Local governance and ICT workshop, 7 – 9 June 2004, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), the International Development Research Center (IDRC) of Canada and ECA are organizing a workshop dedicated to local governance and ICT. It will review innovative ICT research and development as well as initiatives in support of local governance with a view to assisting local administrations in enhancing transparency, accountability and efficiency and providing improved public services. The meeting is expected to identify further research needs to facilitate ICT introduction and usage at the local level and produce a concrete plan of action, including formulation of pilot projects, to assist member States in preparation for the WSIS 2005.
For further information, contact Atsuko Okuda (aokuda@uneca.org)
Click here for the workshop website.
WSIS African Academia Research Network brainstorming workshop, 9 – 11 June 2004, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
The Network was launched by ECA with support from Ford Foundation during WSIS Geneva 2003. The brainstorming workshop will bring network members to discuss their roles in the information society, the WSIS Action Plan and its implications for African academia. Other issues include identifying areas for research, modalities for creation of sub-regional networks, and how to fit the research agenda into the WSIS Action Plan.
For further information, contact Aida Opoku-Mensah. (aopoku-mensah@uneca.org)
The planning session of the PICTA Knowledge Sharing Communities kick-started today
(24 May 2004)
Representatives from ECA, Bellanet and APC are participating in a two-day planning session from 24 to 25 May 2004 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to explore partnership opportunities on building Knowledge Sharing Communities (KSC).
more >
AISI Media Awards 2004: Application Deadline Extended
The deadline for application to the AISI Media Awards 2004 extended to 31 July 2004. The Award winners will be announced in September 2004. The AISI Media Awards were introduced in 2003 to encourage more informed coverage of the information society and ICT for development issues in Africa as part of ECA’s Information Society Outreach and Communication Programme. The Awards are aimed at individual journalists and media institutions based in Africa that are “promoting journalism which contributes to a better understanding of the information society in Africa.
More: http://www.uneca.org/aisi/mediaaward.htm
ICT4D Training for Forty Ethiopian MPs
 Forty Ethiopian MPs from the various standing committees of the House of People’s Representatives of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia attended the opening session of an ECA-sponsored intensive ICT4D training. The training began on 12 May and will run for 4 months.
In her opening remarks, Ms Karima Bounemra Ben Soltane, Director of the Development Information Services Division (DISD) told participants that ECA is convinced that information and knowledge have a direct link to development, and parliamentarians have a role to play in sensitizing other policy makers on this issue.
More: http://www.uneca.org/eca_resources/news/ict4d_training_for_forty_ethiopian_MPs.htm
ECA's perspectives on the Digital Solidarity Agenda
The director of the Development Information Services Division (DISD) of the ECA, Ms. Karima Bounemra Ben Soltane, was a speaker at the recent ITU Africa Telecom meeting that took place in Cairo, Egypt from 3 - 6 May 2004. During a session entitled “The Digital Solidarity Agenda: ECA’s Perspectives”, Ms. Bounemra provided a concise appraisal of ECA’s vision and activities with respect to creating knowledge societies in Africa. She noted increased high-level political will by various stakeholders and a growing awareness and commitment to mainstream ICT into programmes that are aimed at achieving developmental challenges addressed in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
More: http://www.uneca.org/eca_resources/news/eca_s_perspective_dsa.htm
PICTA Bulletin, No. 29 (April 2004) released!
African ICT Ministers meet in Dakar....., Cameroon holds stakeholder consultations for e-strategies ........., Meeting of the UN ICT Working Group on ICT Indicators and MDG Mapping ......., African Civil Society (ACS) network officially launched ......., WSIS 2005 – Tunis preparatory meeting announced........, ITU launches global WSIS-2005 fundraising campaign......, and many more....
More: http://www.uneca.org/aisi/picta/pictabulletin/pb29.htm
Africa and the Knowledge Society - ECA's Deputy Executive Secretary, Ms. Lalla Ben Barka was a key speaker at a High Level Panel on ICT and the knowledge-based economy, organized on the 60th Session of the Economic & Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in Shanghai, China. In her speech, she noted that Africa''s current economic performance is raising hopes for a possible turnaround, compared to the stagnation of previous decades. Nevertheless, this progress is still fragile and may not be sustained if the gap between the information-rich and the information-poor nations is not attended to, and if the foundation of a sustainable Information Society is not consolidated.
More: http://www.uneca.org/eca_resources/news/africa_and_the_knowledge_society.htm
Download the background document [PDF]
PICTA Bulletin, No. 28 (March 2004) released!
From Geneva to Tunis – the need for continuity...., CTO CEO visits ECA......, The Nairobi Accord – outcome of the CTO Conference on implementing the WSIS Action Plan....., Research on refurbished PCs for African schools calls for an integrated strategy and management system in Africa....., and many more....
More: http://www.uneca.org/aisi/picta/pictabulletin/pb28.htm
The Nairobi Accord - result from CTO Conference on implementing the WSIS Action Plan
- result from CTO Conference on implementing the WSIS Action Plan
Delegates and participants of the CTO conference on implementing the WSIS Action Plan have resolved to encourage all stakeholders involved in the WSIS process to familiarise themselves with the requirements of the WSIS Action Plan, especially as they relate to the fulfillment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This was contained in a resolution termed, "The Nairobi Accord" approved by consensus by the delegates and the participants at the end of the conference held in Nairobi, Kenya. Organised by the CTO and AITEC, the conference aimed at providing countries in the region as well as the international community, with the opportunity to understand and share the challenges faced in the execution of the WSIS Action Plan agreed on in December 2003 in Geneva. The sessions of the conference was attended by ministers, heads of regulatory bodies, senior executives of development agencies, major corporations, local diplomatic representatives, and other stakeholder organizations.
More: http://www.uneca.org/aisi/nairobiaccord.htm AISI Media Awards 2004 deadline for applications postponed !
The deadline for submission of applications to the 2004 AISI Media Awards is postponed to 30 April 2004.
More: http://www.uneca.org/aisi/mediaaward.htm
Strengthening data gathering for ICT4D
 17 February, 2004. Addis Ababa: ECA's Development Information Services Division (DISD) has brought together ICT practitioners and statisticians to reflect on the first phase of Scan-ICT, a multi-donor project aimed at building Africa's capacity to gather information and data needed to support ICT investments.
According to DISD's Director, Karima Bounemra Ben Soltane "The Scan-ICT process has been going on for 3 years now. This 2-day workshop in Addis Ababa will focus on the main outcomes of the project and assess what worked and what didn't work in the 6 pilot countries - Ethiopia, Ghana, Morocco, Mozambique, Senegal and Uganda".
At the core of Scan-ICT is the notion that Africa's transition into an information economy will require massive improvements in ICT production and utilization. However, the absence of data to support this impending growth makes it difficult for effective policy intervention. "The Scan matrix is a tool to help pinpoint the opportunities for ICT investments and gear the Continent towards "made in Africa" solutions, applications and content." Says Ms. Bounemra. The data collection is based on a complex set of indicators that are built around the African Information Society (AISI) themes, which include infrastructure, governance, information economy, education and health.
Given the complexities that surround data collection and analysis, the questions that are preoccupying the workshop include harmonization of indicators, strengthening analysis on the status of ICTs on the continent and an emerging concern on how to mainstream the question of gender in the Scan methodology and indicators. Further, this process should be intrinsically linked to the National Information and Communication Infrastructure (NICI) plans and processes which will be the focus of discussions in a back-to-back workshop to be held later this week. Participations will also explore ways in which to correlate SCAN-ICT objectives to other development processes going on at the national level, such as the Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRSP) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDG)s.
"The lessons learnt from the baseline studies conducted in this first phase are many and there are many positive experiences to be shared, but we need to learn from what didn't work in order to make it better in the next phase" says Laurent Elder from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) in Canada which, together with Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) and the European Union (EU) has provided funding for the project.
Contact: Aida Opoku Mensah, ICTs Team Leader, DISD: aopoku-mensah@uneca.org
More on Scan, including relevant publications: http://www.uneca.org/aisi/scanict.htm 17 February, 2004. Addis Ababa: ECA's Development Information Services Division (DISD) has brought together ICT practitioners and statisticians to reflect on the first phase of Scan-ICT, a multi-donor project aimed at building Africa's capacity to gather information and data needed to support ICT investments.
According to DISD's Director, Karima Bounemra Ben Soltane "The Scan-ICT process has been going on for 3 years now. This 2-day workshop in Addis Ababa will focus on the main outcomes of the project and assess what worked and what didn't work in the 6 pilot countries - Ethiopia, Ghana, Morocco, Mozambique, Senegal and Uganda".
At the core of Scan-ICT is the notion that Africa's transition into an information economy will require massive improvements in ICT production and utilization. However, the absence of data to support this impending growth makes it difficult for effective policy intervention. "The Scan matrix is a tool to help pinpoint the opportunities for ICT investments and gear the Continent towards "made in Africa" solutions, applications and content." Says Ms. Bounemra. The data collection is based on a complex set of indicators that are built around the African Information Society (AISI) themes, which include infrastructure, governance, information economy, education and health.
Given the complexities that surround data collection and analysis, the questions that are preoccupying the workshop include harmonization of indicators, strengthening analysis on the status of ICTs on the continent and an emerging concern on how to mainstream the question of gender in the Scan methodology and indicators. Further, this process should be intrinsically linked to the National Information and Communication Infrastructure (NICI) plans and processes which will be the focus of discussions in a back-to-back workshop to be held later this week. Participations will also explore ways in which to correlate SCAN-ICT objectives to other development processes going on at the national level, such as the Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRSP) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDG)s.
"The lessons learnt from the baseline studies conducted in this first phase are many and there are many positive experiences to be shared, but we need to learn from what didn't work in order to make it better in the next phase" says Laurent Elder from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) in Canada which, together with Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) and the European Union (EU) has provided funding for the project.
Contact: Aida Opoku Mensah, ICTs Team Leader, DISD: aopoku-mensah@uneca.org
More on Scan, including relevant publications: http://www.uneca.org/aisi/scanict.htm
ECA/EC SCAN-ICT Review Workshop, 17 – 18 February 2004, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
http://www.uneca.org/aisi/scanws.htm
As the SCAN-ICT project activities were successfully completed, ECA is planning to organise a concluding workshop to share experiences, lessons learned and best practices among country project teams and stakeholders. The specific objectives of the workshop are to review the SCAN-ICT methodology used in each country through country reports, identify lessons learnt, and discuss approaches to mainstreaming SCAN-ICT into decision making processes.
For further info, contact Mohammed Timoulali ( mtimoulali@uneca.org) ECA/EC NICI Review Workshop, 19 – 20 February 2004, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
In order to take stock of best practices and lessons learnt in the formulation and implementation processes of NICI plans and strategies, ECA is planning to organize a NICI workshop and invite national NICI focal points. The specific objectives of the workshop are to review the NICI methodology used in each country through country reports, identify lessons learnt and discuss approaches to implementation and how the policy-making process can be enhanced in the future.
For further info, contact Makane Faye (mfaye@uneca.org) Africa Bureau meeting to discuss WSIS followup
The Africa Bureau meeting is scheduled to take place from 21 to 22 February 2004 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The meeting will discuss, among other things, the format and content of the African Regional Preparatory Conference to Tunis, the Digital Solidarity Fund, Internet Governance, Capacity Building, Themes for Tunis 2005, and Africa’s role in the global process leading to Tunis.
For further info, contact Makane Faye (mfaye@uneca.org) Regional Consultation on National e-Government Readiness, 14 - 16 April 2004, Gaborone Botswana
This is a collaboration between the Centre of Specialisation in Public Administration and Management (CESPAM) and the Commonwealth Network of IT for Development (COMNET-IT), who together are engaged in a partnership for the development of materials and training for e-Government. The event will address e-Government in its broadest sense and provide insights into the status, trends and achievements within SADC countries, and lessons learnt. It will also provide templates for the assessment of e-Government readiness and progress, capacity-building and support requirements, both nationally as well as regionally. The Government of Germany through GTZ, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Government of Botswana is sponsoring the workshop.
More: www.cespam.net Building R&D capacity in African Universities
The R&D activities of the ECA led VarsityNet programme builds on the WSIS Action Plan, which calls for cooperation in R&D programmes and exchange of know-how. Consequently, a VarsityNet workshop was held in Kampala, Makerere University from 28-29 January 2004 to review R&D activities by the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) and the Addis Ababa University (AAU). The project supported by the Ford Foundation is piloting the development of a web and database application whilst AAU is designing a web based, multilingual and multi-alphabet document exchange platform for use by the government.
For further information, please contact Thierry Amoussougbo (tamoussougbo@uneca.org) Japan extends commitment to ECA ICT4D activities
The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) signed a memorandum of understanding with the Government of Japan (GOJ) that stipulates a financial agreement of up to $US 203,430, towards the work of the Information Technology Centre for Africa (ITCA). Gracing the signing ceremony were various high-level representatives from ECA and the Japan Embassy in Ethiopia, including the Japanese Ambassador H.E. Mr. Kenjiro Izumi and ECA’s Deputy Executive Secretary, Ms. Lalla Ben Barka.
More > New ECA ICT Publications!  [ECA @ WSIS]
http://www.uneca.org/aisi/wsis2003/news.htm
 |
African Media and ICT4D: Documentary Evidence
The report is a baseline study on the state of media reporting on ICT and information society issues in Africa. This publication was launched by OSIWA and ECA during WSIS on Thursday 11th December
More >> |
 |
Africa Speaks: Perspectives on Africa’s Road toward the Information Society
The collection of views presented in this document is culled from several electronic discussion groups established by the ECA in the past 5 - 6 years
More:  |
 |
Policies and Plans on the Information Society: Status and Impact |
 |
SCAN-ICT: Indicators of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) - The Impact of Information and Communications Technology at the country level |
 |
E-Strategies: National, Sectoral and Regional ICT Policies, Plans and Strategies [PDF] |
ECA @ WSIS
http://www.uneca.org/aisi/wsis2003
[ECA Press Release on WSIS]
ECA Exhibition Stands at WSIS
AISI and ITCA have set up exhibition stands to showcase activities and distribute ECA publications. Both stands are on Policy Street, ICT4D Platform, stand numbers 721 and 822 respectively.
Africa Speaks! Perspectives on the Information Society
This new publication captures the voices of Africans on their views and perceptions of the Information Society, based on several electronic discussions facilitated by ECA in the last few years. These lists include members from civil society, academia, the Diaspora, public and private sectors, and the media,. The publication will be available on the AISI and ITCA stands during WSIS.
Panel Discussion on “National Strategies for the Information Society and the Role of Regional and Global Organizations”
http://www.uneca.org/aisi/wsis2003/workshop.htm
This parallel event will take place on 11 December. It is jointly organized by the UN Regional Commissions (ECA, ECE, ECLAC, ESCAP, ESCWA), UNCTAD, UNDP, UN ICT Task Force and the World Bank. There will be four panels during this event.
ECA and the UN ICT Task Force are leading Panel 4, entitled Regional and Subregional Strategies for the Information Society, chaired by the ECA Executive Secretary, Mr K Y Amoako. Speakers include:
- Ms Paula Lehtomäki, Finland’s Minister for Foreign Trade and Development;
- Jean Louis Cardahi – Lebanon’s Minister for Telecommunication;
- Mr. Orlando Jorge Mera, President INDOTEL, Dominican Republic; and
- Mamdou Diop, Minister for Information and Pan-African Cooperation on ICTs, Senegal.
Launch of African Academia Research Network by ECA and the Ford Foundation
The network will be launched on 10 December at the ICT4D Platform/AISI exhibition area. The objectives of this Network include building research capacity of Academia on key policy issues with respect to African needs and strengthening scholarship in various areas that are of significant importance to countries.
Launch of African Media and ICT4D: Documentary Evidence. by ECA and OSIWA
This baseline study on the state of media reporting on ICT and information society issues in Africa was undertaken in 9 African countries: Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal. The launch will take place during WSIS on Thursday 11th December, 9.30am, WSIS Press Room, ICT4D Platform, Palexpo. More: http://www.uneca.org/aisi/docs/mediastudy.pdf
Launch of the Global ePolicy Resource Network (ePol-NET), 11 December 2003 (17:00-19:00), Main Press Conference Room (ICT4D Platform)
ePol-NET is designed to marshal global efforts in support of national e-strategies for development. The Global ePol-Net will be launched jointly by the government of Ireland (ePol-NET Secretariat), the government of Canada and ECA. The Africa Regional Node of ePol-NET was launched in May 2003 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. More: http://www.uneca.org/aisi/epolnet.htm.
WSIS Daily coverage
ECA will be providing special coverage of the WSIS. The coverage will include perspectives and African positions on WSIS issues and themes as well as interviews with national delegates and partners. There will also be radio and video webcasting at the following URL (http://www.uneca.org/aisi/wsis2003), which will allow users to record and broadcast events. By supporting the active participation of African journalists to provide this news service, ECA hopes to strengthen reporting on the Information Society. To receive this daily news during the summit, please complete the online form at:http://www.uneca.org/aisi/wsis2003/regform.htm
More >>
AISI Workshop on Media Training Module for Editors and Journalists to be held in Maputo, Mozambique from 17 to 20 December 2003
ECA in collaboration with Communication Assistance Foundation of Netherlands has developed a draft ICT training module for journalists and editors. The module is based on the goals and objectives of AISI. The review workshop will result in comments on usability and other aspects relevant to ICT media training in Africa.
More >>
Subregional workshop on Strategy for Acquisition, Effective management and Dissemination of Intellectual Property Information
Organised by WIPO and the ECA, the workshop will take place from November 12 to 14, 2003 at the United Nations Conference Center in Addis Ababa - Ethiopia.
More >>
WSIS 2003 and the African Media - Register for Daily News Update
ECA will be providing special coverage of the first phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) to be held from 10 - 12 December 2003 in Geneva, Switzerland, with the aim of providing input to the African Media.
Registration and more info >>
Gambia e-Government Strategy
The National Consultative Workshop on Draft e-Government Strategy for The Gambia that took place in Banjul from 20 to 21 October 2003, came up with activities, target dates and related policy recommendations which will guide the development of the e-Government strategy for the country.
Workshop Declaration >>
Workshop Report >>
Declaration by the Youth of Ghana
The National Youth Information Campaign in Ghana tagged “New Academic Year ICT School", organized by African Youth Initiative under the auspices of the WSIS youth caucus in partnership with Ministry of Communication and Technology, took place on the 24th , 25th October 2003. The Campaign attracted over one hundred and twenty young people, and resulted in a Declaration.
More >>
African Engineers Day, October 14
African Engineers Day: Contribution of African Engineers to the Information Society took place on October 14, 2003 during the World Engineering Congress, Tunis, Tunisia. The ECA in collaboration with the World Federation of Engineering Organisations – Committee on Information and Communication, has organised this special event during the World Engineering Congress to discuss the roles that can be played by African engineers in addressing the challenges and opportunities to Africa of the information society, and their participation in the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) process.
AED Declaration, and more >> WCDD Medal awarded to Ms. Karima Bounemra Ben Soltane
The Medal of the World Congress on Digital Divide was awarded to Ms Karima Bounemra Ben Soltane, Director of the Development Information Services Division (DISD) by the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO) during the World Congress on the Digital Divide, held from 14-16 October in Tunis, Tunisia...more >>
ECA Receives Euro 2.48 Million for Africa's Information and Communication Technologies Development
Addis Ababa, September 16 2003: A Euro 2.48 million ($US 2.6 million) partnership deal between the Development Information Services Division (DISD) of the Economic Commission for Africa and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland was sealed at a signing ceremony on Monday, October 20 2003.
More >> Engineers meet on the Information Society
ECA Press Release
The World Federation of Engineering Organizations Committee on Information and Communication will deliberate their contributions to the Information Society during the World Congress on the Digital Divide (WCCD), which is scheduled to take place from 14-16 October 2003, in Tunisia's capital, Tunis.
More >>
PICTA Bulletin, Number 23, September 2003 !
PICTA Bulletin is a monthly publication that provides information on activities of members in the partnership, as well as offers news on ICT-related activities in Africa.
More >>
Annual PICTA Meeting to take place in Tunis
The annual meeting of PICTA will take place from 16 to 17 October 2003 in Tunis, Tunisia in conjunction with the World Congress on "Engineering and Digital Divide" scheduled from 12 to 19 October 2003.
More >>
AISI and e-Government
In the AISI framework, the African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development identified the use of ICTs in central Government and in local Administration as one of the priority sectors for the entry of Africa into the information era, and as a means to support government’s administration and decentralization process. In this connection, the Republic of The Gambia was selected to serve as an AISI e-government model.
More >>
The 2004 AISI Media Awards programme announced! - Call for Applications
The AISI Media Awards is aimed at individual journalists and media institutions based in Africa that are “promoting journalism which contributes to a better understanding of the information society in Africa".
More >>
ECA and Ford Foundation Pilot Research and Development (R&D) for the Information Society
A methodology and planning workshop for the ECA/Ford Foundation project to promote R& D took place from 28 to 29 August 2003 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with participants from the Addis Ababa University (AAU) and the Inter-University Council for Eastern Africa (IUCEA) based in Kampala, Uganda. The project is part of the Africa Learning Network (ALN) that includes SchoolNet Africa, Out-of-School Youth Network (OOSYNET) and African Universities Network (VarsityNet). AAU and the IUCEA are selected for the pilot phase. The workshop was to harmonize methodologies for the operationalization of the project and set targets and milestones.
For further information, contact Aida Opoku-Mensah (aopoku-mensah@uneca.org)
Ethiopian parliamentarians graduate on e-strategies
Over 100 Ethiopian Members of Parliament graduated on Thursday, 27th August after a 2-month ECA and Government of Japan-sponsored intensive training on ICTs with specific reference to e-strategies for development. The training was offered to the MPs as an effort to build the capacity of African stakeholders, which is one of the key missions underscored by the outreach programme of ECA’s African Information Society Initiative (AISI). Held at the Information Technology Center for Africa (ITCA), the training comprised of a series of lectures and workshops on ICT policy issues and hands-on approaches to using ICT applications to enhance their work as legislators. The MPs also engaged in in-depth discussions on how to formulate national e-strategies, with examples derived from ongoing experiences by governments in a number of African countries.
More >>
AITEC/ECA African e-Government Forum (27 August 2003). This is a forum organised by the ECA in collaboration with AITEC in the framework of ACT 2003 that will take place from 26 to 28 August 2003 in Abuja, Nigeria.
More >>
Link to ACT 2003 >> World Summit Award (WSA) for eContent and Creativity: The World Summit Award (WSA) is a three year global project, held within the framework and in cooperation with the WSIS. It aims to go beyond the general issues of infrastructure development or network access and to recognize, select and promote the world’s best e-content and innovative applications.
More >>
Call for Applications: The ICT Entrepreneurs4D Fund ...
... finances
* small and medium-sized companies and entrepreneurs
* from developing and transition countries
... to showcase their concepts, services and products in the Exhibition at
the ICT4D Platform (Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for
Development (4D) Platform) in Geneva in December 2003 during the UN World
Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).
The ICT Entrepreneurs4D Fund is sponsored by the Swiss Government,
represented by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). It
is administered by Otto Frei AG, the Project Team of the ICT4D Platform.
The application dead-line is 20 August 2003.
More >> The Tunisian Government is organizing a meeting of the Bamako Bureau from 1 to 3 September 2003 in Tunis, Tunisia.
More >> iConnect Africa, Volume 1, No.5 (July 2003) is out!
More >> Declaration of the Africa Forum on the Information Society and Local Authorities, Nouakchott 2003: ANISA constituted!
- Considering that the Nouakchott Forum constitutes a decisive stage in the preparations of the World Summit on the Information Society;
- Recognizing the necessity for Africa’s contribution to this society;
- Considering the Action Plan established to this effect;
- Considering the success and failure factors of local authorities’ participation in this process;
- Recognizing the necessity of sharing and disseminating the success and the lessons learned from the experiences presented at Nouakchott;
- Considering that networking and training of territorial resource persons and the African Diaspora play a determining role in the success of all partnerships, the concretization and the up-dating of actions towards the realization of Geneva 2003 and Tunis 2005, as well as those of the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) and the African Information Society Initiative (AISI);
The Africa Forum on the Information Society and Local Authorities decides:
1. The Constitution of the African Network of Information Society Actors (ANISA);
2. That the country representatives meeting in Nouakchott constitute the core of this network and mandates the Government of Mauritania to define, within a period of three (3) months, the organs, the modalities, and the functioning of ANISA.
Nouakchott, July 10, 2003
The Forum
For 46 years, The New York Festivals has honored excellence in communications media which touch the hearts and minds of readers, listeners and viewers worldwide. The AISI Radio Series competed against entries from 32 countries.
The Award was received by Ben Dotsei Malor, Chief Executive Producer of United Nations Radio, on behalf of the ECA.
More on the New York Festivals: http://www.newyorkfestivals.com
More on the Radio Series: http://www.uneca.org/aisi/radioseries/
PICTA Bulletin, No. 20, June 2003 is out !
More >>
Workshop on "Intellectual Leadership and the African Information Society Initiative: What Role for Africa's Academic Community?", 14-16 June 2003, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
More >>
Online Discussion on the African Media and the Information Society (aisi-media-l) launched !
This online discussion list provides a platform and space for African media practitioners to reflect on the many issues for enhancing the role of the Media (journalists and institutions) in the information society. It also serves as a forum for exchange of knowledge, information, lessons, and resources on information society issues in Africa.
More >>
The African Academia and the information society Online Discussion List (aisi-academia-l) launched !
The general aim of the African Academia electronic discussion list is to determine how universities and other higher education institutions see their involvement in the development of information societies. And in which areas? For further info, contact: aopoku-mensah@uneca.org Currently, there are over 100 members on the list.
More >> ECA supporting African women participation in AFNOG training workshop
The workshop will be held in Kampala, Uganda from 9-15 June 2003 and ECA is sponsoring five African women from Nigeria, The Gambia, Tanzania and Zambia, selected from women graduates of ECA/ITCA-CISCO Networking Academy programme.
More >> The Africa node of the Global ePolicy Resource Network (ePol-Net) launched !
More >> AISI Media Award Winners Announced !
More >> UN ICT Task Force - African Stakeholders Network (ASN) Meeting, 10-11 May 2003
ECA Press Release No. 03/2003
EXPERTS TO DISCUSS INFORMATION AND GOVERNANCE The Third Meeting of the Committee on Development Information (CODI III)
10 – 17 May 2003, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
CODI-III, one of the seven subsidiary bodies of the Economic Commission for Africa, is being organised by the Development Information Services Division of the ECA and will take place from 10 to 17 May 2003 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The theme of the meeting is “Information and Governance”. Apart from the plenary discussions on the theme, a series of workshops are also being planned to take place in conjunction with the main meeting.
Some of the related events include:
10 - 11 May 2003
The African Virtual Library and Information Network (AVLIN)
10 - 11 May 2003
Open Source for improved public administration in Africa
13 May 2003
AISI Media Award Ceremony
15 - 16 May 2003
Second Media Forum "Media and Capacity Building in the Information Society" in collaboration with SDC and GKP
10 - 11 May 2003
Meeting of the African Stakeholders Network (ASN)
13 May 2003
GKP Africa Day - 2
13 May 2003
Launch of IeDRN Africa Node
More >> GKP Africa Day - 2
The second GKP Africa Day (GKP Africa Day - 2) will be held on 13th May 2003 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia during the third meeting of the Committee on Development Information (CODI-III) that will take place from 10 - 17 May 2003 on the theme "information and governance".
More >> Second Media Forum
The second Media Forum on “Media and Capacity Building in the Information Society”, 15-16 May, 2003, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The forum, organised by ECA in collaboration with the Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP) and the Swiss International Development Cooperation Agency (SDC), will bring together approximately 60 - 80 participants from the print and electronic media sectors to deliberate, among other things, the recommendations from the Bamako2002 Media Forum, as well as review the GKII Media Forum outcomes.
More >>
Seminar Series on ICT Awareness for African Parliamentarians
In the context of building the capacity of African stakeholders under the African Information Society Initiative (AISI) outreach programme, the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has launched a seminar series on 27 March 2003 that is intended to raise awareness of Ethiopian Members of Parliament on ICT for development issues at its Information Technology Centre for Africa (ITCA/DISD). Over 150 MPs from the various standing committees are expected to participate in these workshops in groups of 40 for over two months.
More >>
Over 80 applications from 16 countries have been received for the AISI Media Awards Programme for eight different categories. The Programme closed on 28th February 2003, and winners will be announced on 13th May 2003.
The AISI Media Awards encourages more informed coverage of the information society and ICT for development issues in Africa as part of the its AISI Outreach and Communication Programme. The AISI Media Awards is aimed at individual journalists and media institutions based in Africa that are "promoting journalism which contributes to a better understanding of the information society in Africa".
The overall awards programme is sponsored by OSISA and ECA with sponsored categories by IDRC, IICD, OSIWA.
More on the Programme and list of applicants >>
Call for contributions on best practices on creative & innovative use of ICTs by women
More >> PICTA Bulletin, No. 16 (February 2003)
First issue of the AISI Briefing Series - Towards an Information Society in Africa: The Case for National Policies [EN] [FR]
iConnect Africa, Volume 1, Number 3 (November 2002)
New developments in NICI policies and plans - Ghana NICI policy development committee and national consultation process
The Association for Progressive Communications (APC), ARTICLE 19 and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) organised a five-day information and communications technology (ICT) policy and civil society workshop from November 6th to 10th, 2002 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
More >> Agenda, Documents, Statements, etc.
AISI Radio Series: Dialogue on Digital Dividends in Africa released
More >> |
A new book focusing on the relationship between good governance and development information in Africa has been released by ECA’s Development Information Services Division.
