Africa Prepares for Second Phase of World Summit on Information Society

Addis Ababa, 11 January 2005 (ECA) - Approximately 1,000 people from the private sector, civil society, media, government and international institutions will meet in Ghana, next month to discuss an “Action Plan on Africa and the Knowledge Economy” (APAKE), for expanding access to - and use of - information and communications technologies in Africa.

The theme of the African Regional Preparatory Conference for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), is “Access - Africa’s key to an inclusive Information Society.” The meeting is scheduled for February 2-4 in the Ghanaian capital, Accra.

The three-day forum will be opened by the President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E. John.A. Kufuor and addressed by the Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa, K.Y. Amoako, among others.

According to a statement by President Kufuor, “the conference mirrors the continent’s resolve to totally embrace a common vision and strategy for an information-based society that not only recognizes ICT as a tool for economic innovation, but also as a platform for socio-economic development.”

The conference is intended to prepare African countries for the second stage of WSIS, to be held in Tunisia later in the year. The first phase of the Summit took place in Geneva in December 2003.

“We are aiming for very concrete results, based on critical questions, such as the need for a common GSM card for Africa and the removal of regulatory obstacles to facilitate content provision using different technological platforms and media, including the Internet, digital radio and television services.” said Aida Opoku-Mensah, Officer-in-charge of ECA’s Development Information Services Division (DISD), which is spearheading preparations.

The Action Plan for Africa and the Knowledge Economy will include concrete proposals for facilitating investment in ICTs and recommendations on e-strategies and applications across various sectors, such as education, agriculture and commerce, as well as human resource development.

Government ministers charged with advancing ICTs in Africa will use the forum to take stock of the achievements made since the establishment, in April 2004, of an African Ministerial Committee to act on proposals coming out of the WSIS in Geneva. The Committee has 13 member countries, with the African Union and ECA providing institutional and logistical support.

“We are expecting heated and in-depth discussions and proposals on the global partnerships Africa needs to finance access, particularly in light of the Digital Solidarity Fund proposed at the Geneva Summit by Senegalese President, Abdoulaye Wade and adopted by the AU Summit of Heads of States in July 2004,” said Makane Faye, ECA’s Senior ICT Policy Advisor.

The outcomes from Accra will constitute Africa’s contribution to various WSIS meetings scheduled for Geneva in February 2005, namely the Thematic Meeting on Indicators, the Working Group on Internet Governance and Prepcom2 and later, for Tunis 2005.

Online discussions are in full swing to solicit inputs from a wide range of stakeholders on issues to be addressed by the Conference.

For more information visit the Ghana-WSIS website at http://www.wsisaccra2005.gov.gh/ or contact:
Mercy Wambui
Communication Officer
Development Information Services Division,
UNECA
Tel: +251 1 445423
Email: mwambui@uneca.org

Issued by the ECA Communication Team
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