Support for Harmonization of the ICT Policies in Sub-Sahara Africa (HIPSSA)

1. Support for Harmonizationof the ICT Policies in Sub-Sahara Africa(HIPSSA) 4th SADC Forum on Digital Broadcasting Migration 27-30 August 2012 Maputo, Mozambique Ms. Ida Jallow HIPSSA Senior Project Coordinator International Telecommunication Union

2. Outline • Introduction • Project methodology • Implementation • Discussion • Completed Activities • On-Going Activities

3. ITU-EC Project for Harmonization of ICT Policies in ACP ITU and the European Commission launched a global project to provide “Support for the establishment of harmonized policies for the ICT market in the ACP states” in December 2008 It is a component of the “ACP-Information and Communication Technologies” programme (@CP-ICT) within the framework of the 9th European Development Fund 1

4. ITU-EC Project for Harmonization of ICT Policies in ACP This global project entails three regional sub-projects addressing specific needs of each region 1 HIPCAR Enhancing competitiveness in the Caribbean through the harmonization of ICT Policies, Legislation and Regulatory Procedures HIPSSA Support for harmonization of the ICT Policies in Sub-Saharan Africa ICB4PIS Capacity Building and ICT Policy, Regulatory and Legislative Frameworks Support for Pacific Island States

5. Objectives and Principles 1 • Global objective • Support towards creating harmonised policies for ICT and an efficient regulatory environment, conductive to massive investments required by ICT infrastructures and applications in the ACP countries • Detailed objectives: • Supporting regional integration organizations to develop and promote the use of harmonized ICT policies and regulations in their region • Assisting individual beneficiary countries to adopt and implement ICT policies and regulatory guidelines • Building human and institutional capacity in the field of ICT through a range of targeted training and knowledge sharing measures at regional and national level • ITU-EC Project for Harmonization of ICT Policies in ACP countries • Builds on experience gained from previous project in West Africa • Uses a demand-driven bottom-up approach • Pays specific attention to link substance of policy/regulation to capacity building • Incorporates all past and current projects of international and regional organizations

6. Co-chairmanship Pan-African organizations (AU body and UN agency) Regional Economic Organizations (REC) Regional Integration Organizations (RIO) Regional Regulators’ Associations (RRA) HIPSSA Governance and Steering Committee 1

7. Regulatory Harmonization Cycle 2

8. Common list of priorities articulated around eight (8) main subjects. Harmonized Content 2

9. Modular implementation of priorities based on four (4) AU geographical sub regions (WA, CA, EA & SA) to reflect the heterogeneity between them. Global, Regional and National Activities 3 Global • Comparison of regional initiatives for regulatory harmonization • Cross-border frequency coordination (HCMC4A) • Monitoring and evaluation / Regulatory benchmarking • Analog to Digital Broadcasting Migration Regional National

10. Pairing of national or regional expert with international expert for bilateral knowledge transfer and human capacity building Methodology for activity implementation 3

11. Study of regional initiatives for regulatory harmonization 3 • Context • Diversity of regional organizations as to their means and harmonization methods • Similarity of telecoms/ICT regulatory harmonization challenges • Regional harmonization “volume effect" vs. national implementation efficiency • Some main findings • Three levels of governance make the process intricate and complex • Regional organizations are not progressing at the same rhythm (same for MS) • Most initiatives do not have a binding nature and enforcement mechanisms • Collaboration between regional regulators' associations and their respective regional organizations is heterogeneous • Some recommendations • Set common streamlined processes for all regional organizations • Reduce the level of regulatory discretion at national and regional level • Create a pan-African independent regulatory agency • Adopt pan-African common principles such as: objectivity, transparency, proportionality, non-discrimination, technological neutrality, etc.

12. Discussion 1 4 • Further to its primary objective of policy implementation,… • …the report has been designed to offer other possibilities as a training material… • Few specialized publications on ICT regulation in Africa • First comprehensive study on regulatory harmonization • Collection of regional acts in electronic version • …but could also stimulate research in a potential new priority area • It could serve as a base survey for untapped research questions • Academic research would complement one of the project’s objectives: institutional and human capacity building

13. Discussion 2 4 • HIPSSA, an example of governance in development cooperation • Multilateralism: EC mandates ITU, a UN specialized agency • EU-AU Partnership: AUC is co-chairing with ITU the HIPSSA Steering Committee • Regional integration: REC are project’s beneficiaries and members of Steering Committee • This EU-funded global project is a platform for additional bilateral assistance actions • This EC project has a global geographic scope and an inclusive approach • EU Member States support some modules in this global scheme Regional National

14. Completed activities 5 • Comparative analysis for regional integration • HIPSSA Model laws in the regions • Supplementary acts in Ecowas • Cemac and Eccas directives on telecommunications and Cyber security in central Africa • Telecommunications and Cyber security in the SADC region. • Developed Guidelines under Hipssa • Crasa Guidelines on Universal service and Access and toolkit • (sub-Saharan workshop in Kigali 7-8 May 2012.) • Ecowas Guidelines on access to Submarine cables • (sub-Saharan workshop in Libreville Gabon 22-23 2012. • Statistical reporting using a selected number of Indicators

15. Ongoing activities 6 • HCM4A • Regulatory accounting and cost modelling • Analogue to digital transition • Monitoring and Evaluation in the Ecowas region • Publication of all assessment studies and reports under the project • In-Country transposition and technical assistance • Liberia, Guinea Conakry, (completed ) • Niger, The Gambia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Burundi, Kingdom of Swaziland, Namibia, Lesotho (on-going)

16. Contacts Thank you for your attention http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/projects/ITU_EC_ACP/index.html Ida JallowHIPSSA Senior Project Coordinator Ida.jallow@itu.int ia