[kictanet] Policy and Regulation Initiative for Digital Africa (PRIDA) - Continental Meeting on Harmonisation of ICT Policies and Regulations

Tue Sep 10 19:02:41 EAT 2019

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From: Gachungi, Lydiah <l.gachungi at unesco.org>
Date: Tue, 10 Sep 2019, 19:00
Subject: Fwd: Press Release - Policy and Regulation Initiative for Digital
Africa (PRIDA) - Continental Meeting on Harmonisation of ICT Policies and
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From: Directorate of Information and Communication <DIC at africa-union.org>
Date: 10/09/2019 18:10 (GMT+03:00)
To: Directorate of Information and Communication <DIC at africa-union.org>
Subject: Press Release - Policy and Regulation Initiative for Digital
Africa (PRIDA) - Continental Meeting on Harmonisation of ICT Policies and
Regulations

  AFRICAN UNION

[image: AU_Logo correct 2017]
  UNION AFRICAINE

UNIÃO AFRICANA
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia   P. O. Box 3243 Telephone: +251 11 551 7700 / +251
11 518 25 58/ Ext 2558 Web site:   www.au.int

DIRECTORATE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION

*            Press Release N° 130 /2019*

*"Policy and Regulation Initiative for Digital Africa (PRIDA) - Continental
Meeting on Harmonisation of ICT Policies and Regulations"*

[image: 3P9A8228]

*Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 5 September 2019: *A Meeting to discuss ICT
(Information and Communication Technologies) harmonisation in Africa, how
to monitor and evaluate the progress and way forward to better adapt Africa
policy and regulatory environment to the challenges of digital
transformation has taken place in Addis Ababa this week.

The PRIDA Continental Meeting on “ICT harmonization in Africa: How to
monitor and evaluate it? “brought together more than One Hundred Forty
(140) participants, including Experts and Senior Government Officials from
over fifty (50) African Countries as well as representatives from the
Regional Economic Communities (RECs), Regional Association of Regulators
and the African Telecommunication Union (ATU) in addition to
representatives of ICT private sector and partners, the European Union,
including the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications
(BEREC), and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

In his opening remarks, Mr. Thomas Huyghebaert, Head of Cooperation of the
EU Delegation to the African Union, recalled that the initiative is a key
flagship of the AU (African Union) – EU (European Union) cooperation on
digitalisation and underlined its importance and potential to boost the
digital transformation of the continent, also benefitting from the exchange
of experience between the two Unions.

On behalf of the  AU Commission Mr. Moctar Yedaly, Head of Information the
Society Division, welcomed the participants  to the meeting and thanked
them for the commitment to support the PRIDA initiative as a cornerstone
for the creation of favourable conditions for the development of African
digital market. He recalled the role and mandate of the AU Commission in
harmonising policies and coordinating regional initiatives as key factors
for enabling development and achieving continental integration as per the
Agenda 2063 aspirations.

Mr. Yedaly emphasized the importance of the Policy and Regulatory
Initiative for Digital Africa (PRIDA) as an enabler of the Africa Digital
Transformation Agenda.

The meeting has been a great opportunity for African governments and
regional organisations to assess current and past harmonisation
initiatives, identify trends and gaps of policy and regulatory approaches
both at national, regional and continental levels. The meeting has also
explored possibilities for reforms and improvements towards achieving
appropriate
regulatory responses to foster the digital transformation of Africa society
and economy as well as harmonization methodology and related Monitoring and
Evaluation System.

African experts have identified common priority areas for African countries
to be addressed under PRIDA initiative and adopt a two-year roadmap to
enhance harmonization of ICT/telecommunications policies, legislative and
regulatory frameworks across Africa in such a manner as to allow their
monitoring and evaluation.

The meeting has been a great opportunity for African governments and
regional organisations to assess current and past harmonisation
initiatives, identify trends and gaps of policy and regulatory approaches
both at national, regional and continental levels. The meeting has also
explored possibilities for reforms and improvements towards achieving
appropriate
regulatory responses to foster the digital transformation of Africa society
and economy as well as harmonization methodology and related Monitoring and
Evaluation System.

"PRIDA” stands for "Policy and Regulation Initiative for Digital Africa".
It is a joint initiative of the African Union (AU), the European Union (EU)
and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) that aims at enabling
the African continent to reap the benefits of digitalisation, by addressing
various dimensions of broadband demand and supply in Africa and by building
the capacities of African stakeholders in the Internet Governance space.

The three years initiative (2018 - 2022) is supported by the EU-funded Pan
African Programme, with a specific envelope of 7.5 Mo€, and a contribution
to the African Union Budget to the level of up to 1 Mo€ per year.

*For media enquires contact*:

*Esther Azaa Tankou*, Head of Information Division, +2519113611, e-mail
yamboue at africaunion.org

*Mr.Stephen Kwaku Darko*| Information and Communications Officer,
Directorate of Information and Communication, African Union Commission |
Tel: +251(0) 953406832 | E-mail: *DarkoS at africa-union.org
<DarkoS at africa-union.org>*

*For more information, contact:*

*Ms. Souhila Amazouz*, Project Manager – ICT Policy & Regulation

E: SouhilaA at africa-union.org

*Technical Assistance (consortium GFA-CARSA-Research ICT)*

*For further information contact*

Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I
E-mail: *dic at africa-union.org <dic at africa-union.org>* I Web Site: www.au.int
I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia

*Follow us*

Face book: https://www.facebook.com/AfricanUnionCommission

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AfricanUnion

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/AUCommission

*Learn more at: *

*http://www.au.int* <http://www.au.int/>
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