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The Sixth International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development (ICTD2013) will be held in Cape Town, South Africa, from December 7-10 2013 ICTD Conferences provide an international forum for researchers and practitioners exploring the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in social, political, and economic development. The conference reflects and deepens the multidisciplinary nature of ICTD research in a broad range of areas including computer science, anthropology, communication, design, economics, electrical engineering, geography, information science, political science, health, sociology, and many others. ICTD2013 will be the sixth of an ongoing series of conferences occurring every one-and-a-half years.

"The Hindu Business Line-. There are over 80 web sites and portals ran by Governments providing information to farmers on soil, plant protection, diseases, weather forecast, fertiliser use and farm and crop management. The number could be much more in the private sector. All this is likely to confuse the farmer. To tackle this, the Union Government has come up with the idea of a unified portal, to provide information on all farming needs. The portal www.farmer.gov.in, is not fully live yet. The basic version integrates the convergence technologies to offer latest information to farmers, instead of uploading dated information. "Compare this with the number of agri-climatic zones in the country. They are just 23. When they open the portal, the farmers see the Indian map. Depending on their location, they can select a State and the block they belong to," said Sanjeev Gupta, Joint Secretary of Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Government of India. "

CRISAT, December 2012 - Using ICT to revitalize agricultural extension and education towards providing knowledge access to smallholder farmers was the subject of an international workshop held at the Infosys Campus in Hyderabad (India) on 3-4 December. The global consultation on Innovative ICT and Knowledge Sharing Platforms for Revitalizing Agricultural Extension and Education: Opportunities and Challenges organized by a global team led by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), brought together about 60 ICT, research, extension and education experts from India, USA and Africa. The two-day workshop was successful in laying the groundwork for the formation of a global partnership that will push the 'knowledge to the poor' revolution through ICT application in agricultural extension and education.

"What is the Teacher Education and Professional Development program? The Teacher Education and Professional Development program is a partnership between USAID, the Ministry of Education and the private sector. The Government's commitment to universal primary education includes a commitment to improving the quality of education even as the number of students increases. The program builds the skills and expertise of educators, and enables Kenya's public teacher training colleges to prepare teachers to deliver quality education by strengthening pre-service training and linking it to in-service professional development. USAID supports this program by transferring knowledge of international practices in teacher education and institution building, and by providing technology to enhance teacher training and the classroom experience. The Permanent Secretary of Education visited the pilot sites and evaluated the program to inform a Government strategy to roll out integration of technology in classrooms throughout Kenya. "

"ICTs are always evolving and have been contributing immensely in development policies and programmes in developing countries. Appropriate application of ICTs will help the institutions, organizations, and nations in development plans. In spite of the tremendous potential of ICTs, developing countries have not adapted a sound strategy to utilize ICTs effectively. The application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in agriculture is increasingly important. If ICTs are utilized fully in agriculture and allied fields, traditional knowledge could be improved and farmers would benefit from this new technology. "

"From 25 to 26 October 2013, the UNESCO International Research and Training Centre for Rural Education (INRULED) in collaboration with UNESCO-UNEVOC, Chengdu Municipal Education Bureau, and Dujiangyan Municipal Government organized a conference on rural skills development through Information Communication Technologies (ICT). The conference's objective was to share policies, strategies and good practices on rural skills development through ICT, with the aim to develop and improve the information and practical guidelines for further enhancing the access to and outreach of ICT in rural areas."

"A 'Center for Commercial and Agricultural Information' (PICA) for the collection and the publication of price lists via the internet has been launched in Togo to enable farmers and traders to interact over prices and availability of products by ICT The center is equipped with computer and Internet facilities with a web page www.tradenet.biz with a strong integration of data and mobile technology. The center will allow producers and tradesmen to consult in real time over price lists that are in conformity with the ECOWAS region."

Agribusiness and entrepreneurship are two critical areas which have a strong potential to increase employment opportunities for youth and to boost economies in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. Similarly, the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) is modernising the agricultural sector and providing more opportunities for youth. In particular, young farmers who apply ICT tools and skills to their farming businesses generally have higher yields, incomes and social status.

Increasing agricultural productivity in developing countries and promoting youth employment and entrepreneurship are important recommendations of the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) play an important role. Young entrepreneurs using ICT innovations are particularly suited to contribute to increased agricultural productivity and sustainability given their inventiveness, energy and capacity to take risks.

"Agboville - Le ministre de la Poste et des Technologies de l'Information et de la Communication (PTIC), Bruno Nabagné Koné a exposé les axes stratégiques majeurs pour une meilleure application des conclusions de l'atelier de priorisation des projets du plan d'action du document de stratégie nationale e-Agriculture. « Notre stratégie est bâtie autour de cinq axes stratégiques », a affirmé le ministre des PTIC, vendredi lors de la clôture de l'atelier entamé mardi à Agboville, en vue de rechercher l'application de méthodes modernes pour booster l'agriculture ivoirienne. Le troisième axe auquel a fait allusion le ministre Koné est de créer l'accès au réseau, y compris dans les contrés les plus reculées. « Nous prévoyons 3.000 centres multimédias à travers le pays », assure-t-il. Le cinquième axe concerne la maîtrise de l'outil, avec la réouverture des grandes écoles de formation des TIC, a précisé le ministre de la Poste et des TIC. Ce projet permettra la transparence, plus d'économie et la modernisation du travail agricole, afin de promouvoir la bonne gouvernance et lutter contre la pauvreté. L'interconnexion, afin d'obtenir des informations en temps réel dans les centres de proximité. « Le Président Ouattara attache beaucoup de prix à la mise en œuvre de ce projet », assure M. Koné."

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) plays an important role in development today. For Jorge Rodriguez, Quality Support Manager in the Civil Society, Local Authorities Unit at EuropeAid, online media provided the answer to communicating complex issues on decentralisation to colleagues working in the field. Topics: Public Sector Reform & Decentralisation