EC - ITU Partnership on ICTs projects for building Information Society in ACP countries Pape Gorgui Touré, BDT Chief, Policies, Strategies and Financing Department

2 EC-ITU: the new link The European Commission and the ITU/BDT share a common vision of ICT for Development; The Agreement already signed is being implemented appropriately by the ITU, and the present meeting is an important step for Western Africa countries; Nevertheless, it is urgent to look at bigger impacts for ACP countries; This new EC-ITU initiative aims at a join support to ACP countries towards building an Information Society.

3 Objectives To identify and implement projects on Information and Communication Technologies to benefit African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States EC requirements ICTs projects Targeted regions: ACP countries Regional/sub-regional approach Respect of Agreements signed between EU and ACP countries WSIS Action Plan

4 Process   Identification of beneficiary regions/countries   Identification of regions/countries ’ priorities   Identification of projects (Sub regional initiatives are given priority)   Selection of projects   Advance Projects documents   Submission of projects to EC   Review by EC   Approval of projects by EC   EC-ITU/IS4ACP Agreement   Implementation of approved projects in ACP countries

5 Beneficiary countries: ACP region Africa: 48 o/w48 ITU Members 34 LDCs Caribbean: 13 o/w12 ITU Members 1 LDC Pacific: 18 o/w14 ITU Members 5 LDCs Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Rep., Chad, Comoros, Congo, Congo Dem. Rep., Côte d ’ Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tom é y Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Rep., Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago Belize, Cook Islands, East Timor, Fiji, Guyana, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Suriname, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Western Samoa 79 countries o/w 74 ITU Members 40 LDCs

6 Regional/sub-regional approach Reflect demand from countries/regions Regional/sub-regional Economic Associations to work/collaborate with Africa:ECOWAS, UEMOA, ECCAS, SADC, COMESA, CAEMC, WAEMU, etc. Caribbean: CARICOM, OECS, etc. Pacific: PIF, SPC, etc. Other classifications: LDCs, LLDCs, SIDS Significant impact on population

7 EU-ACP Treaties and Agreements Georgetown Agreement Lom é Conventions IV and IVbis Cotonou Agreement Art. 43: Information and Communication Technologies, and Information Society: « The Parties recognise the important role of information and communication technologies, as well as the active participation in the Information Society, as a pre-requisite for the successful integration of the ACP countries into the world economy. … The Parties will therefore take measures that will enable inhabitants of ACP countries easy access to information and communication technologies, …»

8 WSIS Action Lines C1:The role of governments and all stakeholders in the promotion of ICT for development C2: Information and communciation infrastructure: an essential foundation for the Information Society C3: Access to information and knowledge C4: Capacity building C5: Building confidence and security in the use of ICTs C6:Enabling environment C7: ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life C8: Cultural diversity and identity, linguistic diversity and local content C9: Media C10:Ethical dimensions of the Information Society C11: International and regional cooperation

9 Action lines for possible projects Define a national ICT development strategy Support ACP efforts to identify their own requirements Enhance ACP States ’ capacity to build their own experience Support, improve the economic and institutional reforms and policies Implement sector reform policies at national/regional level Improve capacity to analyze, plan and implement policies Develop legal and regulatory capabilities Create/maintain a favorable environment for private investment and the development of a competitive private sector Create ad maintain a predictable and secure investment climate Implement measures to encourage participation of private sector Promote public-private sector dialogue and cooperation Favor the transfer of know-how and increase national and regional capabilities Develop knowledge of national/regional manpower potential Development of entrepreneurial skills and business culture Build technical capacity and skills – training systems C1 - C6 C1 C1 - C4 - C6 C1 - C6

10 Action lines for potential projects (2) Improve the coverage, quality and access to basic social infrastructure and services Support policies conducive to technological innovation and research Building technical capacities and skills Improve health systems, education and training Take into account local needs and sepcial demands Realize the potential of youth with the establishment of a coherent and comprehensive policy Develop cooperation programs to facilitate the access to students to education Promote the skills, energy, innovation and potential of youth Promote youth contractors Improve/ensure equal participation of men and women Improve cooperation in the field of standardization C1 - C2 - C4 - C7 C1 - C4 C4 – C6 C4

11 Possible two phase approach Phase I: A Preliminary assistance aiming at identifying initiatives and building ownership; Phase two: Select, fine tune, organise and implement initiatives

12 Conclusions Countries are invited to make themselves ready to contribute in sub regional efforts to identify common grounds for creating initiatives to include ICT in sustainable development frameworks; All initiatives must be backed by strong countries requests and commitments EUROAID, via the BDT will support ACP countries at all steps of the process.