Jérôme Lebouc AIDCO C4 – Centralised operations for ACP Countries ACP Connect Jérôme Lebouc AIDCO C4 – Centralised operations for ACP Countries

Background The ACP S&T (35 M€ EDF+RSA), the @CP ICT (20 M€) and Edulink (35 M€) programmes have laid the foundations for intra-ACP wide Science and ICT interventions The EU and the ACP Group of States recognise that the “digital divide” hampers the role that HEI and R&D bodies can play in poverty reduction / attainment of the MDGs The AU – EU Strategy for Africa includes a partnership (8) on Science, Information Society and Space Within this framework, the AUC HRST department has identified set of projects, with the support of the EC, including some in the field of ICT

ACP Connect – Objectives Overall objective: Contribute to poverty reduction by harnessing the potential of information and communication technologies for sustainable development in the region Specific objective: Facilitate the creation, development and use of regional education and communication networks and internet connectivity in view of having a more inclusive information society at ACP national and regional levels

ACP Connect – Situation in ACP countries Caribbean: C@ribnet is being supported by the Commission (12 M€). It will benefit 20 countries Pacific: Only one NREN has been established so far, in Fiji (USP-SUVA) Africa: Situation varies from one country to another, as demonstrated by FEAST study, some Eastern and Southern African countries are ready for interconnectivity

ACP Connect - Activities African Component – “AfricaConnect” (12 M€ EDF+3 M€ Cofinancing) Connectivity linking through one or several regional backbones of countries that are technically (infrastructures) and legally (appropriate regulatory environment) ready – sub-Saharan Africa Promotion of the use of existing and planned networks Implementing Partner: Dante Caribbean & Pacific Component – Technical studies (1 M€) Support to the Caribbean Knowledge and Learning Network (CKLN) Assessment of needs and identification of options for interconnecting local RENs in the Pacific region Workshop with relevant authorities to validate findings and agree on next steps

Implementation and next steps A steering committee will be set-up by the ACP Secretariat with African Union and European Commission representatives to provide guidance on the implementation of the project A grant contract will be negotiated with Dante The contract could be signed during the course of first semester 2010 The results of the AfricaConnect project will be important to determine a possible extension of the approach to other countries