:: ATAC Responsibilities

African Technical Advisory Committee on the African Information Society Initiative

Functions and modes of operation
The major functions of the African Technical Advisory Committee on the African Information Society Initiative are:to advise the ECA secretariat on programmes and projects to be undertaken in implementation of the African Information Society Initiativeto evaluate the results of the implementation of the African Information Society InitiativeAs an advisory committee, ATAC shall operate at the strategic and conceptual level. It may also suggest modalities to ECA for implementation of the AISI.While not an obligation, it is hoped that ATAC members will act as advocates of the African Information Society Initiative both in the Africa region and elsewhere.

The ECA Secretariat will present a report on ATAC activities to the biennial meetings of the ECA Conference of Ministers responsible for African planning and development.

Membership
The Committee will consist of 6 members appointed by the Executive Secretary of ECA. The Executive Secretary will make all efforts to ensure that the Committee is gender balanced.ATAC members are appointed in their personal capacities as experts in information and communication technology. They represent neither their institutions nor their countries.Acceptance of appointment as a member of ATAC means fulfilling the functions listed in #1 supra.Appointment will be for a term of two years, to correspond to the ECA biennial work programmes. Appointments may be renewed.The Director of the ECA Development Information Services Division and the co-ordinator of the AISI within that same Division will be ex-officio members of the Committee.

ECA may invite observers to attend meetings of ATAC.

Officers
Each year at the annual meeting ATAC will elect a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson and a Rapporteur.

Conditions of service
Members will receive no honorarium for their service. However, ECA will pay their transport and accommodation, at United Nations rates and standards, to support their attendance at annual meetings.

If members inform the Executive Secretary that they are unable to serve, the Executive Secretary will appoint a new member to replace him/her for the duration of his/her term.

Meetings
ATAC will meet annually at a venue and time to be mutually agreed upon by ECA and ATAC members.The ECA secretariat will organize ATAC meetings and prepare documentation.

Between formal meetings members are expected to communicate with each other and with ECA through a listserve (atac-cl) moderated by ECA on issues related to their responsibilities.