Access to information and digital tools for present and future crises in Latin America

SUSANA FINQUELIEVICH

Hyderabad

Congreso; Access to Information in Time of Crisis: The UNESCO Information for All Programme Priorities and the COVID-19 Pandemic; 2021

26.28 Agosto 2020

From the late 1990s onwards, decision makers, international organizations, researchers,technologists all over the world assumed that our continuing progress towards an inclusiveKnowledge Societies was satisfactory. Once the infrastructure was in place, our informationaccess goals as set out in the WSIS would eventually be met. No one would be left behind.In 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic confirmed our increased dependency on digital technologiesfor the efficient functioning of almost all aspects of our lives. In Latin America and theCaribbean (LAC), the pandemic has exposed the many inequalities that affect our populations.Internet users are inequitably distributed both in socio economic, cultural and geographicterms. Moreover, for the majority of the population, Internet uses are limited in comparisonwith the wealth of information and potentials they present. A great proportion of the LACpopulation does not have access to remote education, and to digital services in critical areassuch as e-health, e-justice and even core digital government services, at times when they aremost necessary. Digital and informational inclusion are far from being achieved.The paper states the need to discuss how far we have really gone in making KnowledgeSocieties accessible for all in the region; and to review current Knowledge Societies policiesand strategies to respond better to the identified gaps and debts. Finally, it will suggest publicpolicy recommendations.