Azerbaijan & Turkey: National Human Development Reports 2003
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HUMAN DEVELOPMENT - REALIZING NATIONAL POTENTIAL
Human development is much more than the rise of national incomes. It is about creating an environment in which people can develop their full potential, in accordance with their needs and interests. The global, regional and national picture of human development has been brought to the attention of the people of the world by the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) Human Development Reports since the early 1990s.
National Human Development Reports (NHDRs), are now produced each year in more than 100 countries. Since the world's leaders signed the UN Millennium Declaration in New York in 2000, NHDRs have become instrumental to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which represent the international community's aspirations for reducing poverty and improving health, education and the environment.
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY FOR DEVELOPMENT (ICTD) - A TOOL FOR ACHIEVING HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
 The 20th century's unprecedented progress came largely from technological breakthroughs. This trend has continued into the 21st century with the increased use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) as a tool for achieving human development. It has been said that information informs, communication connects and technology leads to development. A major challenge facing the countries of the world is how to realize this potential of ICTs for improving the quality of life for all which was the goal of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) held in Geneva in December, 2003.
AZERBAIJAN & TURKEY COMMITTED TO ICT FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
 For the first time in the history of NHDRs, two countries - Azerbaijan and Turkey - have taken a joint approach to the preparation of their reports, brought together by the common theme of ICT for development which is a priority for both countries.
The close relations between the neighboring countries of Azerbaijan and Turkey, rooted in a common culture and language, have further contributed to this UNDP initiative which was sponsored by the Dutch Partnership Fund for its innovativeness.
These two reports are the result of a process of cooperation, initiated by the UNDP Offices in Ankara and Baku, and involving many partners, including government officials, academic institutions and private companies. The national experts who researched and wrote the reports in both countries shared their findings with interested parties at workshops in Ankara and Baku in October-November 2003.
Azerbaijan
 New technologies, including ICT, are particularly important for countries in transition, such as Azerbaijan, which are completing the transition to a market economy and information society.
The Government of Azerbaijan, with the support of UNDP, has recently developed and adopted a National ICT Strategy (NICTS) for 2003-2012 and is preparing an Action Plan for implementation.
 A number of projects have already been successfully implemented within the NICTS framework, including the development and promotion of Internet in the country, and a number of E-governance applications in such areas as customs, pensions and patents, standards and metrology.
Most recently, Baku hosted the International Forum on National Information and Communication Technologies Strategies and E-governance, organized under the auspices of the UN ICT Task Force and UNDP. The Forum attracted participants from more than 20 countries and agreed on the Baku Declaration which identified priority areas for national information society strategies and e-governance initiatives as input to the WSIS held in Geneva in December, 2003.
The above contributed to the decision of the President of Azerbaijan to establish the Ministry of Communication and Information technologies by special decree of February 20, 2004.
Turkey
The Turkish government and several civil society organizations are partnering with UNDP in Turkey in various projects to place ICT on the national human development agenda. UNDP has supported and played a key role in the develoment and implementation of e-governance at the local administration of Yalova province and several participatory democratic governance projects under the framework of gender equality, regional development and Local Agenda-21 programmes.
Several technical ministries of the Turkish government have utilized UNDP and international expertise in the ICT field to facilitate the transfer of knowledge and technical know-how in order to ensure that ICT is used to support Turkey's sectoral and human development at all levels.
UNDP also partnered with the private sector such as the Cisco Network Academy Program, to expand ICT capacity into Turkey's less developed areas. This initiative introduces those regions to high standards of computer network education programs and serves to help meet the needs for IT skilled human resources in public and the private sectors including the training of youth.
The national agencies in Turkey colloborate with UNDP to promote outreach to non-profit educational institutions in the country vocational or technical schools, institutes of technology and universities - as well special IT-based training activities for women and the disabled. Several activities have been underway to assist the Small and Medium-Size Enterprises (SMEs), by introducing ICT based marketing and business development opportunities for this rapidly growing sector.
CHALLENGES FOR THE FUTURE
This year's NHDRs of Azerbaijan and Turkey indicate that the two countries will need to address several challenges in order to fully realize their ICT potential for human development.
Developing a Legal and Regulatory Environment for ICT
Creation of a proper legal environment is critical to the effective use of ICT. Despite the efforts made by both countries in this direction, the legal framework is not yet sufficiently conducive to the rapid development of ICT and meeting the needs of their citizens.
 Azerbaijan would benefit from legal reforms that increase competition and transparency, particularly in the area of communications. Existing laws need to be fairly and effectively implemented and some new laws are needed as well. In particular, a clear legal distinction needs to be made between the Government as regulator and the private sector as service provider.
There has been considerable effort made in Turkey by the Government and the private sector to improve the ICT legal environment. A number of legal issues still need to be addressed to bring Turkey up to the level of countries more advanced in their use of ICT for development.
ICT Education for All
In order to benefit from ICT, people need to understand how to use and apply it. In the future, the most productive jobs will be found in computerized and on-line workplaces. Both countries need to significantly improve the overall quality of ICT education and training and make it available to all; young and old, female and male, city and village, rich and poor.
 In Azerbaijan, there is a high and increasing demand for ICT education and training with 70% of University students using computers in their studies. However, there are insufficient computers, Internet access and ICT-literate teachers at all levels of education to meet this need. Recent statistics indicate there is an average of only 2.5 computers per school, no more than 10% of teachers use computers and only 31 schools or 1% of the total have Internet access.
The Turkish government is committed to the ambitious target of introducing Internet access to every school in the country, even at village levels. However, new educational policies will need to be developed and implemented to ensure that this ICT tool is used to support human development in the education system.
Cut the Cost - Increase the Benefit
Expensive internet access in Azerbaijan and Turkey relative to other countries and the high price of hardware and software are barriers for the millions of Azerbaijanis and Turks who wish to join the information society.
The recently released Digital Access Index (DAI) produced by the International Telecommunications Union measures the overall ability of individuals in a country to access and use ICT. It consists of eight variables in the categories of infrastructure, affordability, knowledge, quality and usage. Turkey's DAI is double the DAI of Azerbaijan but both countries are still well below the levels reached by industrialized nations even though they are above the DAIs of least developed countries.
Getting the Numbers Right
 There is a general lack of knowledge and reliable statistics on ICT. In general, the information available in both countries does not reflect the real situation. Accurate statistics are needed to develop sound policies and plans.
The NHDRs of both Azerbaijan and Turkey provide useful sources of the limited ICT data available and in some cases where there are gaps, have created new indices and databases. For example, Turkey's NHDR includes an ICT index for regions and by gender whereas Azerbaijan's NHDR includes a survey of ICT access at the national and regional levels. In the future, Government and civil society organizations will need to build on this work to continually improve reporting on the contribution of ICT to human development in both countries.
THE WAY FORWARD
The two NHDRs prepared by national experts represent the next step in moving forward with further reforms to fully realize the human development potential of new technologies including ICT. The stage is now set for a public debate of the reports within and between both countries. The Governments and peoples of Azerbaijan and Turkey will then be in a position to develop, adopt and implement policies designed to bridge the digital divide and help both countries take their rightful place in the global information society.
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