Africa Puts Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) on top of its Development Agenda

1. Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC III) Brussels, 15-20 May 2001 Africa Puts Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) on top of its Development Agenda By Makane FayeTeam Leader, Promoting ICTs for DevelopmentDevelopment Information Services Division (DISD)Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) ECA

2. CONTENTS • Africa’s key development challenges • The role of ICTs in addressing the development challenges • African Information Society Initiative (AISI) • Common position for Africa’s Digital Inclusion • The way forward ECA

3. AFRICA’S KEY DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES • Overcome the HIV/AIDS Pandemic • Provide basic health services • Invest in people: Increase resources for education • Enhance research capacities • Improve key infrastructure • Strengthen regional cooperation ECA

4. ROLE OF ICTs IN DEVELOPMENT • ICTs are cross-cutting in addressing all the developmental challenges of Africa • ICTs have a great role to play in all areas: health, education, business and trade, R&D, regional co-operation, etc. ECA

5. AFRICAN INFORMATION SOCIETY INITIATIVE (AISI) • Common vision and mission statement for Africa’s quest to bridge the digital divide (since 1996) • Guiding framework on ICT activities in Africa • Speeds up Africa’s entry into the Information Age ECA

6. AFRICAN INFORMATION SOCIETY INITIATIVE (AISI) AISI Adopted and endorsed by: • the twenty-second meeting of ECA Conference of Ministers in May 1996 • OAU Council of Ministers meeting in its Sixty-Fourth Ordinary Session held in Yaounde, Cameroon, 1 - 5 July 1996 • the African Regional Telecommunication Development Conference, organised by the ITU and held in Abidjan in May 1996 ECA

7. AFRICAN INFORMATION SOCIETY INITIATIVE (AISI) • AISI progress evaluated by African Development Forum 1999 (ADF ‘99), which was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 24 to 28 October 1999 • Theme: “the Challenge to Africa of Globalisation and the Information Age” • Resulted in concrete initiatives • Wider participation > 800 participants (governments, civil society, diaspora, media,etc.) ECA

8. COMMON POSITION FOR AFRICA’S DIGITAL INCLUSION • Meeting on Africa’s Contribution to global ICT initiatives such as the G8 DOT Force, UN ICT Task Force, etc. (11 - 12 May 2001, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia) • Reviewed existing and new ICT initiatives in Africa • Resulted in a COMMON POSITION for Africa’s digital inclusion ECA

9. COMMON POSITION FOR AFRICA’S DIGITAL INCLUSION Building Human andInstitutional Capacity ICT Policies, Strategies and Regulation COMMON POSITION Improving Connectivity and Access to Information in Africa Implementing Sectoral Information Society Initiatives in Africa Partnership ECA

10. COMMON POSITION FOR AFRICA’S DIGITAL INCLUSION ICT Policies, Strategies and Regulation • Organising national and sub-regional workshops; • Establishing ICT bodies at the very high level of political leadership; • Setting up liberalisation and privatisation strategies; • Creating a network of African regulators; • Developing indicators to evaluate the progress of the regulatory institutions in meeting national priorities (eg. SCAN-ICT); and • Developing National Information and Communication Infrastructure (NICI) plans and strategies. ECA

11. COMMON POSITION FOR AFRICA’S DIGITAL INCLUSION Improving Connectivity and Access to Information in Africa • Supporting connectivity projects; • Supporting Research and Development activities for developing low cost access in African countries; • Supporting the development of sub-regional and regional telecommunication backbones and information networks; and • Empowering production and dissemination of local content, with special emphasis on indigenous knowledge. ECA

12. COMMON POSITION FOR AFRICA’S DIGITAL INCLUSION Building Human and Institutional Capacity • Strengthening distance learning initiatives in Africa • interactive and distance learning systems • school networks (e.g, SchoolNet), university networks (e.g., VarsityNet) and networks of R&D institutes (e.g., African Knowledge Network Forum (AKNF); and • networks for marginalised people (e.g., Out of School Youth Network-OosyNet). • Developing capacities for participation in WTO negotiations and other fora; and • Harnessing the African Diaspora. ECA

13. COMMON POSITION FOR AFRICA’S DIGITAL INCLUSION Implementing Sectoral Information SocietyInitiatives in Africa OPPORTUNITIES FOR BUSINESS AND TRADE • Promoting E-business; • Supporting the establishment of training institutions for e- business workforce; • Encouraging Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs) in Africa with e-business orientation; • Encouraging e-business applications at local level, e.g., telecentres; • Creating the enabling environment for e-business; • Encouraging government as an early adopter and model. ECA

14. COMMON POSITION FOR AFRICA’S DIGITAL INCLUSION Implementing Sectoral Information SocietyInitiatives in Africa OPPORTUNITIES FOR HEALTH CARE • Establishing a network of health professionals; • Developing multimedia health information systems; • Using ICTs to facilitate delivery of health care services; • Creating and strengthening telemedicine projects; • Instituting specialised training for health professionals; • Emphasising the use of ICTs in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa; and • Supporting the establishment of African centres of medical excellence. ECA

15. PARTNERSHIP • Partnership for Information and Communication Technologies in Africa (PICTA) - vehicle for AISI partnership • Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP) • G8 DOT Force • UN ICT Task Force • African Connection • UNDP • UNESCO • ITU • WHO • The World Bank • The World Economic Forum ECA

16. THE WAY FORWARD • AISI - Africa’s vision to the Information Age (since 1996) • Commitment required from all partners and stakeholders in implementing programmes and specific actions envisioned under the AISI framework so as to ensure Africa’s digital inclusion • Africa’s common position for partnership in ICT areas focuses on creating the enabling environment, support ICTs in health, education, business and trade (e-commerce), improving connectivity and and promoting e-governance • Recent meeting of African Conference of Ministers, held in Algers, calls upon international partners to treat ICT as special priority for Africa. ECA

17. Thank you !