ECA and Finland partner to strengthen ICT policy implementation in Africa

ECA Press Release No. 41/2008

Addis Ababa 4 December (ECA) – The UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Mr. Abdoulie Janneh and H. E. Ms. Kirsti Aarnio, the Ambassador of Finland to Ethiopia, representing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland signed today a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for three million, seven hundred fifty thousand Euros (€ 3, 750 000) to support cooperation between the ICT, Science and Technology Division of ECA and Finland on ICT development in Africa during the period 2008-2010.

Mr. Janneh thanked the Government of Finland for its constant and laudable support to ECA's ICT for Development programme and commended the positive role the Ambassador has played in the cooperation between ECA and the Government of Finland, and said, “We are very happy to boost the capacity, implementation and coordination of ICT development in Africa.” Mr. Janneh referred to the first and second National Information and Communication Infrastructure plans (NICI) completed in countries, such as, Rwanda, for example. The NICI process is a tangible model for ICT policy that can be carried out in other African countries. He thanked the Ambassador for a meaningful collaboration and restated the importance of the use of ICTs development in Africa noting the high correlation between the pace of development of ICTs and the development of this continent.

H. E. Ms. Kirsti Aarnio noted that Finland considers ECA as the best channel for collaboration and said, “ICT is a crucial element for development”. She noted with satisfaction the positive results already reported in several countries, which have put in place ICT policies and plans. The Ambassador also commended ECA for the positive outcomes of the various evaluation and audit results of the project during the first phase, which started in 2004 and ended in 2007.

Apart from supporting sub-regional ICT programmes of the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), African countries also benefited from this programme through capacity building efforts, development of regional research institutions and networks, and creation of ICT indicators to assess and monitor penetration of technology in the African context, and awareness building to put in place an enabling environment.

An evaluation carried out by the Government of Finland on the first phase focused on the effectiveness and outcomes of the programme compared to the set objectives and their relevance for the countries, as well as the efficiency of ECA to coordinate the programme on the African continent. The evaluation outcomes formed the basis for this second phase of the cooperation between ECA and Finland.

Issued by the ECA Information and Communication Service (ECA/ICS).

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