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African Development Forum
ADF '99 |
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African Development Forum
ADF '99 |
Programme
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| The goal of adf ‘99 is to develop and support African initiatives
that are fundamental to shaping the African information age. It is the culmination of
three years of activities to build an African information society and will take stock to
set future directions for the African Information Society Initiative. adf ‘99 provides the first occasion for a broad range of African policy-makers to come together as a group to assess the opportunities, confront the challenges, and develop a plan of action for Africa in the information age.adf ’99 offers the private sector numerous opportunities throughout the four-day conference to formulate positions, showcase products and services, and realistically assess the possibilities for acting jointly with government and civil society.Unique are the focus groups on gender, youth, the private sector and the African diaspora, providing an opportunity for these special interest groups to air their perspectives on the issues, react to the proposals, report to the plenary and shape their own recommendations. Focus group coordinators:
African policy analysts and researchers will provide commentary and assess their own future programmes in terms of key aspects of the information age. Experienced panels will represent all sectors with a stake in the information society such as education, health, environment, finance, and industry. Exhibition space will showcase products, services, and applications with special relevance to the region. Poster sessions will allow a wide range of participants to engage smaller audiences around selected approaches to development issues.
Sunday, 24 October Registration
1800–1930 Opening session Chair: K. Y. Amoako, Executive Secretary, ECA
1930 Reception hosted by ECA Monday, 25 October Setting the Scene: The ADF Process and the Information Age in Africa 0900 Keynote presentationsDevelopment opportunities of the information age in Africa Chair: K. Y. Amoako, Executive Secretary, ECA
1030 Coffee break 1100 Progress towards the African information age Chair: Zéphirin Diabré, Associate Administrator, United Nations Development Programme Presenter: Karima Bounemra Ben Soltane, Director, Development Information Services Division, ECA Panel:
This presentation will set the scene for the rest of the work of the conference by—
Panel response; open discussion 1300 Lunch Achievements, Challenges and Opportunities ECA has commissioned position papers to serve as a starting point for discussion on the four themes that are key to progress towards an information society in Africa. Theme presentations are followed by focused comments from panel members and discussion from the floor. Parallel sessions 1430 Theme 1: Globalization and the Information Economy: Challenges and Opportunities for Africa Chair: Mary Chinery-Hesse, Deputy Director General, International Labour OfficePresenters:
Panel:
The presentation will—
1430 Theme 2: Information and Communication Technologies for Improved Governance Chair: Hisham El Sherif, Chairman, RITSEC; Chairman, IT Investments Holdings, Egypt Presenters:
Panel:
The presentation will—
1600 Break Parallel sessions 1630 Theme 3: Strengthening Africa’s Information Infrastructure Chair: Hamadoun I. Touré, Director Telecommunication Development Bureau, International Telecommunication UnionPresenter:
Panel:
The presentation will—
1630 Theme 4: Democratizing Access to the Information Society Chair: Shuller Habeenzu, Director, Zamnet, Zambia Presenter: Aida Opoku-Mensah, Ford Foundation, Lagos Panel:
The presentation will—
Dinner hosted by the Global Information Infrastructure Commission
Tuesday, 26 October 0900–1300 Breakout groups on issues and cases arising from the four theme presentations 1030 Break Parallel sessionsThere will be four breakout groups under each theme, 16 in all. Eight breakout groups will meet from 0900 to 1030 and eight from 1100 to 1230. Groups will reconvene by theme at 1245 to compare reports and consider how to prepare their plenary presentations. Theme and breakout group rapporteurs will be responsible for ensuring that theme presentations to plenary concisely reflect key breakout issues. Breakout group presentations should be short: not more than 30 minutes in total. The emphasis should be on discussion. Theme 1: The Information Economy 0900 Indicators for the information economy and their relevance to Africa Presentation and moderated discussion on global collaborative initiatives and their application to measuring development impact in Africa Chair: Gillian Marcelle, Visiting Research Fellow, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa Presenter: Heather Hudson, Acacia, International Development Research Centre, Canada Global, regional, subregional and national frameworks and approaches to stimulate the growth of the African information economy Presentations and moderated discussion on the global framework with examples of concrete national approaches Chair: Nancy Hafkin, ECA Presenters:
1100 Creating information industries in Africa: software development, open-source, infrastructure requirements, employment creation Presentation, panel and moderated discussion Chair: Rui Fernandez, Chief Executive Officer, Mozambique Telecom Presenter: Mavis Ampah Sintim-Misa, Chief Executive Officer, Spectrum International, Ghana Panel:
Knowledge, education and learning to strengthen the information economy Presentation, panel and moderated discussion Chair: Paulos Nyirenda, National Coordinator, National Research Council of Malawi Presenter: Clement Dzidonu, Chief Executive Officer, INIIT, Ghana Panel:
Theme 2: Governance 0900 Improving understanding between ICT experts and government managers Alternative approaches to resolving the gap in ICT knowledge and providing decision support; panel and moderated discussion Chair: Bhavya Lal, Abt Associates, USA Panel:
Facilitating citizen’s participation in the governance process through the use of ICTs: national case studies Chair: Hans d ’Orville, Director, IT for Development UNDP Presentations:
1100 Lessons learned in ICT applications in governance Panel to discuss lessons learned on design and implementation of ICTs in the environment, agriculture, trade and public administration sectors Chair: Dominique Hounkonnou, Benin Presentations:
The challenge and opportunities of ICTs in the health sector Health information and communication, new technologies for health education, medical informatics, telemedecine, impact on costs
Presentations:
Theme 3: Infrastructure and Policy 0900 Policy and regulatory changes to accelerate the extension of infrastructure Workshop format for in-depth discussion of key elements in theme paper Co-chairs:
Investment and financing Workshop format for in-depth discussion of key elements in theme paper Chair: Muriuki Mureithi, Summit Strategies, Kenya 1100 Capacity building and human resource development to extend rollout and use of infrastructure Chair: Gerald Mpiysi, Director, Information Systems, Office of the Vice President, Rwanda Presenter: Nii Quaynor, Managing Director, Network Computer Systems, Ltd., Ghana Panel:
Internet governance and new mechanisms for managing Africa’s information infrastructure Chair: Tarik Kamel, Internet Society of Egypt Presenter: Pierre Dandjinou, United Nations Development Programme, Benin
Theme 4: Democratizing Access 0900 ICT support for primary and secondary education: school networking and distance learning tools Panel and moderated discussion: African cases of application of ICTs to education; exploration of conditions for successful partnerships Chair: Wawa Ngenge, Sustainable Development Network Programme Coordinator, Cameroon Panel:
Extending access: programmes, projects, and models Chair: Aida Okpoku-Mensah, Ford Foundation, Lagos Panel:
1100 Integrating new and old technologies to facilitate local exchange of communication and information Chair: Venancio Massingue, University Eduardo Mondlane, Mozambique Panel:
Community applications Panel presentations and discussion on different telecentre models Chair: Gaston Zongo, Director, Acacia, International Development Research Centre, Canada Presenters:
1245 Brief meeting of the four theme groups—in particular, chairs and rapporteurs, to plan preparation of plenary reports 1430–1600 Strategies for Policy Research and Action: A Role for African Think Tanks Convened by the World Bank InstituteA panel of leading African policy research and analysis institutions will discuss how the emergence of ICTs has affected their role in the development process and explore key areas for future programme activity. Attention will focus on specific needs for policy analysis and advice and on the potential for partnerships with government, NGOs and the private sector. Chair: Joseph Abbey, Executive Director, Centre for Policy Analysis, Ghana Panel:
Facilitators:
1430 African content on the Internet
Applications
Internet Initiative for Africa, UNDP NICI presentations Youth presentations Exhibitions and demonstrations 1600 Break 1630–1800 ICTs and the media Panel of African media organizations will examine how media integration with ICTs can promote a more diverse and pluralist media environment and how conventional media can operate as a gateway to the Internet for people who do not have access. Chair: Peter da Costa, Senior Communication Adviser, ECA Planning resources for the success of ICT investments WorkshopFacilitator: ABT Associates, USA Poster sessions Same as at 1430 Exhibitions and demonstrations 1815 Technology Centre for Africa: vision and mission – Sue Rhee, Coordinator, TCA, ECA The TCA contribution to supporting African countries to meet the challenges of the information age through exploitation of ICTs to accelerate economic and social development
Wednesday, 27 October Interim Assessment from Participants Chair: Lalla Ben Barka, Deputy Executive Secretary, ECA 0900 Feedback and reflection from the focus groups The gender and youth focus groups will report to plenary on their specific needs and on the challenges and opportunities they have identified in the previous sessions. The African diaspora focus group will provide a first assessment of how best to strengthen links across regions. The groups representing the private sector, and African think tanks will report on their initial assessment of opportunities for stimulating African progress towards the information age. 1100 Break 1130 Feedback from the theme breakout groups Breakout groups organized by the four thematic areas report to plenary on the key opportunities and constraints identified in the initial presentations, debates and group discussions. Exploring the Way Forward: National and Subregional Scenarios 1430 National information and communication policies, plans and infrastructure: shaping the African information societyPanel to assess progress in planning a national information and communication infrastructure (NICI) that will address national development needs: overview presentation by ECA; response by subregional organizations; open discussion with governments. Chair: 1600 Break 1630 Role of development agencies and the private sector in the NICI process Panel in which development agencies respond and outline their own perspectives and opportunities for technical and financial support To be convened by development agencies on basis of discussions during ADF ’99 Private sector panel provides its assessment of the potential for joint action on the national plans and programmes To be convened by the private sector focus group Concluding summary from the chair to guide next day’s information marketplace (NICI) plenary Thursday, 28 October 0900 Information marketplace: Introductory Plenary Governments and partners will consider the results of the previous day’s NICI debates and structure the marketplace session which will follow the plenary 1030 - 1300 Countries work in groups to explore opportunities for support in discussion with regional organizations, donors and the private sector Poster session ICT support for continued cooperation—organized by Bellanet 1100 Break 1130 Use and development of information and communication technologies to promote learning, teaching, and research in African universities Panel with short presentations and discussion on development of ICT and applications at the tertiary level to facilitate scientific research and networking, provide support to students and strengthen administration Chair: Professor Raymond Akwule, George Mason University, USA Panel:
1130 An electronic commerce research agenda for Africa Panel of chambers of commerce, business, research organizations, and development agencies defines a research agenda relevant to the region. Convened by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Chair: Katherine Ichoya, Senior Programme Analyst, COMESA, Zambia Defining the Way Forward 1530 Recommendations and conclusions: the way forward in Africa Chair: K. Y. Amoako, Executive Secretary, ECASharing of lessons learned and presentation of recommendations Panel: Rapporteurs of the theme and focus groups Towards the global Conference on the Informatioin Society–Hamadoun Touré, Director, Telecommunication Development Bureau, ITU Towards GKII: the Global Knowledge Partnership– Stephan Roman, British Council 1800 Closing session K. Y. Amoako, Executive Secretary, ECA H. E. Alpha Oumar Konaré, President, Republic of Mali Exhibition ADF ’99 provides exhibition space to the private sector, governments and civil society to demonstrate products, services and applications that promote and extend the information society in Africa. PARTNERS in adf ’99
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Copyright © 1999 Economic
Commission for Africa (ECA)
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Last updated: May 25, 2001.
