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Message for World Telecommunication and Information Society Day May 17, 2023

Theme: “Empowering the least developed countries through information and communication technologies”

Every year on May 17, World Telecommunication and Information Society Day is celebrated. That date marks the anniversary of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), which was founded on May 17, 1865 when the first International Telegraph Convention was signed in Paris. The theme for 2023 is “Empowering the least developed countries through information and communication technologies.” Indeed, all efforts should be made to ensure that territories so defined, are empowered as this would even the playing field, to allow them to actively participate in global discussions that will significantly impact their social, economic, political, and environmental landscapes.

The issues confronting the world’s least developed countries (LDCs) are well known – many of them are constrained by limited economic activity, in concert with a scarcity of both financial and highly trained human resources. These issues are further exasperated by a lack of information and communication technologies (ICTs), thus, deepening the digital divide. The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in many of these countries having to redirect already limited resources, to focus on healthcare to safeguard their populations. As a result, many of the LDCs are facing daunting challenges mid-way through their desired agenda, to fulfil the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

By now, we should recognise that all the challenges that the world has encountered in the last decade, will only be conquered and overcome, once we work together. To this end, the LDCs are still considered the world’s greatest untapped resource, whose needs must be addressed in order to achieve the SDGs. Appropriate access to information and communication technologies (ICTs), will greatly assist in the eradication of poverty, drive education and create employment opportunities as populations would have access to information, build knowledge and skills thus allowing them to contribute to their own personal advancement and to national development.

The ITU has implemented a number of initiatives all aimed at addressing the global challenges faced, particularly by the most vulnerable countries. Some of these initiatives include, inter alia, “The partner2connect (P2C) Digital Coalition” a multi-stakeholder alliance launched by ITU in close cooperation with the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology, the UN Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Islands Developing States (UNOHRLLS), and in line with the UN Secretary-General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation. The P2C Digital Coalition fosters meaningful connectivity and digital transformation globally, with a focus on, but not limited to, the hardest-to-connect communities in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). There is also ‘Giga’ which is a joint initiative by the ITU and UNICEF. This aims to connect every school to the internet by 2030.

Today, the world stands only seven years away from the current timeline within which we are to achieve the SDGs. Public, private, and public-private investments need to be realised to ensure that LDCs can accelerate their social, economic and environmental development.

Recognising the importance of having access to information and communication technologies, the Government of Barbados has embarked on an ambitious Digital Transformation programme which, when fully executed, will result in timelier and more efficient services being offered to all residents, businesses, and visitors to Barbados. It is envisaged that this will lead to improvements in the ease of doing business and, therefore, increased investment opportunities.

Certainly, and in support of the Digital Transformation agenda, the Ministry of Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology (MIST), has been working assiduously in examining the current digital infrastructure and identifying workable digital solutions. Furthermore, it is intended during this year that continued work will be done to further enhance and harden our infrastructure with respect to our cyber security systems, and data protection.

The Ministry continues to work in tandem with the telecom sector providers and other ICT stakeholders, to improve the quality of life for all. To date service providers have implemented ‘Fiber to The Home’ across the landscape to provide a truly digital ‘Internet backbone’ in Barbados made up of 100% fibre to homes, as well as to micro, small, medium, and large businesses.

Digital online transactions between the Government, the private sector, the Third Sector and the public have already started. Initiatives like the Government’s online payment platform (EZPay+), enable online payments for or to: land tax; the Corporate Affairs and Intellectual Property Office (CAIPO); subscriptions to the Official Gazette; NIS contributions; professional licenses; telecommunication licenses; the Police Certificate of Character; International Business; Civil Aviation; driver’s licenses; TAMIS; the Office of Insolvency; and school fees. As more services become accessible online, this will lead Barbados becoming a fully interconnected country for commercial, governmental, social and political sustainability. Shortly, there will be an introduction of an Electronic Document and Records Management System (EDRMS), which will aid in the transformation of the Public Service from using paper-based document management, to embracing electronic document management.

Our government is equally cognizant of the importance of equipping our population with the requisite skills and knowledge to be able to make the most of a more digitally-enabled Barbados. Therefore, opportunities are being offered for both children and adults to participate in training – whether through established certified training and educational institutions – and, or through the Government’s National Transformation Initiative (NTI). Mentorship programmes have also been developed and initiatives that allow for game development, and others which focus on science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM), all go a long way to stimulate our youth to think critically and to be innovative.

The ministry that I have the honour to lead, will continue to play its part in the achievement of a fully, digitally transformed environment and to contribute to ensuring that Mission Barbados is realised by 2030. By doing this, Barbados would indeed be fit for purpose economically, socially, and politically and it will be stimulated to provide seamless, easy access to services – providing sustainable growth in all sectors of the economy and improving our lifestyles and our collective prosperity.

As we join with the rest of the globe on May 17, to commemorate World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, I implore all Member States of the ITU to stand in solidarity with the least developed countries – to contribute where appropriate, in order that these countries can improve their ICT infrastructure, so that they may realise a better quality of life for their populations.

Education

BAC Monitoring Impact Of AI On Higher Education

The Barbados Accreditation Council (BAC) is very closely monitoring the impact that artificial intelligence (AI) is having on higher education institutions (HEIs) in Barbados.

To this end, the Council has been conducting research into the impact of AI so far, and assessing the positive and negative factors and challenges it may present in the future. This relates to both external quality assurance agencies (EQAAs) like itself, and also for the local HEIs it recognises.

Research & Development Officer I with the Council, Jonre Waterman recently made a presentation on the topic: ‘Investigating The Adoption of Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education In Barbados: The Opportunities for Innovation and the Implications for Academic Integrity’.

He made the presentation to delegates in attendance at the 20th Annual Conference and General Meeting of the Caribbean Area Network for Quality Assurance in Tertiary Education (CANQATE).

The conference was hosted by the University Council of Jamaica and held at Pegasus Hotel in Kingston Jamaica under the theme: ‘Twenty Years of Promoting Quality in Higher Education: Development, Impact and Opportunities for a Sustainable Future’.

In his presentation, Mr. Waterman said while there are some noteworthy benefits that come with AI within higher education, from the institutional and academic perspective, the reality is that there are also some challenges for such institutions.

Among the key concerns, he says HEIs will have to ensure that students are not utilising the technology to give the impression that their breadth of knowledge is greater than it really is, whenever they are tasked with turning in reports or doing exams and papers.

“As it relates to the use of the AI-powered technologies…it’s not going anywhere. Global institutions will continue to incorporate AI-powered tools into their teaching and learning process. What this will do is advance the quality of the higher education process and HEIs that fail to address this run the risk of being left behind on the quality curve. This presents a challenge for EQAAs like the BAC as it seeks to assure and enhance the quality of the local higher education space,” he said.

“As it relates to the academic integrity concerns, the biggest fear is the ability of students to subvert the rigour of the academic process in favour of skipping straight to the finishing line and receiving qualifications and awards that do not speak to their actual level of knowledge and understanding.”

Mr. Waterman said a failure of HEIs to respond to this will create a scenario where the quality of the higher education process would be eroded.

He says the BAC has come up with some recommendations to help address its AI-related concerns. “These include conducting assessments to determine the capacity to incorporate emerging technologies such as AI that can improve the quality of educational offerings.

We understand that based on your size and scope, for some institutions there may not be any feasibility for AI-powered or any that would actually provide any significant improvements to your quality…but you can’t just say so without conducting that assessment. So, our recommendation is that you conduct that assessment; then you can determine whether there is any use to the institution, but it must be done first.”

He said another important recommendation is for higher education institutions to assess vulnerabilities of academic integrity to emerging technologies such as AI. He also noted an important recommendation that the Council itself undertake going forward: “Also, as the BAC, there exists scope for us to review our quality standards to ensure that they adequately call upon institutions to address and respond to technological advances.” (PR/GIS)

Uncategorized

Delta Air Lines has resumed its service to Barbados after a seven-year hiatus.

The airline began its non-stop daily service from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to the Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) from Saturday, November 23. Flight DL1985, a Boeing 737 aircraft, captained by Pilot Brent KnoBlach and First Officer Edmund Chianda landed at 3:54 p.m., carrying 160 passengers.

Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Ian Gooding-Edghill, who welcomed the crew and passengers, noted that the return of Delta Air Lines is a “significant development” in the Ministry’s airlift strategy efforts.

He said by the end of 2024, Barbados would count approximately 11 new and reinstated gateways, which reinforces the commercial viability of the island as a tourism attraction.

“Our partnership with Delta Air Lines is vital to expanding gateways across the U.S. and enhancing connectivity to Barbados…. By looking at this resumption of service by Delta Air Lines, this undeniably speaks to the level of confidence that the airline industry has placed in Barbados…. The airline already has 25,000 bookings, and they are anticipating 50,000 to 70,000 within a year,” Minister Gooding-Edghill disclosed.

The Tourism Minister reported that the U.S. continues to be one of Barbados’ leading source markets and shared that up until the end of September 2024, the USA market had eclipsed the United Kingdom’s and is now the leading source market for destination Barbados.

“With Delta, we are sure to continue to see the trend towards increased passenger numbers from the US market to Barbados … and we are confident that with today’s…flight, we will see incremental growth both in the short and long term,” Mr. Gooding-Edghill said.

The Minister said he is “very proud of the Barbados team” for their work in building up the island’s airlift capacity and thanked all those involved in the process.

In addition to Delta’s service out of Atlanta, from December 21, the airline will offer a Saturday-only flight out of New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and will be extending its service through to the summer of 2025.

Delta’s Field Director Caribbean Airport Customer Service, Jennifer Rabun, indicated that the airline was happy to be returning its service to the “beautiful island of Barbados”.

She said the airline is continuously working to expand its reach and make it easier for its customers to explore the world and this service was one such way.

“Today marks not just the launch of a new route but also a testament to Delta’s dedication to serving our customers and connecting communities…. This new service opens up Barbados to customers from over 100 U.S. cities.… This means that our network is not only connecting Atlanta to Barbados, but it’s also linking countless communities across the United States to this sun-soaked destination,” Ms. Rabun emphasised.

She added: “We’re dedicated to ensuring that the future of travel is connected, personalised, and enjoyable. Our people’s genuine and enduring motivation is to make every customer feel welcomed and respected across every point of their journey with us.”

Delta Air Lines has resumed its service to Barbados after a seven-year hiatus.

He said by the end of 2024, Barbados would count approximately 11 new and reinstated gateways, which reinforces the commercial viability of the island as a tourism attraction.

The Minister said he is “very proud of the Barbados team” for their work in building up the island’s airlift capacity and thanked all those involved in the process.

Delta’s Field Director Caribbean Airport Customer Service, Jennifer Rabun, indicated that the airline was happy to be returning its service to the “beautiful island of Barbados”.

She said the airline is continuously working to expand its reach and make it easier for its customers to explore the world and this service was one such way.

Caption: Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Ian Gooding-Edghill (centre) poses for a photograph with Delta Airlines First Officer, Edmund Chianda (left) and Pilot Brent KnoBlach (right), who flew Delta Air Lines Flight DL1985 from Atlanta to Barbados on Saturday, November 23

Environment

Barbados Champions Youth-Led Climate Solutions At COP29 Event

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Senator Dr Shantal Munro-Knight, has underscored the importance of entrusting young people with the responsibility of addressing climate challenges, particularly in small island developing states.

Senator Munro-Knight was speaking during Climate Mobility Youth Day at COP29 in Azerbaijan.

Reflecting on the Government’s youth-focused initiative, the Minister remarked: “We have to trust…our young people. As we challenge them to walk with us, we put our money where our mouth is. Regardless of qualifications, we want to know that they can bring skills, heart, and commitment,” she stated.

She also spoke about this country’s Future Barbados initiative, which was launched in 2018 to empower young Barbadians to solve pressing issues facing the island state.

The initiative calls on Barbadians under 40 years, whether residing locally or abroad, to contribute innovative solutions to challenges such as blue economy sustainability, effective governance, and public health amid the climate crisis.

During the High-Level Session, youth delegates from around the world presented innovative policy ideas, directly engaging with global leaders. The session was a key step towards forming a coalition between the co-hosting governments and young people, aimed at driving forward inclusive and sustainable climate adaptation strategies.

Dr. Munro-Knight also highlighted Barbados’ ongoing commitment to youth development, speaking to scholarship programmes and new opportunities for young leaders to gain expertise and exercise agency in addressing global climate issues.

She expressed confidence that these investments would foster a generation of informed leaders dedicated to bringing their skills back home to support national development.

The success of Climate Mobility Youth Day underscored the critical role of youth engagement in tackling the dual challenges of climate change and human mobility. Barbados’ active participation demonstrated its commitment to empowering the next generation of climate leaders. (PR/GIS)