NEPAD Calendar of events

 19-30 November, NEPAD-GTZ third training workshop “Train the Trainer” for East African journalists, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

APRM
 February 2008, Country Review Mission for Nigeria (date to be finalised).
 February 2008, APRM Country Review Mission for Uganda (date to be finalised). Source : NEPAD

Connect Africa launched to boost ICT projects backed by $55-billion

Connect Africa, which aims to complement and accelerate existing public and private sector ICT projects and investments, was launched at a summit of leaders in Kigali, Rwanda, on 29−30 October 2007.

The summit, under the patronage of the Chairman of the African Union, President John Kufuor of Ghana, and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, ended with investment commitments from various stakeholders amounting to over US $55-billion to the development of ICT on the continent.

It was organised by the International Telecommunication Union, the African Union, the World Bank Group and the United Nations Global Alliance for ICT and Development, in partnership with the African Development Bank, the African Telecommunication Union, the UN Economic Commission for Africa and the Global Digital Solidarity Fund.

This collaborative effort seeks to involve various stakeholders active in the region, including China, India, the European Commission, G8, OECD and Arab countries, major ICT companies, the United Nations Development Programme and other international organisations.

The summit brought together partners to help implement a number of ICT projects of significant, catalysing impact on the development of ICT infrastructure in Africa.

In doing so, partners built on the progress of countries which have established an attractive ICT policy and regulatory environment to accommodate the private sector investment required for sustainable network build-out. These projects will in turn trigger a cycle of further investment and development.

Connect Africa seeks to mobilise resources and enhance coordination between stakeholders in support of national and regional activities and priorities.

The African Development Bank committed funds to support the implementation of regional ICT infrastructure projects including NEPAD’s EASSy submarine cable – a key NEPAD ICT infrastructure project. Source : NEPAD, november 30, 2007

Uganda firmly on course for its final peer review

Uganda is firmly on course in the implementation of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) process with the submission of the final country self-assessment report to the APR Panel through the APRM Secretariat in South Africa on 20 November 2007.

This will now be followed by the arrival of an external review mission from 3-23 February 2008 and the peer review of the country in June 2008.

The four required thematic reports — corporate governance, economic governance and management, socio-economic development and democracy and good political governance — were amalgamated into the country self-assessment report (CSAR) and programme of action (POA), after thorough consultations, review and validation.

During the field research, 200 expert panel interviews and 32 focus group discussions were conducted. In addition the Uganda Bureau of Statistics held a national sample survey covering 1588 respondents in 69 districts and the APRM national commission held 32 public hearings in 12 districts across the country.

The identified governance gaps in Uganda are now being addressed.

On submitting the final country self-assessment report, the APRM National Commission chairperson Prof. Elisha Semakula, said : “After thorough consultations, review and analysis of the research findings, the commission is happy to note that the report meets the expectations of Ugandans and in line with the commission’s mandate.“

Professor Semakula went on to say that ”…the commission wishes to affirm that the contents of this report are a true reflection of what Ugandans feel about the political, economic, corporate and socio-economic governance situation of Uganda. The recommendations that have been proposed to cover the gaps identified are a product of collective deliberations.”

He said that during the validation exercise with the various stakeholders, there was general consensus on the content of the report and all the emerging issues were accordingly incorporated.

“Therefore, the commission is looking forward to the arrival of the external review mission for yet further consultations with a wider range of stakeholders, and subsequently Uganda’s peer review”, he concluded.

The country programme manager, Silvia Angey Ufoyuru, when asked about the status of the implementation of the APRM process, gave the assurance that the process was on course and there are already good signs of attainment of its intended objectives.

She said the CSAR and POA are currently being utilised as major reference points for Uganda’s ongoing poverty eradication action plan review and that this is an affirmation of the Government’s commitment towards the integration of the POA in the national development plans. Source : NEPAD, november 30, 2007