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AFRICAN UNION
UNION AFRICAINE
UNIÃO AFRICANA
OPEN CONSULTAIONS ON FINANCIAL
MECHANISMS FOR MEETING THE
CHALLENGES OF THE ICT FOR
DEVELOPMENT
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND , 8-9 OCTOBER 2009
The African Union Reference Framework
for Harmonization of Policies and
regulations in Africa
Introduction
• OAU _
– Focus on political issues such as
independence
• AU
– Focus more on development and
Integration
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Département Infrastructure & Énergie
AU - Organization Overview
• Head of states summit:
– twice a year
• Conference of Ministers in Charge of
Communications an Information
Technologies (Telecoms, ICT and Posts)
– every two years or as required
• Bureau of the CIT Ministerial Conference
– Once a year or as required
• Steering Committee of CIT Ministerial
Conference
– Once a year or as required
• The African Union Commission
– The Secretariat
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Département Infrastructure & Énergie
African Union
VISION
“An Africa with integrated systems
of reliable, efficient and affordable
transport, communications,
tourism and energy infrastructure
capable of promoting integration
and ensuring the effective
participation of the continent in
the global development
endeavours”
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Département Infrastructure & Énergie
African Union
MISSION
“Initiate, promote and facilitate
policies, strategies and means
that would bring about integrated
development of infrastructure
and services as well as enable the
exploitation and rational
utilisation of energy resources
while ensuring sustainable
protection of the environment”
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Département Infrastructure & Énergie
Integrating infrastructure TELCOM/ICT and Posts
2 specific
objectives
«CONNECT AFRICA »
 «BRIDGE THE DIGITAL GAP»
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Département Infrastructure & Énergie
Major Decisions of the second CIT
conference , Cairo 11- 14 MAY 2008
•
Adoption of:
–
The reference framework for the
harmonization of Telecom/ICT policies and
regulation in Africa
– Strategy and plan of action for the
development of postal sector
• These decisions have been endorsed by the
HoS&G Summit 23 June - 1 July 2008 in
Sharm El Cheikh, Egypt
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Département Infrastructure & Énergie
THE REFERENCE FRAMEWORK
Some of the Broad Objectives
 Establish harmonized policy, legal and regulatory
frameworks
 Develop integrated infrastructures and access networks as
 research on sciences and technology related to Telecom/ICT.
 Develop African human resource and increase awareness to
ensure active participation of Africa in the global information
and knowledge-based economy;
 relevant and valuable applications to encourage the
deployment and utilization of Telecommunication/ICT across
all socio-economic sectors in Africa in order to improve
efficiency and productivity
 Mobilize financial resources by strengthening regional
cooperation and multi stakeholder partnerships and
promotion of public and private partnerships.
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Département Infrastructure & Énergie
THE REFERENCE FRAMEWORK
The Guiding Principles:
 Principles of the WSIS;
 Meeting the MDGs objectives
 Goals of Connect Africa Summit (Kigali, Oct
2007)
 Finance viability, technical feasibility and
political acceptability of the projects;
 Solidarity between African Member States
and peoples;
 Cooperation and Partnerships between and
amongst the AUC, RECs, and African and
international institutions
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Département Infrastructure & Énergie
THE REFERENCE FRAMEWORK
Strategies to achieve Objectives (1):
 1. Harmonization of policy and regulation
• Engage highest level authorities to enhance political will
• Develop harmonized regional and continental estrategies.
• Develop regulatory guidelines at regional and continental
levels.
 2. Development of Integrated Infrastructures
and Access Networks
Promote regional and intra-continental connectivity.
Promote open access to infrastructure
Promote digital broadcasting infrastructures/networks.
Promote infrastructure/networks convergence, in
particular migration to IP/NGN networks;
 Promote appropriate and innovative technologies that can
improve universal access/service and affordability




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Département Infrastructure & Énergie
THE REFERENCE FRAMEWORK
Strategies to achieve Objectives (2):
 3. Development of Human Resources and Increase of
Awareness



Increase Telecom/ICT awareness among political leaders and
policy makers at the highest level.
Increase the pool of African professionals in all areas of
Telecom/ICT competencies; encourage their mobility and their
retention within Africa.
Establish and develop centres of excellence and Telecom/ICT
research institutions, and promote effective cooperation among
them
 4. Development of Telecommunication/ICT
applications


Encourage the deployment and utilization of Telecom/ICT across all
socio-economic sectors; with focus on priority areas : eGovernment, e-Education. e-Commerce, e-Health, e-Culture etc...
Build confidence in the development and use of Telecom/ICT
applications, taking into consideration better management of the
cyberspace, from the producer as well as from the consumer point
of view.
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Département Infrastructure & Énergie
THE REFERENCE FRAMEWORK
Cost and Financing
Reference Framework without PIDA
– HIPSSA: 6 Millions Euros
– Other Studies (not included in PIDA): 4 Millions
Euros
PIDA: 5 Millions Euros
Implementation of the RF
Source of Funding
– PIDA:EU, AfDB, AU
– OTHER STUDIES:
AU- EU Partnership on Infrastructure
Other Partnerships:
– AU- China
– AU – India
– AU – South America
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Département Infrastructure & Énergie
General Challenges of the financing
 Enabling environment in Africa
•
•
Regulation
Peace and Security
 Enormity of needs and the gap
 Clear Project Formulation, planning and Distribution of
responsibilities:
•
•
Lack of Master plans
Who does what
 Lack of coordinated and coherent Strategy for resource
Mobilization
 Knowledge of Partners /Donors procedures and reporting
•
Cumbersome
 Coordination of Partnerships and among Donors (EU)
• Waste of time and resources
 Alternative to conventional Donors:
• Innovation
• Microfinance
• Remedies
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Département Infrastructure & Énergie
Conclusions
AUC is
–
–
–
–
More oriented to concrete projects NOW
An actor of the WISIS
A co-organizer of the Kigali Summit
Adhering to the MDGs objectives
AUC Mandate is to coordinate all initiatives
for the continent
Most of waste of resources is due to a lack
of coordination and exchange of data and
information
AUC exhorts all African and international
institutions and partners to coordinate all
activities for the continent in order to avoid
duplication of efforts and waste of resources
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Département Infrastructure & Énergie
THANK YOU
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Département Infrastructure & Énergie