OCCAM (Observatory for Cultural and Audiovisual Communication) was created by UNESCO in 1996 as a Project which arises from the notion of the great development registered over the last ten years in communication technologies: communication is a fundamental factor for social, economic and cultural development.

Open communication can be one of the strongest means to fight poverty, in rural areas as well as in less developed countries, and a guarantee of the respect of human rights and the affirmation of democratic values within society. In 2003 OCCAM was formally associated to the Department of Public Information of the United Nations. Its President is Mr. Pierpaolo Saporito, former CICT-UNESCO chairman, its Vice President is Mr. Gerardo Zepeda Bermudez, former Minister of Science and Technology of Honduras.

OCCAM, with its specialists and experts connected with primary university and research centers, drafted the Infopoverty Programme, acting as agency, promoting initiatives and working locally with governments and globally with other International Institutions willing to implement equivalent programs. OCCAM has also an active role in the support of the use of Information and Communication Technologies for education and medicine through the actions in:

• Southern Lebanon villages, in coopera tion with Mr. Staffan De Mistura, Personal Representative of UN Secretary General to Southern Lebanon.
• Somali and Mozambique community
• Honduras solar villages

At the same time, OCCAM constantly updates and improves the model of integrated technologies Communities on the basis of lessons learned, spreading the results of its actions and of the best practices realized.

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