Addis Ababa, 10 February 2005 (ECA): The Executive Secretary of the UN’s Economic Commission for Africa, K.Y.Amoako has warned that actions alone will not produce the desired results for Africa’s information development.

Speaking in Accra, Ghana, at the end of the Africa preparatory conference for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), he called for a "multidimensional approach" to financing the information society on the continent.

"We must distinguish between projects and initiatives that will be supported by our development partners, those by governments, as well as the private sector," he said in his closing remarks on 4 February. "There will also be a role for public-private partnerships."

"Actions alone will not deliver the desired results," he stated.

He also expressed support for the digital solidarity fund endorsed by the AU Heads of States Summit held in Addis Ababa in July 2004, describing it as "complementary to existing mechanisms for financing the information society". He noted this should be a global fund for the entire developing world and not just for Africa

Mr Amoako stressed the need for gender-sensitive budgeting and the establishment of financial investment schemes and facilities that did not restrict women only to micro-credit.

Echoing earlier statements by Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Mr Amoako also noted that Africa needed a strong sub-regional strategy to develop infrastructure for Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). "Only then will our countries yield economies of scale, create better markets and generate demand and capital," he said.

He called on African countries to take up the urgent challenge of becoming major actors in the Internet governance debate and help shape development goals, particularly in trade and business. He also noted the need for generating internal resources as well as tapping into financial, technical and human resources from the African Diaspora.

Mr Amoako hailed the creation of a ministerial committee for permanent cooperation on ICT, aimed at harmonizing African positions.

"As we head to Tunis, Africa should be able to provide access within walking distance of all its people," he said.

Delegates from international organizations, the private sector and civil society met in pre-conference workshops to formulate recommendations that will constitute Africa’s contribution to the second phase of WSIS in Tunis later this year.