Olga Cavalli is an Internet leader whose work has been fundamental for enhancing a relevant participation of Latin America and the Caribbean in Internet Governance. Olga is a Member of the ISOC Board of Trustees and Co-founder of ARGENSIG the Argentine School on Internet Governance, SSIG School on Internet Governance and Dominios Latinoamerica. She is vice chair of the GAC of ICANN and during 2007- 2014 she was a member of the MAG. She is also a university teacher at the University of Buenos Aires. Her education includes a PhD in Business Direction, an MBA, a Master degree in Telecommunications Regulation, and Electronic and Electric Engineer.
Latin America is a region with an incredible combination of beautiful nature, vast geography and great biological, ethnic and cultural diversity. At the same time this marvelous region presents important challenges related with development and its very high unequal distribution of income and infrastructure.
As per a recent McKinsey ́s Global Institute report, Latin America’s economies have grown by around 3 percent a year, slower than any other developing region. The report says that without a change in productivity, GDP growth in Latin America would be 40 percent weaker over the next 15 years than it was in the previous 15.
In this context, the incorporation of technology in the region will be the key to sustainable development. The region still shows a digital gap, both in Internet access and mobile broadband, there is also a lower adoption of broadband Internet in the region when compared with the OECD countries. The development of connectivity infrastructure to close the digital gap which can support processes of productive transformation must be the main goal for the countries in the region. Many efforts have been done but there is still a lot to do. The problem of digital infrastructure must be first solved, if strong regional industries like agriculture want to profit from adopting digital and automation technologies.
In order to achieve real changes, leaders must understand digital technology and the advantages and challenges it brings. This also requires management of the relations between states business and universities. There is an imperative need to develop middle and long-term strategies for regional development based on the use of digital technology. Diversification of productivity focusing on knowledge base activities with the promotion of STEM careers, especially among women, may be a way to create value in the future development of the region. All leaders, both in the private and public spheres, must be able to dialogue and interact to build these strategies.
Internet Governance plays an important role in shaping the future of this great region. A well-informed leadership is a key element to address the needs and challenges of Latin America into the international Internet Governance agenda. Capacity building plays a relevant role where lawmakers, regulators and other state decision makers need to understand the value that digital technologies can bring to development and, at the same time, they must be aware of the difficulties and challenges that may arise. The impact on employment, environmental issues, security and the concentration of industries must also be taken into consideration.
The different Internet Governance participation spaces could play an important role in creating this dialogue among different stakeholders. For example, within the Governmental Advisor Committee of ICANN (the GAC) some events have gathered together a strong Latin American regional presence which has expressed its voice in relation with different issues that are relevant for the region, for example the treatment of geographic terms in the Internet or the role of governments in the Internet Governance ecosystem. These Internet Governance spaces must be used to reinforce knowledge about how to deal with the increasing challenges in security, privacy and stability of critical infrastructures at the national and regional level.
One of the biggest challenges of the developing world, including Latin America, is that the urgent issues prevent the government and local companies to evaluate and design long-term strategies to achieve sustainable development and growth. This becomes more challenging when technology brings a very rapidly changing environment for the economy and society. According to World Bank estimates, Latin America invests only around 0.8 percent of GDP in R&D activities, compared with an average of around 2.4 percent in OECD.
Diversification of the economy is a key goal for development, and the region has a lot to do in this area. Knowledge based companies find difficulties in finding well qualified employees. Here is an opportunity where a combined work by state, universities and companies makes sense. There are several efforts at the national level, for example in Argentina, to fill this gap, but there is still much more to be done. Quality education in digital skills is fundamental, and it becomes a great opportunity to fill the gender gap as it represents a good way for women to get well paid work with a constant demand.
Some of the recommendations made by the Report of the UN Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation fit perfectly into the needs our great Latin American region: affordable access to digital networks, platform for sharing digital public goods, engaging talent and pooling data sets, establishment of regional and global digital help desks to help governments, civil society and the private sector to understand digital issues and develop capacity to steer cooperation related to social and economic impacts of digital technologies.
The Internet Governance must address all these challenges of the developing world, promoting capacity building of key decision makers, involving universities and all kind of business sectors: global companies, SMES, entrepreneurs, among other. The new Internet Governance ecosystem must focus on concrete issues and concrete outcomes that make an impact in achieving Sustainable Development Goals.
This new “age of the digital interdependence” will have an impact on the digital economy and society. The developing world must find the key elements that boost their economies to profit from the advantages of the digital economy and avoid lagging in a rapidly changing world. Let’s work together in the Internet Governance ecosystem to achieve these important goals for all.