<div dir="auto"><div><br><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">---------- Forwarded message ---------<br>From: <strong class="gmail_sendername" dir="auto">Gachungi, Lydiah</strong> <span dir="auto"><<a href="mailto:l.gachungi@unesco.org">l.gachungi@unesco.org</a>></span><br>Date: Tue, 10 Sep 2019, 19:00<br>Subject: Fwd: Press Release - Policy and Regulation Initiative for Digital Africa (PRIDA) - Continental Meeting on Harmonisation of ICT Policies and Regulations<br>To: Lydia gachungi <<a href="mailto:lgachungi@gmail.com">lgachungi@gmail.com</a>></div><div dir="auto">
<div><br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div id="m_8655440696323846657composer_signature">
<div style="font-size:85%;color:#575757" dir="auto">Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.</div>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div style="font-size:100%;color:#000000" dir="auto"></div>
<div style="font-size:100%;color:#000000" dir="auto">
<div>-------- Original message --------</div>
<div>From: Directorate of Information and Communication <<a href="mailto:DIC@africa-union.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">DIC@africa-union.org</a>> </div>
<div>Date: 10/09/2019 18:10 (GMT+03:00) </div>
<div>To: Directorate of Information and Communication <<a href="mailto:DIC@africa-union.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">DIC@africa-union.org</a>> </div>
<div>Subject: Press Release - Policy and Regulation Initiative for Digital Africa (PRIDA) - Continental Meeting on Harmonisation of ICT Policies and Regulations
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="0" style="width:1384.6pt;border-collapse:collapse">
<tbody>
<tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;height:40.35pt">
<td width="672" valign="top" style="width:503.9pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:40.35pt">
<h1 align="left" style="text-align:left"><span lang="FR" style="font-size:11.0pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></h1>
<h4 align="left" style="text-align:left"><span lang="FR" style="font-size:11.0pt">AFRICAN UNION<u></u><u></u></span></h4>
</td>
<td width="506" rowspan="2" valign="top" style="width:379.15pt;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:40.35pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><img width="88" height="79" id="m_8655440696323846657Picture_x0020_2" alt="AU_Logo correct 2017"></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
</td>
<td width="669" valign="top" style="width:501.45pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:40.35pt">
<h1 align="right" style="text-align:right"><span lang="FR" style="font-size:11.0pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></h1>
<h4 align="right" style="text-align:right"><span lang="FR" style="font-size:11.0pt">UNION AFRICAINE<u></u><u></u></span></h4>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;height:33.15pt">
<td width="672" valign="top" style="width:503.9pt;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:33.15pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><img width="123" height="41"></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
</td>
<td width="669" valign="top" style="width:501.45pt;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:33.15pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p>
<h4 align="right" style="text-align:right"><span lang="FR" style="font-size:11.0pt">UNIÃO AFRICANA<u></u><u></u></span></h4>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;height:16.05pt">
<td width="1846" colspan="3" valign="top" style="width:1384.6pt;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:16.05pt">
<h5><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-weight:normal">Addis Ababa, Ethiopia P. O. Box 3243 Telephone: +251 11 551 7700 / +251 11 518 25 58/ Ext 2558<u></u><u></u></span></h5>
<h5 style="margin-right:8.1pt">Web site: <a href="http://www.au.int" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">www.au.int</a><u></u><u></u></h5>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><span style="font-size:6.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">DIRECTORATE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:3.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:3.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:3.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> Press Release N° 130 /2019<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span><span style="font-size:4.0pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;letter-spacing:.25pt">"Policy and Regulation Initiative for Digital Africa (PRIDA) - Continental Meeting on Harmonisation
of ICT Policies and Regulations"</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="letter-spacing:.25pt"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;letter-spacing:.25pt">
<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><img width="466" height="310" id="m_8655440696323846657Picture_x0020_1" alt="3P9A8228"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;letter-spacing:.25pt"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;letter-spacing:.25pt">Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 5 September 2019:
</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;letter-spacing:.25pt">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.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;letter-spacing:.25pt">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).</span><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;letter-spacing:.25pt"><u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;letter-spacing:.25pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;letter-spacing:.25pt">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.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;letter-spacing:.25pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;letter-spacing:.25pt">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.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;letter-spacing:.25pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;letter-spacing:.25pt">Mr. Yedaly emphasized the importance of the Policy and Regulatory Initiative for Digital Africa (PRIDA) as an enabler
of the Africa Digital Transformation Agenda.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;letter-spacing:.25pt">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</span><span lang="EN-GB">
</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;letter-spacing:.25pt">appropriate regulatory responses to foster the digital transformation of Africa society and economy as well as harmonization methodology and related Monitoring and Evaluation
System. <u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;letter-spacing:.25pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;letter-spacing:.25pt">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.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;letter-spacing:.25pt">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</span><span lang="EN-GB">
</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;letter-spacing:.25pt">appropriate regulatory responses to foster the digital transformation of Africa society and economy as well as harmonization methodology and related Monitoring and Evaluation
System. <u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;letter-spacing:.25pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;letter-spacing:.25pt">"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. <u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;letter-spacing:.25pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;letter-spacing:.25pt">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.
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">For media enquires contact</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">:
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Esther Azaa Tankou</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">, Head of Information Division, +2519113611, e-mail
<span style="color:#3333ff"><a href="mailto:yamboue@africaunion.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">yamboue@africaunion.org</a></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;background:white">
<b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#372f32">Mr.Stephen Kwaku Darko</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#372f32">| Information and Communications Officer, Directorate of Information and Communication, African Union Commission
| Tel: +251(0) 953406832 | E-mail: </span><u><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue"><a href="mailto:DarkoS@africa-union.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">DarkoS@africa-union.org</span></a></span></u><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#212121">
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;background:white">
<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#212121"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;background:white">
<b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#212121">For more information, contact:<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#212121"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Ms. Souhila Amazouz</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">, Project Manager – ICT Policy & Regulation
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">E:
</span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue"><a href="mailto:SouhilaA@africa-union.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">SouhilaA@africa-union.org</a>
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Technical Assistance (consortium GFA-CARSA-Research ICT)<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<div style="border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;border:none;padding:0in"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">For further information contact<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;border:none;padding:0in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Directorate
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail:
<u><span style="color:blue"><a href="mailto:dic@africa-union.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">dic@africa-union.org</span></a></span></u> I Web Site:
</span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><a href="http://www.au.int" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">www.au.int</span></a></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;border:none;padding:0in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:12.0pt;border:none;padding:0in">
<b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Follow us<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:12.0pt;border:none;padding:0in">
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Face book: </span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AfricanUnionCommission" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">https://www.facebook.com/AfricanUnionCommission</span></a></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:12.0pt;border:none;padding:0in">
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Twitter: </span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><a href="https://twitter.com/_AfricanUnion" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">https://twitter.com/_AfricanUnion</span></a></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:12.0pt;border:none;padding:0in">
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">YouTube: </span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/AUCommission" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">https://www.youtube.com/AUCommission</span></a></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;border:none;padding:0in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;border:none;padding:0in"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Learn more at:
<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;border:none;padding:0in"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><a href="http://www.au.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt">http://www.au.int</span></b></a></span><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><u><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:blue"><u></u><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span><u></u></span></u></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div></div></div>