HYDERABAD, December 24, 2004 - "New Models for e-Government in South Asia and the World" will be the theme of the Summit on South Asia Public Sector Information and Communications (ICT), being held over 24th and 25th January in Hyderabad. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the National Institute for Smart Government (NISG) and Cisco India are jointly hosting this two-day event. The Summit is targeted at senior government and policy makers from countries in South Asia including India.

The Summit will provide a platform for government leaders, decision-makers and policy developers, to exchange views on common challenges for ICT for development including managing e-Government and public sector reform, architectures for inter-agency collaboration, public-private partnerships and citizen service networks needed to stimulate economic and social development through ICTs in South Asia. The Summit will provide a platform for strengthening inter-country and regional cooperation to bridge the digital divide in the region and the world.

The United Nations Resident Coordinator, and UNDP Resident Representative in India Dr. Maxine Olson, said leveraging the new opportunities provided by ICTs for bringing governments and government services closer to the people will be the central focus of the Summit. "UNDP India, together with UNDP's Asia Pacific Development Information Programme (APDIP), are committed to work in this area in close collaboration with national governments. "In India, our partnership with the Union Ministry of Communication & Information Technology (MOCIT) the National Institute for Smart Government (NISG), civil society and the private sector, seeks to pilot a public-private partnership approach to deploying ICTs for development and improved governance", Dr. Olson added.

Mr. J Satyanarayana, CEO of NISG, said, "A concerted effort is needed for the successful integration of the National eGovernance Action Plan. The National Institute for Smart Government has been adopting a focused approach with emphasis on the Project Development phase of major eGovernment projects, adopting Public-Private-Partnership as the preferred model. The Public Sector Summit, 2005 enables sharing of knowledge and experience of the countries in South Asia on the various facets of eGovernment, which would go a long way in increasing the pace of implementation and realizing the goals of providing better public services in the region."

"E-governance can profoundly impact the efficiency, responsiveness and accountability of governments thereby, improving the quality of life of citizens, especially the underprivileged. The key to accelerating e-governance lies in educating policy makers about its benefits. This forum will offer participants the opportunity to understand and compare new models for public service delivery from India, Asia and the world," said Mr. Rangu Salgame, President, Cisco, India & SAARC.

The summit will have representation from the Chief Minister and various Minister level participants from South Asian countries and senior officials from the Central and State Governments in India. UNDP and Cisco recently collaborated in organizing a similar event in China in July this year.

UNDP India

UNDP is the UN's global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. It is on the ground in 166 countries, working with them on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and its predecessor organizations have been actively involved in supporting the national development priorities of India for the last five decades. Historically, UNDP has supported India in strengthening its national institutions and in the dissemination of advanced know-how in diverse areas. UNDP India is partnering with MOCIT and NISG in a major ICT for Development initiative. http://www.undp.org.in UNDP also is active within the area of ICT for Development in the South Asian region through its UNDP Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme (UNDP APDIP). UNDP APDIP aims to promote the development and application of new Information and Communication Technologies for poverty alleviation and sustainable human development in the Asia Pacific region. It does so through three core programme areas, namely, Policy Development and Dialogue; Access; and Content Development and Knowledge Management. http://www.apdip.net

National Institute for Smart Government

National Institute for Smart Government (NISG), Hyderabad is a not-for-profit company incorporated in 2002 with NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Service Companies), Central and State governments being the principal promoters. NISG is being shaped as an institution of excellence in the area of e-Governance with focus on developing appropriate architectures and standards, providing high-level consultancy services and capacity building at the national level. NISG is constituted under a Public Private Partnership model with a view to combine the immense potential and resources of the private sector with the principles of accountability and transparency of the public sector. http://www.nisg.org/index.htm