e-Governance

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can support democ¬racy and human rights by expanding citizens' opportunities to partici¬pate in political decision-making, by providing citizens with access to information, and facilitating dissemination of information, as well as en¬abling social coordination and mobilization.

A better informed citizenry who can put pressure on national institu¬tions to be accountable and responsive to citizens' needs and priorities is a fundamental component of a functioning democracy. ICT can also improve the public sector's coordination capacity and service delivery by employing user-friendly administrative systems and appropriate Knowl¬edge Management systems. Lastly, ICT has a real potential to increase transparency in governance and expose and prevent corrupt practices.

Governance, public administration and civic participation
ICT can be an important tool for enhancing democracy and governance efforts by supporting the collection, storage and analysis of information within government structures and public service. In addition, ICT is a cost effective tool for activities such as planning and conducting elections, and for distributing informa¬tion such as where to register for upcoming elections, ongoing vaccina¬tion campaigns, the introduction of new identification cards, or changes in tax and revenue systems.

ICT, democracy and civic participation
Over the past years, the proliferation of cheap mobile end-user devises has provided fundamentally new opportuni¬ties for citizens to take part in information production and worldwide dissemination. Consequently, ICT can help citizens to surpass government controlled information and commu¬nication and gain access to international support systems.

Empowered citizenry the best way to fight corruption
Corruption, regardless of level, hampers development. Corruption falls disproportionately on the poorer members of society and hinders them from competing for scarce resources and inadequately funded services. Research shows that ICT can and in some places already does effectively obstruct corrupt practices. By making government infor¬mation, processes and procedures transparent through e-government and depersonalized do-it-yourself e-services, citizens become empowered and less likely to fall prey to public officials' illegal financial demands.

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