Challenges to Africa of Globalisation

2 June 1999
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United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (Addis Ababa)
press release

Addis Ababa — The following document was released by UN Economic Commission for Africa: The Economic Commission for Africa as organizer of the African Development Forum 1999 (ADF'99 - Challenges to Africa of Globalisation and the Information Age) invites you to participate in the online discussions that will be launched on 1 June 1999 preceding the Forum, which will take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 25-28 October 1999.

The African Development Forum (ADF) is an initiative led by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) to position an African-driven development agenda that produces a consensus among major partners and that leads to specific programmes for country implementation. The aim of the African Development Forum is to present the key stakeholders in African development (governments, civil society, the private sector, researchers and academics, intergovernmental organisations and donors) with the results of current research and opinion on key development issues in order to formulate shared goals and priorities, draft action programmes and define the environment that will enable African countries to implement these programmes. The Forum will meet annually on a different development issue. The 1999 Forum is the first, on the theme "The Challenge to Africa of Globalisation and the Information Age". Additional information is available on the ADF web site at: http://www.un.org/depts/eca/adf/

Discussions in the African Development Forum are open to participants from around the world interested in issues of information technology, globalisation and African development. In order to assure that those with limited Internet access can participate, the dialogue will be conducted by means of an email list, with summaries of posted messages archived to the ADF web site.

The discussions will be based on:

1. Policy themes of the conference:

Strengthening Africa's information infrastructure

Africa and the information economy

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for improved governance

Democratising access to the information society.

2. National Information and Communication Infrastructure (NICI) policies and plans, which countries will present to ADF '99. NICI plans, as per the African Information Society Initiative, define the national vision, strategic objective and scope to build an information society in African countries, including the policy and regulatory environment, the human resources development and the technological base to make it possible.

3. Special issues of emphasis:

· The importance of regional efforts and regional cooperation in the face of globalisation and the information age

· The role of the African diaspora in improving Africa's competitive position

· The role of the youth in moving Africa into the information age.

Your contributions are sought on the following discussion themes:

(The dates given are indicative; based on participant interest, dates are subject to change with notice given by ECA)

Strengthening Africa's information infrastructure (1-18 June 1999)

Infrastructure development is the sine qua non for Africa's entry into the information age. Areas of concentration include rural telecommunications development, use of new wireless and cable technologies to ensure connectivity, ensuring enabling policy and regulatory framework development and human resource development. The African Ministers of Communication African Connection will be a special focus.

Africa and the information economy (21 June - 9 July 1999)

This is the area which has been least developed to date in implementation of the AISI, but the one which has the greatest development potential for the African region. The Forum will identify areas and sectors conducive to African employment and job creation opportunities and consider the prerequisites necessary for African to enter the information economy in a significant way. Electronic commerce development will be a major consideration.

Information and communications technologies (ICTs) for improved governance (12-30 July 1999)

ICTs have great potential for improved governance, particularly for the participation of civil society in political debate. For the first time there is clear opportunity for individuals and populations living outside the centre to make their views heard. ICTs also bring the possibilities for governments to be able to reach their citizens in remote locations and serve them in the same way as those living in capital cities. The role of the media using new technologies for improved governance will be stressed.

Democratising access to the information society (2-20 August 1999)

Equity concerns figure prominently in discussions of the introduction of ICTs in Africa. The worst possible scenario surrounding the introduction of ICTs in Africa is the creation of an information elite and the exacerbation of gaps between social classes. African planners must make deliberate policy to reach those who previously have been isolated from information, from services and from civil participation. Among the beneficiaries, particular attention will be paid to women in Africa as users of these tools.

National Information and Communication Technology policies and plans (23 August - 10 September 1999)

Special issues: (13 September - 3 October 1999)

· The importance of regional efforts and regional cooperation in the face of globalisation and the information age. (13-19 September 1999)

· The role of the African diaspora in improving Africa's competitive position. (20-26 September 1999)

· The role of youth in moving Africa into the information age. (27 September - 3 October 1999)

The topics of discussion from 4-25 October 1999 will be determined based on the contents and direction of the discussions in the previous months.

Although these discussions will not begin until June 1, we invite you to subscribe now to the list. All you need is an email account.

To subscribe, please send a message to:

lyris@lyris.bellanet.org

In the body of the message, type:

SUBSCRIBE aisi-hitd-l name

(Name is your full name)

For further information please contact Peter da Costa, Cabinet Office of the Executive Secretary, UN ECA, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Tel: +251-1-51-58-26 (direct) or 251-1-51-72-00 (main switchboard), Ext. 354866 Fax: +251-1-51-22-33 E-Mail: ecainfo@un.org

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