ADF Summary No. 13

Breakout sessions on Governance

Tuesday 26 October 1999

The main objective of the sessions was to reexamine current issues facing African countries in adapting ICTs to enhance the process through which institutions, businesses and citizen groups articulate their interests, exercise their rights and obligations and mediate their differences.

Discussions noted that ICTs can be used:

• As a means towards poverty reduction by creating a more skilled workforce providing basic human needs by improving the quality of healthcare;
• To provide educational opportunities, planning for basic service delivery and improving agricultural productivity and commerce;
• To improve public administration and enhancing democratization through informed decision
• making, managing foreign debt, revitalizing local economies and improving national and subnational coordination and communication;
• As a means to facilitate better post conflict reconstruction and administration;
• To revitalize civic institutions, enhance public debate and interactions between government and citizens.

It was noted that enormous challenges facing African governments are: illiteracy, insufficient appropriate ICTs such as radio, particularly in rural areas, lack of telecommunications infrastructure, lack of financial resources and appropriate communication between those developing applications and decision makers. Lack of locally available IT equipment, technical support, as well as inadequate ICT policies and awareness among senior policy makers were also noted.

Successes and failures around the world and Africa with respect to using ICTs in a variety of governance related areas were taken into account. Ghana was pointed out as a success story in its efforts toward applying ICTs toward reducing poverty improved governance.

It was pointed out that ICTs are not an end, but means and tools that offer opportunities to improve governance.

Conclusions centered on the need to:

• Develop applications and management systems that are geared toward the management of distance learning programmes, health and agriculture;
• Focus on convergence technological systems that capture indigenous knowledge;
• Focus on more pilot projects.

(END)

The full text of all speeches, statements, press releases and summaries are available on the ADF Home Page at: http://www.un.org/depts/eca   They are supported by video and audio clips of keynote addresses and other major moments. This site also includes the programme, list of participants, theme papers and other relevant background documents.

For more information on the Forum or to interview participants, please contact:

Peter da Costa
Senior Communication Adviser
Economic Commission for Africa
P.O. Box 3001 Addis Ababa Ethiopia
Tel: +251-1-51 58 26
Fax: +251-1-51 03 65
Cell: +251-9-20 17 94
E-mail: dacosta@un.org  or ecainfo@uneca.org
Web: http://www.un.org/depts/eca