UNSIA Newsletter Issue 1, December 1997
African Information Society Initiative
The African Information Society Initiative (AISI), launched in 1996, is based on action framework approved by ECA Conference of Ministers for elaboration and implementation of National Information and Communications Infrastructure(NICI) plans. The implementation of the Initiative takes place at the country level starting with the development of NICIs. Based on the shared objectives of the AISI and the Harnessing Information Technology for Development (HITD) component under the Special Initiative on Africa, agreement has been reached to the use of the AISI framework as the modality for implementing the HITD objectives under the Special Initiative.
The shared objectives of the HITD and AISI include: awareness-raising on the policy reforms needed for Africa’s participation in the information age; providing fora for African leaders for the strategic analysis of opportunities offered by the information technology revolution; supporting infrastructure development for full Internet connectivity; building capacity for computer networking and use of informatics in development; and promoting the development and dissemination of user applications in key sectors.
Substantial progress has taken place since the launch of AISI. At an inter-agency consultation that took place in October 1996 at the ECA, partners arrived at a consensus on AISI objectives and priorities, drew up an implementation plan, agreed on a division of labour, developed strategies for resource mobilization, and set up a regional coordination mechanism. The meeting resulted in a commitment among participants to use information technology to stimulate development in Africa and to work with African governments to turn AISI vision into national plans and projects.
A progress report on AISI was discussed at the 1997 ECA Conference of Planning Ministers. The Conference commended ECA for the progress made to date, while several countries requested that ECA initiate policy awareness activities in their respective countries.
In Rabat in April 1997 the group of partners implementing AISI and HITD enlarged the partnership to include all donors and executing agencies working to promote information and communication technology for the development of Africa. Under the name partners in Information and Communication Technology for Africa (PICTA), the group has set up a Web-site, an electronic discussion group (PICTA-CL) and a distributed entry database (AI-AIMS) of projects and programmes. All the members of the group accepted the AISI as the framework around which they are undertaking their activities.
The meting, held in Addis Ababa on October 22-24 1997, brought more partners into the collaboration and strengthened their commitment to joint activities as a way to leverage resources and avoid duplication of effort. The group meeting in Addis Ababa planed a co-operative work programme for the coming year in the AISI theme areas of policy awareness, democratizing access to the information society and development information.