[Kictanet] Fw: [Catia_team] Workshop on the Regulation of Convergence - 02 - 04February Benin

[alice at apc.org]

Dear colleagues,
for your information.

The Panos Institute West Africa, in partnership with some regulator
organizations,
is planning a workshop on the regulation of the convergence of telecoms
and broadcasting
in Cotonou (Benin) from 2nd to 4th February 2006.

The workshop title is "Dialogue between Telecoms and Media Regulation
Stakeholders in
times of Convergence: Challenges and Prospects for Africa".

  As you know, Convergence brings about new challenges to
telecommunications and media regulators and stakeholders. Therefore,
Cooperation between regulators especially becomes compulsory. The event
is organized within the framework of different programmes including
CATIA projects implemented by PIWA. It is a follow up to the two studies
we have produced on regulation and convergence in West and Central
Africa, from the point of view of media and telecommunications
(for the second document, see
http://www.cipaco.org/article.php3?id_article=3&lang=en).
The HAAC (Haute Autorité de l'Audiovisuel et de la Communication) in
Benin, the ACRAN (African
Communication Regulatory Authorities Network) will collaborate for event
and we are also in contact
with WATRA (West African Telecommunications Regulators Association).

This workshop aims to promote cooperation between the African
media and telecommunications regulators and stakeholders, in order to
achieve a concerted and effective regulation of convergence. Its
specific objectives are the following:

- to identify issues brought about by Convergence in Africa, and
particularly, in West and Central Africa,
- to exchange on cross-cutting issues in terms of the two sectors
regulation,
- to examine some African and international experiences on the
regulation of convergence,
- to draw up recommendations for a harmonized collaboration between
regulators and other stakeholders, and concerning the pertinence of
setting a single regulatory body that could be in charge of both media
and telecommunications,
- to continue advocacy, on the one hand, for the strengthening and
establishement of efficient and independent regulatory bodies in Africa,
and on the other hand, for the adoption of appropriate legislative
frameworks in information society which is emerging in Africa.

   The workshop should gather about thirty regulation, media and
ICT professionals coming from public institutions (regulators), but also
the private sector, civil society and international and regional
institutions (ESMT, ICASA, ARCAN, UNDP, ARTAC, etc.).

KL

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