ECA and the Information Age in Africa

ECA and the Information Age in Africa

In 1995 the ECA Conference of Ministers responsible for Economic Planning and Development passed resolution 795 (XXX) calling on ECA to establish a high level working group of African experts in information and communication technologies to draft an action plan to move African into the Information Age. In May 1996 the Conference of Ministers adopted (by resolution 812 XXXI) the work of the High Level Working Group as the African Information Society Initiative (AISI) - an action framework to build Africa’s information and communication infrastructure.The basic objective of AISI is to end Africa's information and information technology gap by bringing it into the Information Age.

AISI- a mandate for Africa

	Adopted by the ECA Conference of Ministers responsible for economic and social planning and development, (Addis Ababa, 1996)
	Endorsed by African Ministers of Telecommunications at the African Regional Telecommunications Development Conference, (Abidjan, 1996)
	Supported by the Information Society and Development Conference (Midrand, South Africa, 1996)
	Endorsed OAU Summit of Heads of State (Yaounde, 1996)
	Commended by the G-7- plus-one Summit (Denver, 1997)
	Supported by the African Ministers of Communication African Connection (1999)

African Information Society Initiative (AISI)-

implemented through

partnership

	The African Technical Advisory Committee to the AISI, comprised of 6 African experts, brings the African vision to AISI
	The Partnership for Information and Communication Technologies in Africa (PICTA) brings together multi-lateral, bi-lateral and non-governmental organizations, as well as representatives of the private sector, who work together to implement the AISI vision
	As a member of the Global Knowledge Partnership, ECA promotes the AISI and the African development agenda