Back Home

ECA To Host Conference on Global Connectivity for Africa

Addis Ababa, 13 May 1998 - The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) will host a major conference where the benefits of cable and satellite for the development of African countries will be thoroughly examined.

The Conference, entitled, " Global Connectivity for Africa", scheduled to take place here in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 2-4 June 1998, is part of the programme of the African Information Society Initiative (AISI), which ECA implements with its partners, as well as a follow-up of the Global Knowledge Conference hosted last year in Toronto, Canada, by the World Bank and the Canadian government; and the follow-up of Africa Telecom'98 which took place in Johannesburg, May 4 - 9, 1998.

Global Connectivity for Africa, co-sponsored by international institutions such as the World Bank Group, The Information for Development Programme (infoDEV), the International Telecommunication Union, the International Telecommunication Union, the African Development Bank and the Netherlands Government, has also attracted the attention of private sponsors including World Space Corporation, Siemens, Ellipso, Teledesic and Iridium.

Over 300 leading figures in the area of telecommunication, including some 20 high level ministers, representative from the civil society as well as private African and non African companies, are expected to participate in the conference to thrash out the options and issues pertinent to achieving global connectivity for the continent. The issue has, for sometime now, been recognised as one of the prerequisites for a sustainable development in Africa.

The impact of Global Connectivity on the continent's development will start off a series of plenary sessions that will discuss issues of "Connectivity and Economic and Social Development", and "Africa and the Global Information Economy". A close look at the policy and regulations that would create an enabling environment for Global Connectivity is also in the agenda. The working groups are expected to analyse:

• connectivity choices available in the markets;

• attracting private sector investment for connectivity: domestic, regional and global;

• implications of future developments in international telecom revenues for connectivity;

• applications of future developments in international telecom revenues for connectivity; and

• applications and downstream benefits from increased connectivity: lessons from Africa and elsewhere.
  
  One of the means African countries can achieve regional cooperation and integration is through investing in telecommunications networks, which not only facilitates economic trade in goods but also promotes service-providing sectors.
  
  The conference hopes to provide a unique opportunity for African decision-makers, promoters of these technologies as well as users to engage in frank dialogue on the issues and options of connectivity open to the continent and the value of information for Africa in terms of trade and commerce.
  
  
  Ms. Nancy Hafkin
  Development Information Services
  Economic Commission for Africa
  P.O. Box 3001 (official)
  Addis Ababa
  Ethiopia
  
  Tel: +251-1-51-58-26 (direct) or +251-1-51-72-00 Ext. 35486
  Fax: +251-1-51-22-33
  E-Mail: hafkin.uneca@un.org or ecainfo@uneca.org or mwambui@iconnect.co.ke
  Internet: http://www.un.org/depts/eca