Re: [Kictanet] Africa’s Common Position on Internet Governance - The Dakar Resolution

[Alex Gakuru]

FYI,

Kenya joins the Global Digital Solidarity Fund (DSF) as founder member
see http://www.cck.go.ke/html/news.asp?newsid=139&area=new


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dorcas Muthoni" <dmuthoni at kenet.or.ke>
To: "Kenya ICT Policy - KICTANet" <kictanet at kictanet.or.ke>
Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2005 1:26 PM
Subject: [Kictanet] Africa’s Common Position on Internet Governance - The
Dakar Resolution


> Information
> Africa’s Common Position on Internet Governance - The Dakar Resolution
> <http://africa.rights.apc.org/?apc=he_1&x=1500640>
>
> 09/20/2005 (WSIS) -- We, the African Information and Communication
> Technologies (ICT) Ministers, gathered to consider “Africa’s Common
> Position on Internet Governance”, in Dakar from 5 to 6 September 2005,
> thank His Excellency Abdoulaye Wade, President of the Republic of
> Senegal, for taking the initiative to organise this conference which has
> given us the opportunity to debate on building a fairer new world to
> improve people’s lives and eradicate poverty through the creation of
> opportunities to generate, use and share knowledge,
>
> Considering:
> - The Declaration of Principles and Plan of Action of the World Summit
> on the Information Society (WSIS),
> - The Accra Declaration for the Tunis phase of WSIS, 2005
> - The African Regional Plan of Action for Economy and Knowledge
> (ARAPKE), initiated by the Bamako Bureau and the United Nations Economic
> Commission for Africa (ECA),
> - The Arab Plan of Action for the Information Society, 2005
> - The African Partnership framework for Infrastructure Development
> - The Arab and African Joint Communiqué adopted in Cairo in May 2005,
> - The Recommendations of the Bamako Conference on «Multilingualism for
> cultural diversity and the involvement of all in cyberspace»,
> - The Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG) report,
>
> Considering that the Information Society would accelerate progress
> towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), in particular for the
> developing countries.
>
> Considering that Internet Governance should be accountable, democratic
> and participatory;
>
> Given the general principles that should guarantee
>
> - A stable and secure functioning of the Internet; and
> - The open and decentralized nature of its architecture;
>
> Noting with satisfaction that the conclusions of WGIG reflect the
> concerns Africa expressed during the Accra Regional Conference
> (security, cultural and linguistic diversity, access, etc.);
>
> Recognising the need to reinforce the participation and association of
> developing countries effectively in the process of Internet governance;
>
> Convinced that, to arrive at practical solutions for the respective
> problems raised by Internet Governance, Africa should stand as one bloc
> at PrepCom3 and the second session of WSIS in Tunis 2005 and speak with
> one voice based on our interests;
>
> Convinced that the achievement of our priorities is an ongoing process
> requiring broad-based consensus among the international community on
> Internet Governance mechanisms associating States, civil society, the
> Private Sector, and international agencies;
>
> Considering that the creation of a World Internet Council (WIC), which
> reflects the recommendations of Chapter 48 of the Geneva Plan of Action
> and constitutes the final step that needs to be attained, can not be
> achieved immediately and necessitate the establishment of several
> different mechanisms;
>
> The Conference adopts, as follows:
>
> 1. The establishment of a global consultation framework to review in
> depth the general policies on Internet Governance. Such a framework
> should authorise equal participation for all stakeholders (Government,
> the private sector, civil society, and international organisations).
>
> 2. The expansion and reinforcement of the existing institutions for
> Internet Governance to enable all stakeholders to participate and ensure
> Internet Governance is efficient, accountable, and democratic, and that
> Internet services and resources are distributed in an equitable manner
> among all actors and all continents.
>
> The Conference also recommends:
>
> 1. Reinforcement of the role of the Government Advisory Committee (GAC)
> of Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in all
> Internet Public policy development issues;
>
> 2. Internationalisation of root sever management;
>
> 3. African Member States should set up root server instances to
> facilitate access;
>
> 4. Setting up of a regional high speed Internet backbone allowing the
> creation of national, sub regional and regional Internet exchange points
>
> 5. Participation of specialized African institutions in technical
> Internet Governance bodies;
>
> 6. Reinforcement of the Internet Resource Management Institution,
> African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC), to guarantee the region’s
> independence in Internet resources;
>
> 7. Establishment in Africa of a reference framework for building a
> multi-stakeholder partnership at the national, regional and continental
> level, based on the basic principles of digital solidarity and in
> conformity with the spirit and provisions of New Partnership for
> Africa’s Development (NEPAD);
>
> 8. Contribution of African countries to the Digital Solidarity Fund
> (DSF) and utilisation of the Fund for building capacity, in particular
> for women and young people, and financing Internet-related projects in
> Africa;
>
> 9. Implementation of programmes that guarantee the presence of African
> languages on the Internet and use of free and open source software in
> order to fight against the linguistic digital divide and ensure the
> participation of all in the emerging new society;
>
> 10. The creation, in each African Member State, of a national structure
> responsible for the promotion and development of the Information
> Society, of knowledge sharing and the coordination of these structures
> at continental level;
>
> 11. The creation of Centres of Excellence around Africa for capacity
> development.
>
>
> Dakar, 7 September 2005
>
> Date: 09/20/2005
> Location: Senegal
> Theme: Internet Governance
> Source: WSIS
> Comments
> _______________________________________________
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>
>


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