By Makane Faye, 6 February 2006 

Representatives of ECOWAS countries met in Lome (Togo) from 31st January to 2 February 2006 to review progress made in ICT Policy development and implementation in the West African sub-region taking into account the various regional and global ICT frameworks such as the African Information Society Initiative (AISI), NEPAD and the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).

The objective of the meeting was to define a harmonized ICT Policy framework for ECOWAS taking into account the National Information and Communication Infrastructure (NICI) process being implemented in member States. This framework would address the challenges of building the information society at the ECOWAS level, including harmonizing national ICT policies and plans, developing an enabling environment, building a regional infrastructure/backbone, developing local content and financing mechanisms and for the Information Society. The ICT Forum was attended by ECOWAS regional integration focal points and NICI experts. ECA was invited to provide technical support and guide discussions on the topic.

The forum made recommendations, including a request to ECA to support the ECOWAS Secretariat in developing its regional ICT strategy and adopted a Draft Declaration on the Information Society to be submitted to ECOWAS Heads of State. The Declaration took into consideration the NEPAD Short Term Action Plan on Infrastructure, the African Regional Action Plan on the Knowledge Economy (ARAPKE) and the NICI development process under the framework of the African Information Society Initiative (AISI). The Draft Declaration is available on request. ECA was represented at the Forum by Makane Faye and Mohamed Timoulali of the Development Information Services Division (DISD).

For more information please contact Makane Faye (mfaye@uneca.org)