a feature of the forum. The TCDC discussion forum E-mail address is : tcdc@ff101.undp.org

The use of the Internet requires adequate telecommunications and the existence of servers (hardware and software operating systems). SU/TCDC is fully aware of the obstacles many developing countries face in exploiting the vast amount of resources available on the Internet. The obstacles range from the sheer cost of telecommunications hardware, software and timed telephone links, to lack of adequate skills and support. Several donors and development agencies, including UNDP, have taken initiatives to promote communication linkages and the use of this technology for speeding up economic growth. SU/TCDC will work in close partnership with such agencies with a view to utilizing this powerful device to promote TCDC. Meanwhile, SU/TCDC will also continue to disseminate information through among others, paper-based compendia, magazines and diskettes.

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