IICD assists developing countries to utilise the opportunities offered by ICTs towards realising sustainable development.' It uses a cross-sectoral approach, in which 'agents of change' identify and develop proposals for realistic ICT applications. In IICD's view, local ownership forms an essential basis for sustainable socio-economic development.

ICT focus:

IICD has set the following objectives:

• to articulate the needs for ICT-supported development by local stakeholders;
  
• to formulate and implement ICT applications in key development sectors based on the principles of local ownership and partnering;
  
• to effectuate two-way knowledge transfers, to empower people in developing countries to utilise ICT applications for sustainable development through informed decision-making;
  
• and to facilitate the web-based dissemination of best practices and lessons learned to a broad audience.

  Programme activities:

  IICD's focus countries are Burkina Faso, Ghana, Tanzania, Zambia, Mali, Uganda, Jamaica and Bolivia.

  IICD is a partner in the UK Department for International Development's programme 'Building Digital Opportunities', and is acting as a resource centre for this programme.

  http://www.iicd.org/