Monitoring The UN > The UN and Sustainable Development

*Information Technology for Development Case Study*

Internet Access: A Citizen`s Right and Cornerstone to Liberty in Estonia.

In the small country of Estonia bordering Russia and the Baltic Sea, citizens have been granted a new right by Parliament - guaranteed access to the Internet. Over one out of ten Estonians use the Net, a proportion higher than found in France or Italy.
Desirous to build the potential of the resource limited country, leaders have chosen to invest in their human capital. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, some communities of the isolated country have seen their returns from farming and fishing go down because of unstable markets.

Pressure on the environment for fast cash, through unplanned logging and the exodus of youth from the country, are some of the impacts being addressed with IT projects such as the Tiger Leap initiative. In a country with high unemployment, access to the web is a catalyst for economic development. Professionals such as Toomas Kokovkin, a geographer, can now work from the remote island of Hiiumaa while producing top quality digital maps for his Swedish contractors.

Building the Foundation for Democracy

Access to information and democracy go hand in hand. In a country newly liberated from a communist regime and with limited capital to fully participate in the global economy, information technology is putting geographically isolated Estonians in the center of the world. A key IT initiative in Estonia is the Tiger Leap project that was personally spearheaded in 1997 by the country’s President Meri himself. The Tiger Leap Foundation brought together the Ministry of Education and computer companies to develop a framework to mainstream IT in Estonia. The Tiger Leap initiative has led to many transformations and benefits to the countries’ population.Various Ministries are using the Internet to promote a transparent administration and increase the participation of citizens in governmental affairs. Over 280 public services are available on the Internet. The Ministry of Finance presently posts daily the states accounts. The ultimate objective of the President is the creation of a “virtual government” that will downsize the bureaucracy.

The IT sector works closely with government in Estonia. IT advisors are invited to attend cabinet meetings and play the role of guide in the country’s IT focus for development. IT has clearly been made accessible to the population with 85% of the population estimated to use the Internet for their banking transactions. All corners of the country are being wired, cyber visitor centers are being opened, family farms are being transformed into Internet visitor centers.

Web design and other IT companies are sprouting in the country with the help of investment from their Scandinavian neighbors. A new IT college has just opened in Tallinn providing youth with quality education and options for a career in their own country.

UNDP’s Contribution to IT for Development

UNDP was a sponsor of the Tiger Leap Campaign launched by the President in 1997. The organization also played a leading role in the establishment of the first four public Internet access points. More than 300 other access points are planned by the year 2002. In their role as advisors, UNDP also provided leadership and expertise in the development of a framework document. The document, produced with the participation of IT experts in the country and governments proposed recommendations that have now been translated into the country’s new telecommunication law. UNDP’s financial investment of US $200,000 has been small in comparison to the returns obtained from this successful ongoing initiative.