iConnect kick-off workshop started 

The International Institute for Development (IICD) and the Economic Commission for Africa are jointly organising a three days planning workshop from 6 to 8 December 2004 to discuss and develop strategic plan for the implementation of the iConnect Africa project. Participants are drawn from the six IICD I-Network countries including Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. 

For further info, contact Afework Temtime (atemtime@uneca.org) 

NICI policy workshop starts in the Gambia

A national NICI workshop started in Banjul, Gambia on 29th of November 2004. The workshop was attended by participants drawn from all stakeholders. It was organized by the Department of State for Communication, Information & Technology (DOSCIT) with technical and financial assistance from ECA. Opening the workshop, H.E. Manlifi Jarju, the Secretary of State for Local Government and Lands who was representing the Secretary of State for Information, Communication and Technology, said that the Government of the Gambia is committed to improve access to ICTs and promoting their use for stimulating economic growth, increasing efficiency and reducing poverty. He further noted that DOSCIT is forging ahead in the ICT sub-sector. In addition to the current policy formulation process, ECA is supporting the e-government project that is now being coordinated by DOSCIT. 

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The Economic Commission for Africa, in partnership with the East African Community, will be holding an East African Regional eGovernment Strategy Workshop at the annual AITEC Tanzania Exhibition in Dar es Salaam from 17 to 19 November. The Forum intends to examine, consolidate, share views and extend the existing consensus in East Africa regarding the strategic priorities for eGovernment, demonstrating where East African countries currently stand in this fast-evolving and competitive field, identifying priorities that each country need to address and formulate a regional eGovernment strategy and master plan, illustrating how at present and in the years ahead citizens and businesses can benefit from online service provision.

More >>

AITEC Tanzania >>

PICTA Bulletin, Number 35 (October 2004) released !

Africa Regional Preparatory Conference for WSIS II - Accra, Ghana, 28 January - 4 February 2005 .......Consensus Statement: ADF IV ICT Focus Group ......
ICTs and Governance Publication .......IICD Publication in ICT Roundtable 
Information Project for Ghanaian Farmers .......Academia Research Network (ARN) on the Information Society .......TanEdu e-Newsletter .......Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development .........International Symposium .......AISI Awards at Highway Africa .......African Journalists Trained on Secure Online Communications ......Launch of NGO.ZA - ICT Services for Civil Society .........
Results and Experiences of the Winners of the GenARDIS Small Grants Fund 
  .......... and more

More: http://www.uneca.org/aisi/picta/pictabulletin/pb35.htm 

An International Symposium on ICT Education and Application in Developing Countries (ICTES-2004) Opens

ECA's Development Information Services Division (DISD) is collaborating with the Graduate School of Telecommunications & Information Technology (GSTIT), and the Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation (ETC) in organizing the International Symposium on ICT Education and Application in Developing Countries (ICTES-2004), which is taking place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 19-21 October 2004. In his opening address at the Symposium, Ethiopian Minister of Infrastructure Dr. Kassu Illala stated that the challenge to his country and its development partners is to create digital opportunities through universal access. He also emphasized the need to encourage research and development in ICTs as well as generate ideas, models and curricula relevant to the context of his country. Mr. Makane Faye, ECA's Senior Regional Adviser for ICTs, delivered the keynote address highlighting the African Information Society Initiative (AISI), the African Academia Research Network (ARN), ICTs and higher education in Africa and the ECA-Ethiopia collaboration in the area of ICT4D.

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Consensus Statement: ADF IV ICT Focus Group

The ADF IV ICT Focus Group discussions focused on the role of ICTs in governance. The Group produced a Consensus Statement that outlines the key principles and the role of Governments and other stakeholders. The Statement  feeds into the main ADF IV report. Click here for the Statement.

For the latest on ADF IV: http://www.uneca.org/adf  

On the occasion of the African Children's Day (16th June) the Tunisian Ministry of Women, Family and Children's Affairs organised an online discussion list on the African children and the role and importance of ICTs. The conclusions and recommendations of the discussions will feed into the second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) to take place in Tunis, Tunisia from 16 to 18 November 2005.

NOTE: The discussion is in French and Arabic.

More: http://www.cnipe.nat.tn/arabe/html/actualite/actualite.htm

Book Review

Africa Networking: Development Information, ICTs and Governance. Published by International Books& Economic Commission for Africa; edited by Karima Bounerma Ben Soltane, Nino Orlando Fluck, Aida Opoku-Mensah, M.A. Mohamed Salih. 272 pages. 

By Ayenew Haileselassie

It is a rare book, if not the only one of its type. You hardly come across such books focusing on the African context be it in the bookshops or even the libraries of higher education institutions. ....

More: http://www.uneca.org/aisi/codibook.htm 

Africa Networking: a new book on Development Information and Governance released
10/06/04

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.

Africa Networking develops and builds on discussions during the third meeting of the Committee on Development Information (CODI3) held last year in Addis Ababa, documenting ways information systems can help support and promote better governance.

The book presents analyses on decentralization of public administrative systems and transparent public financial management. It also deals with the role of the private sector, civil society and systems and policies on governance. The essays in the book draw on a range of expertise in statistics, ICTs, libraries and geo-information.

A foreword by ECA Executive Secretary, Mr. K.Y. Amoako and a preface by Karima Bounemra Ben Soltane, Director of the Development Information Services Division (DISD), ask whether the production, management and use of information are aligned to the needs of governance systems in Africa.

Ms. Bounemra describes Africa Networking as the beginning of a process that will expand debate on ways improved governance can meet African expectations.

Given the shortage of literature on information and governance, the 272-page publication is a timely addition to the documentation being prepared for the forthcoming African Development Forum (ADF) in Addis Ababa from 11-15 October 2004 on the theme "Governance for a progressing Africa".

Africa Networking is co-published by ECA and International Books, a Netherlands-based publisher.

[Request for a hard copy]

ADF IV ICT Focus Group to discuss on ICTs and Governance

The Fourth African Development Forum (ADF IV) will take place from 11 to 15 October 2004 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on the theme "Governance for a Progressing Africa". Among the various Focus Groups set up to discuss on the theme of the Forum, the Group on ICTs will focus on the role of ICTs in governance. The agenda of the Group and related documents are available at: http://www.uneca.org/aisi/adf4ict.htm 

For the latest on ADF IV: http://www.uneca.org/adf  

PICTA Bulletin, Number 34 (September 2004) - Special Issue focusing on the 2004 Annual Meeting !

The PICTA annual meeting took place from 10th to 11th September 2004 in Port Louis (St Georges Hotel), Mauritius. A total of 22 participants representing 17 organizations (Acacia, AITEC Africa, APC, Bellanet, CATIA, Connectivity Africa, DFID, ECA, Gamos, ICANN, IDRC, IICD, Industry Canada, OSIWA, SPINTRACK, UNDP, and UNESCO) actively took part in the meeting. The Chairperson of the Ghana Planning Committee for the African Regional WSIS Preparatory Conference was also present.

The following items were on the agenda:

• Implementation of PICTA action plan

• Strengthening the partnership mechanism

• WSIS Africa Regional Conference

• PICTA members' activity reports

More: http://www.uneca.org/aisi/picta/pictabulletin/pb34.htm 

The African Regional Preparatory Conference for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) will be held from 2 to 4 February 2005 in Accra, Ghana. The theme for the conference is: Access, Africa's key to an inclusive Information Society. The conference will be preceded by pre-Conference workshops from 29 January to 1 February 2005. 

The conference will be coordinated by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). 

For more details, please go to: http://www.wsisaccra2005.gov.gh/

PICTA Annual Meeting ........GKP EXCOMM Retreat ......ITU, ECA and UNESCO Telemedicine pilot in Ethiopia .....Amharic Touch screen kiosk launched ......Seychelles resumes collaboration with CTO as full member country Latest Headlines .....ICT Policy Briefing in Zambia .....Award for I-Network Uganda .....Wireless Points the Way in Africa .....ICANN issued a new domain name transfer policy  ..........

More: http://www.uneca.org/aisi/picta/pictabulletin/pb33.htm 

ECA Provides Touch-screen Kiosk for Addis Ababa Local Administration

A multimedia touch-screen kiosk in Amharic, developed by ECA's Information Technology Centre for Africa (ITCA) to showcase the value of ICTs for facilitating information delivery in local administration was launched on 25 August 2004 at the Nefa Silk Lafto Sub-City of the Addis Ababa Municipality. The kiosk is part of the Development Information Services Division's (DISD) input to the cooperation framework established in 2003 between ECA and the Mayor of Addis Ababa. Speaking at the launch, Ms. Aida Opoku-Mensah, DISD Officer-in-Charge and ICT Team Leader, noted that ECA works with member States to build their information and knowledge capacity for service delivery and has a commitment to building that capacity in Ethiopia, which hosts the Commission.

More >>        |        Photo Gallery >>

Ethiopia embarks on telemedicine project

A two-week telemedicine training programme for over 20 Ethiopian medical doctors drawn from 10 hospitals in Addis Ababa and regional towns started on Monday 16th August 2004 at the United Nations Conference Center (UNCC). The training is being undertaken as part of a telemedicine pilot project in Ethiopia in which ECA is collaborating with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), UNESCO, Ethiopia's Ministry of Health, Ethiopian Telecom Corporation (ETC), and the Addis Ababa University - Faculty of Medicine. 

More: http://www.uneca.org/itca/telemed/index.html 

PICTA Bulletin, Number 32 (July 2004) released !

PICTA Annual Meeting ......New Assignment......AU Welcomes African Regional WSIS Conference.....ECA Delegation Hold Talks with Ghana Government on WSIS Regional Conference ......IICD Adopts Strategy for its Programme ......APC ICT Policy Workshop Held ......School Networking in Africa: "Mkusanyiko" ......Civil Society ICT Policy Portals ......Botswana and Mauritius Become CTO Multiple Members and Seychelles Resumes Collaboration ......

More: http://www.uneca.org/aisi/picta/pictabulletin 

DISD Bids Farewell to Karima Bounemra Ben Soltane

Ms. Karima Bounemra Ben Soltane, Director of the Development Information Services Division (DISD) has been recently re-assigned as the new Director of ECA`s North African Sub-regional Office in Tangiers, Morocco.

During her 7-year stay in Ethiopia, and as the first director of the Development Information Services Division (DISD), Ms Bounemra was responsible for ECA`s Harnessing Information for Development Programme, and is credited with a number of innovative achievements, notably, overseeing the promotion and implementation of the African Information Society Initiative (AISI), whose genesis she was associated with as a member of the high-level Working Group in 1996. AISI sets out the blueprint for Africa`s entry to the information age and the use of information and communication technology for development. 

More: http://www.uneca.org/eca_resources/news/072304_disd.htm 

Preparatory meeting (PrepCom1) of the second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)
24 - 26 June 2004, Hammamet, Tunisia

The preparatory meeting (PrepCom1) of the second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) will be held at the Medina Conference Center (Centre des Congrès), Yasmine Hammamet, Tunisia, on June 24 - 26, 2004. This meeting will address the process of implementing the Geneva plan of action, the expected results of the second phase as well as the Summit preparatory process.

More: http://www.wsistunis2005.org OR http://www.itu.int/wsis/preparatory2/hammamet/index.html

Academics Brainstorm on the Information Society
09/06/04
>A three-day brainstorming session by the Academia Research Network (ARN) on the Information Society opened today in Addis Ababa at ECA’s Development Information Services Division (DISD).

The meeting aims to consider research topics that could enhance the development of the African Information Society and establish conditions to launch sub-regional networks of ARN.

Participants will discuss ways to address the lack of research programmes and of African-led activities on the information society. It will also propose an action plan and lead follow-up activities in Africa’s regions.

Through the session, ECA expects to harness the research and analysis of African academics to come up with Africa-led and Africa-owned ICT for Development solutions to be presented during the next phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Tunis in 2005.

Launched in Geneva in December 2003 during the first phase of the WSIS and backed by the Ford Foundation, ARN provides a space for a select group of leading African academics and researchers to reflect on key research questions and activities in the field of ICTs, policy and society.

Along with the African Learning Network (ALN) which emerged out of the first African Development Forum in 1999, ARN is an ECA initiative working with the academic community in order to build a sustainable African Information Society.

Since 1999, several activities under the VarsityNet component of the ALN have been launched, including support for research and development efforts by and within African higher educational institutions.

The brainstorming session is a direct outcome of a 2003 retreat on the theme "Intellectual Leadership and the African Information Society Initiative: What Role for Africa`s Academic Community?" organized by ECA and the Ford Foundation.

For further info, contact Aida Opoku-Mensah (aopoku-mensah@uneca.org)

[Click here for the Workshop website]

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. 

Stories from the workshop >>

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]

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

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)