Workshop on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Parliamentarians

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) in partnership with the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) will conduct a workshop on 'Information & Communication Technology (ICT) and Parliamentarians'. The workshop will take place in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago on December 2 and 3, 2014 at the Hyatt Regency. Arrival date for participants is December 1 and departure is December 4, 2014.

Objectives: ICTs have become an essential part of lives and livelihoods in every corner of our world today. They have been used by governments to improve efficiency, effectiveness and transparency. Yet parliamentarians who are mandated to set up the legislative frameworks within which ICTs are utilised have only limited opportunities to improve their knowledge or to engage with the stakeholders. This workshop is geared towards improving parliamentarians' understanding of the nature of ICTs, its potentials and the way it can be used to improve their activities.

The two-day workshop will address two broad elements including the following:

1. Legislating for ICTs – parliamentarians need to understand the practical applications of their work when legislating in the field of ICTs such as operator licensing, frequency management, content management etc.
2. Use of ICTs by parliamentarians – ICTs provide an effective, economical and efficient channel for parliamentarians to link with their constituency. Though some attention is paid to social media, there are other forms of ICTs (personal blogs, etc) that could help parliamentarians in opening new and broader channels of engagement.