Maputo, August 20, 2003 – In 2001, the International Telecommunication Union Council decided to hold a Summit in two phases with the first phase taking place from 10 to 12 December 2003, in Geneva, Switzerland, and the second phase, from 16 to 18 November 2005 in Tunis, Tunisia.
The World Summit will provide a unique opportunity for all key stakeholders to assemble at high-level gathering and to develop a better understanding of this revolution and its impact on the international community. It aims to bring together Heads of State, Executive Heads of United Nations agencies, industry leaders, non-governmental organizations, media representatives and civil society in a single high-level event.
The anticipated outcome of the Summit is to develop and foster a clear statement of political will and a concrete plan of action for achieving the goals of the Information Society, while fully reflecting all different interests in stake.
In this regard, an African meeting on e-strategies for development, scheduled for 1-4 September, will be held this year in Maputo, Mozambique. This country has been chosen to host the meeting as a contribution to the first phase of the Word Summit on the Information Society, which will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 10 to 12 December 2003.
The Conference will bring together delegates from twenty-five African countries and two others from Malaysia and Brazil. Through a series of country presentations and discussions, delegates will undertake peer reviews of the processes and challenges of formulation, implementation and monitoring of e-strategies in developing countries.
Links with Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) and other national strategies for development will be discussed, with special focus on the contribution of e-strategies to the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals and the NEPAD programme of action.
During the Maputo Conference, participants are expected:
(i) to interact with each other and with external partners to identify opportunities for support and cooperation in the implementation of the e-strategies;
(ii) to agree on a set of recommendations for presentation at the World Summit on the Information Society, reflecting the priorities of the countries in the region; and
(iii) to provide feedback to the UN ICT Task Force at its September 2003 session on lessons learnt.
To ensure effective cross-stakeholder dialogue and engagement, country delegations will comprise representatives of the Government, the private sector and of the civil society.
Organized under the auspices of the ICT Policy Commission of Mozambique, the United Nations Development Programme and the UN ICT Task Force, the Conference will be honored with the presence of H. Excellency Mr. Pascoal Mocumbi, Primer-Minister of Mozambique.
Should you need any additional information, please feel free to contact:
Violet kakyoma
Mobile: + 258 82 000000
Tel. + 258 01 481430 / Fax 258 01 491691
E-mail: violet.kakyomya@undp.org
Mobile: + 258 82 314 060
E: mail: nelson.xavier@undp.org