"Empowering MPs in the Information Society"
The African Regional Preparatory Conference for the WSIS
Break out Session
30-31 January 2005
I Background
As part of the assistance towards the e-strategy formulation and implementation, ECA has been undertaking activities to raise awareness and build capacity among policy and decision makers on key aspects of Africa's Information Society. Particular emphasis has been placed on parliamentarians and their pivotal role in the e-strategy formulation and implementation processes as well as creating an enabling environment.
The role of parliamentarians as publicly elected officials and lawmakers of the country places them at the centre of the above processes. However, not many parliamentarians are fully aware of the issues and implications of Information Society in their countries, hence not able to actively participate in national debates on e-strategies and translating citizens' needs into policies.
The support to parliamentarians was also articulated as one of the recommendations endorsed at the third meeting of the Committee on Development Information (CODI III)1, which was organized in May 2003 in Addis Ababa as below.
Other activities conducted for parliamentarians in ICT for Development training included the training of 40 Ethiopian members of parliament (MPs) at the Information Technology Centre for Africa (ITCA) of ECA. The success of the workshop led to an additional request for training more parliamentarians by the Government of Ethiopia. ECA has also received similar requests from other countries, which demonstrate the existing demand for assistance towards parliamentarians. Responding to the request, ECA organized an ICT for Development workshop for Tanzanian parliamentarians in May 2004.
The collective use by MPs of ICTs within Parliaments to improve their internal activities, to interact with their constituents and the public in general, to improve the scrutiny of the executive and contribute at regional and global levels to the debate on Information society will remain the challenge which any training activities should aim to achieve. Africa Parliamentarians Network for ICT for Development will address some of the above issues and equip MPs with key skills required in the Information Society.
II OBJECTIVES
The global objectives of the workshop will be to raise awareness of Africa MPs on their role in the Information Society and discuss issues related to Africa ICT4D MPs Network.
It is expected that the following specific objectives will be accomplished:
_ Prepare Parliamentarians for new role in the Information Society;
_ Sensitise high-level African parliamentarians on the use of information and communication technologies for the development and transformation of their constituencies and nation;
_ Develop cross-country debates, views regarding the involvement of Parliamentarians in the Information Society;
_ Encourage and support inter-parliamentary cooperation in pursuit of regional integration;
_ Promote regional cooperation for technology and best practices transfer and localization; and
_ Launch the Africa ICT4D MPs Network, and identify sub-regional representatives.
III Forum structure
Session 1: Opening
- Ms. Aida Opoku-Mensah, Officer-in-Charge of the Development Information Services Division (DISD) will welcome the participants and brief them on the African Information Society Initiative's vision in building a sustainable Information Society as well as ECA's expectations with respect to the African Parliamentarians in general and in promoting ICTs for development in particular.
- Hon. Getrude Ibengwe Mongela, Chairperson of Africa Parliament (UA) will welcome participants and present an overview of the African Union Parliament vision and how the ICT4D MPs network can be a useful tool to achieve its goals.
- Mr. Alpha Barry, Secretary General of African Parliamentarians Forum for NEPAD will welcome the participants as representative of the African Parliamentarians' Forum for NEPAD.
- Participants will be given the opportunity to briefly introduce themselves, their institutions and the research activities in which they are involved. They will also be requested to briefly share their expectations from the workshop.
- The opening session will end by the opening address of high-level authority and Family photo.
- Chairperson and two rapporteurs will be elected and proceeding for the Agenda adoption undertaken
Session 2: Establishing the Information Society Framework for Africa
- ECA work programme: African Information Society Initiative (AISI):
Ms. Aida Opoku-Mensah, OIC-DISD will present the African Information Society Initiative (AISI) - an ICT led socio-economic development framework adopted in 1996 to create effective digital opportunities to be developed by Africans and their partners. African countries have since used this action plan to speed their entry into the information and knowledge global economy.. ECA's work programme in "Harnessing Information for Development" is based on the AISI. The presentation will look at achievements, lessons learnt and activities planned for the way forward and will set the context in which the ARN will be operating.
Documentation: The African Information Society Initiative, Africa Speaks! Perspectives on the Information Society, Policies and plans on the Information Society: Status and Impact. Information on AISI is available at http://www.uneca.org/aisi/
- Examining the Regional Dimension to the Information Society
This session will examine regional ICT policies and strategies required for the development of information and communication infrastructure in order to facilitate regional economic integration goals of the African continent. The presentation will analyse the challenges and opportunities in formulating and implementing Regional Information and Communication Infrastructure Plans (RICIs) and their different components in terms of policy and regulatory integration, infrastructure development and economic policies. The regional dimension of the Information Society is of particular importance, and this session will look at developing regional networks.
Documentation: E- Strategies: national, sectoral and regional ICT policies, plans and strategies.
- Role of Stakeholders in the Information Society: the case
of Parliamentarians:
Although the active and effective participation of all stakeholders is recognized as critical in advancing knowledge and promoting the implementation of an inclusive Information Society in Africa, so far the role of Africa's Parliamentarians in actively developing and shaping the Information Society has been limited, particularly compared to other parts of the world. The presentation will examine the opportunities and challenges facing African Parliamentarians in setting and sustaining networking and partnership mechanisms. Promoting an enabling environment, ensuring the social acceptance of the Information society, and e budgetary support for ICT policy and strategies implementation will be some of the issues to be considered.
- WSIS process and implications for Parliamentarians
This session will review the WSIS preparatory process, namely the African Regional Preparatory Conference organised by ECA and the Government of Mali. The Conference was attended by all African stakeholders, leading to the Bamako Declaration that served as Africa's input towards the first phase of the Summit held in Geneva 2003. Focus will be on the evaluation of Africa's participation during the first phase. Whereas the Summit has created momentum for African countries to consider Information Society related issues in their national socio economic agenda, a lot still remains to be undertaken in terms of advancing Africa's priority needs in ICT related international fora. The second phase processes will also be highlighted e.g. the Africa Regional Conference to be held in Accra. It is expected from this session that participants will make concrete recommendations on how they visualise more proactive role of the African Parliamentarians during the second phase of the WSIS to be held in Tunis in 2005.
Documentation: WSIS Declaration of Principles, WSIS action Plan, Bamako 2002 Declaration
Session 3: Africa Parliamentarians Network for Development
- Concept paper on Africa Parliamentarian Network on ICT4D:
This session will discuss the challenges facing a modern member of parliament in a globalised world e.g. weakening central governments, growing local governments, role of non-state players and the business community. The session will discuss the role of MPs in the globalised context especially with regard to that the modern MP will not have a choice but to form networks beyond national boundaries e.g. regional and pan-African networks such as the African Parliamentarian Network for ICT4D, a network using modern rapid communication and information technologies to stimulate development in Africa.
Session 4: Africa ICT4D MPs Network: Bureau election-By-law-Action Plan
- Election of the bureau: Bureau composed of one Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary general, and sub-regional representatives will be elected.
- Constitution and by-laws: Participants will agree on the methodology to draft a Constitution and by-laws for the Network
- Prepare an Action Plan: Through a group activity, participants will define the network Vision and prepare a realistic action Plan.
- The Network will be launched officially during the closing session