:: General

3. The Committee on Development Information, acting within the framework of the policies and procedures of the United Nations and subject to the general supervision of the ECA Conference of Ministers shall:

a)    Promote the growth of an information society in Africa through the utilisation of information and communication technologies for the organisation, management and dissemination of information in Africa;

b)    Advise on measures to improve all aspects of statistical development of member States including international comparability having regard to the recommendations of the Statistical Commission of the United Nations;

c)    Advise on the building, maintenance and dissemination of regional development databases, including bibliographic, textual and spatial databases, and assist in strengthening the capacity of member States to improve their national information systems;

d)    Promote the development and utilization of geographic information technologies as decision support tools for the socio-economic development of member States;

e)    Foster regional cooperation and integration among members States, with the participation of key stakeholders in the field;

f)    Offer a platform for African participants to interact with their counterparts from the developed world and promote negotiation on bilateral and multilateral technical assistance

Membership

4. The Committee on Development Information shall be composed of statisticians, information and geo-information specialists and librarians who are government officials of the members States of the Economic Commission for Africa.

Observers

5. States, not members of the Commission, inter-governmental organizations, academic institutions and research centers, agencies of the UN and non-governmental organizations shall be invited to the meetings of CODI and its sub-committees as Observers.

6. The Committee shall meet once every two years and shall report on its sessions to the Conference of Ministers of the Economic Commission for Africa.

7. Work at sessions of the Committee shall be organized in plenary meetings and in sub-committees. A joint report of the plenary and sub-committees meetings shall be agreed to at the final plenary meeting of each session of the Committee,

8. At the beginning of each session, the Committee shall elect a Chairperson, two Vice-Chairpersons and two Reporters.

9. Three sub-committees in the following specialized fields shall be established:

-     Information and Communication Technologies;
-    Statistics;
-    Geo-information.

10. The sub-committees may establish ad-hoc or standing workings groups, as necessary, for the duration of the meeting, between meetings and as long as necessary.

11. Each sub-committee shall appoint a Chairperson, a Vice-chairperson and a Rapporteur.

12. Each sub-committee shall adopt its report which shall be agreed to at the final plenary session of CODI.

13. Member States and agencies shall bear the cost of their attendance at the sessions of the Committee;

14.      Except as provided for herein, the Rules of Procedure of the Economic Commission for Africa shall, where relevant, apply to the sessions of the Committee.