A
training course on Internet Governance (IG) for African
policymakers kicked off at the UN Conference Centre on July
2 2006 with a half-day introductory session. The course
is organized by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
in collaboration with the Diplo Foundation, the Global ePolicy
resource Network (ePol-NET) and the Internet Corporation
for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).
In her
welcoming remarks, Ms. Aida Opoku-Mensah Officer-in-Charge
of ECA’s Development Information Services Division
(DISD) observed that despite participation in the IG arena,
Africa needs to build its capacity by identifying national
priorities as the issue is increasingly relevant in international
relations.
“IG
has attracted a heated debate for quite sometime and effective
participation in global negotiations on the issue represents
a significant challenge for all countries, especially African
countries,” she added.
She
noted that the rationale for organizing the workshop was
“the evident lack of negotiation capacity on IG issues
witnessed during the World Summit on the Information Society
(WSIS) among African delegations, as well as those from
other developing regions.” “Developing the required
skills base is the strongest possible response needed”
she said.
She
highlighted other aspects that have risen to the fore of
the IG debate, including the need for heightened awareness
on securing the Internet, e-security and confronting cybercrime.
"These are Africa’s weak spots, posing potential
threat to the security Internet".
She
recognized the efforts and discussions held in course of
the past three years by Africans on IG issues as part of
the WSIS process and noted that this training would enable
stakeholders to participate more effectively in the upcoming
IG Forum scheduled for 30 October to 2 November 2006, in
Athens, Greece.
"This
workshop is important, as it will help participants acquire
the knowledge needed to defend Africa’s interest during
the Athens Internet Governance Forum” she said.
On
his part, the head of the International Telecommunication
Union (ITU) in Africa, Mr. Brahima Sanou elaborated on ITU's
efforts with respect to regulatory issues. He emphasized
the need for collaboration among institutions, adding, "There
is room and momentum for cooperation amongst all actors,
including governments and the private sector."
Mr.
Sanou informed the participants that the recent seventh
Forum on Telecommunications Regulation in Africa recommended
that African Regulators should increase their participation
in existing IG mechanisms and actively support related new
local and regional initiatives.
“But
before one can build and express views, participate actively,
defend interests and compromise with others, there is a
need for awareness on the opportunities and challenges and
that is what this training course is all about. For that
I commend the ECA for this initiative,” said Mr. Sanou.
The
training workshop will end on 6 July 2006. Approximately
20 participants from 19 are in attendance. A similar workshop
is expected to take place for Francophone African countries
in early November 2006.
