ECA, ECOWAS and UEMOA to chart a legal framework for ICT development in West Africa

16 January 2007

A workshop organized last month in Ouagadougou by ECA's sub regional Office in West Africa (SRO-WA) and ISTD gathered ICT experts, lawyers, trade specialists and economists on the most effective legal framework for ICT development in the region. Discussions focused on how to put in place an enabling legal environment for e-commerce and for an enhanced cyber crime control.

Two studies commissioned by SRO-WA and ISTD served as basis for discussion. Funded by Finland and by the Canadian e-Policy Resource Center, the two studies dealt respectively with a harmonized legal framework for e-commerce and a harmonized legal framework on ICT in general. In this regard, participants reviewed the recommendations, the set of priorities and the proposed roadmap.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Joachim Tankoqno, Minister of Posts, Communications and Information Technology, Burkina Faso paid tribute to ECA's repositioning exercise for taking into account African countries ”needs to harnessing ICTs for poverty reduction, for the achievement of MDGs and for a global knowledge economy.”

This workshop is part of a process involving ECOWAS and UEMOA. The two institutions signed a memorandum of understanding with ECA two years ago to set up collaborative arrangements for the adoption of a common regulatory framework on ICTs for West Africa, as a way of attracting foreign direct investments.

A Follow up Committee composed of ECA, ECOWAS, UEMOA, BCEAO in addition to the Host country (Burkina) and the Chair of ECOWAS/UEMOA organs (Niger) will coordinate the follow up and implementation of the workshop recommendations. The final outputs on the legal framework for ICTs in West Africa are expected by May 2007.