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Background
The accelerating convergence between telecommunications, broadcasting multimedia and information and communication technologies (ICTs) has become an impetus for conducting business and commerce and enabled to develop new products and services that are transforming the way we live in. The new economic order and market place is chiefly characterised by globalisation that it requires that countries, developing and developed, need to open their markets for competition and foreign direct investment and transactions. Consequently, information and knowledge have become indispensable and crucial ingredients of social interaction, economic and business practices, political engagement, media, education, health, leisure and entertainment. Sustaining the enabling and facilitating role of ICTs in this regard is intimately linked with the progress and achievements of the global information society, reviewing and evaluating its impact and reach consensus concerning future course of action.
It is within this framework of thought that the UN General Assembly, on 21 December 2001, adopted a Resolution (A/RES/56/183) endorsing the organization of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), to be convened under the patronage of the United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, with the International Telecommunication Union taking the lead role in its preparation along with interested UN organizations and the host countries.
The objective of the Summit is to formulate a common vision and understanding of the global information society. It is expected to adopt a Declaration of Principles and an Action Plan to facilitate the effective growth of the Information Society and to help bridge the Digital Divide. It aims to bring together representatives from the highest levels of government, the private sector, civil society and NGOs. For this reason, it will present a unique opportunity for the world community to discuss and give shape to the Information Society. The Summit is also regarded as an effective means to assist the United Nations in fulfilling the goals of the Millennium Declaration where Secretary General Kofi Annan stated that, "…the key role of partnerships involving governments, bilateral and multilateral development agencies, the private sector and other stakeholders in putting ICTs in the service of development."
The Summit will be held in two phases: Geneva from 10 to 12 December 2003 and Tunis in 2005 and it is preceded by preparatory meetings. The first one will be held in Geneva from 1-5 July 2002 and the date and venue of other subsequent meeting will be announced later. In addition, regional preparatory conferences will take place before Geneva 2003 in Africa, Europe, Asia and Latin America. The African Regional Conference was organized in Bamako, Mali from 26-30 May 2002.
African Regional Preparatory Conference – Bamako 2002
The African regional conference, known as Bamako 2002, was organized in Bamako, Mali, under the auspices of His Excellency Alpha Oumar Konare, President of the Republic of Mali, from 26-30 May 2002. Bamako 2002 was a Ministerial level meeting and Africa is the first continent to organize a regional conference in line with the framework of the WSIS. It is particularly important for Africa’s preparedness for the first Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) to be held in July 2002 in Geneva. Issues from regional conferences will be considered by the PrepComs, which will decide on the elements to be incorporated into the final documents of the Summit. Bamako 2002 focused on facilitating understanding on what benefits to be drawn from the global information society and what contributions the continent to make towards its goals and what cultural heritages and values it should preserve through this dynamic process. The conference brought together around one thousand participants drawn from government, civil society, the private sector, and development partners. It was supported by various bilateral and multilateral partners as well as the private sector and the civil society.
Bamako 2002 provided yet another opportunity to revisit and evaluate the implementation of the recommendations of the first African Development Forum (ADF ’99) and Bamako 2000. The conference has given a unique opportunity to renew the commitment of member States and bilateral and multilateral development partners of Africa to the realisation of the visions enshrined in the AISI.
What was expected from Bamako 2002?
Bamako 2002 assessed the key challenges, opportunities and constraints stemming from the information society, developed a common vision and understanding for the region and prepared a plan to address the key issues and solve the problems identified.
More specifically, Bamako 2002 was expected to undertake the following main tasks:
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Conduct
a regional assessment of the relevant challenges, opportunities
and constraints faced by the region and resulting from
global developments in the information society.
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Confirm
the vision for an information-based society in the region
and a strategy to achieve that vision.
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Establish
a platform for dialogue and contributions that includes
all major stakeholders.
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Share
experiences and provide an opportunity to forge a better
understanding of the concerns of the countries in the
region, to prepare their positions and to identify the
key themes for the Summit.
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Identify
existing initiatives and networks in the regions and assess
examples of best practices.
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Consider
new initiatives and commitments within the region and
its subregions with a view to overcoming the prevailing
constraints and fostering further progress towards achieving
the vision of an information society.
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Prepare
contributions for consideration by the PrepCom meetings.
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