The UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania are co-organizing the Africa WSIS Annual Review Workshop to assess progress made since the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), identify challenges and prospects for the African region, and highlight the region's priorities within the Global Digital Compact (GDC).

The workshop will bring together policymakers, experts, and stakeholders from across Africa to evaluate the achievements and gaps in implementing the WSIS Action Lines over the past two decades and to foster partnerships for building an inclusive and sustainable digital society. The outcome of the workshop will be a comprehensive review report that will provide policy recommendations for scaling up WSIS implementation in Africa.

Objectives

The main objectives of the Africa WSIS Annual Review are:

1. Review Progress: Evaluate the achievements and shortfalls in the implementation of WSIS action lines in Africa over the past two decades.
2. Identify Challenges: Discuss the challenges faced by African countries in building a people-centered, inclusive, and development-oriented information society.
3. Share Best Practices: Highlight successful initiatives and practices that can be replicated across the continent.
4. Policy Recommendations: Develop actionable recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders to align WSIS+20 with the Global Digital Compact, fostering an inclusive and sustainable information society in Africa.
5. Enhance Collaboration: Strengthen partnerships among stakeholders for effective WSIS implementation.
6. Provide valuable inputs to the CSTD secretariat’s synthesis report that will inform the substantive discussion at the CSTD on WSIS+20 Review as requested by the ECOSOC.

Significance

This workshop provides a crucial platform for African stakeholders to convene, deliberate, and formulate a unified position on WSIS+20. It further aims to realize the WSIS vision and build a more inclusive and sustainable digital society in Africa. Stakeholders will address critical questions, including:

• To what extent have African Member States realized the WSIS vision of a "people-centered, inclusive, and development-oriented information society" over the past 20 years?
• How effectively do the current WSIS Action Lines respond to contemporary digital governance trends and emerging technologies?
• How can the WSIS+20 process be better aligned with the Global Digital Compact and the Summit of the Future to avoid duplication of existing multistakeholder processes?

The organizers look forward to an insightful discussion that will contribute to the dialogue on Africa's digital future and inclusively shape the region's digital policies.

Documents

• Concept Note
• Programme Agenda
• Dar es Salaam Declaration

Photos

Videos

Watch the full recordings and session recaps available at
ECA’s Digital Center of Excellence YouTube channel

• [Day 1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktJDMEhrvVw&t=9926s
• [Day 2]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3lpW5KlzJY&t=2328s
• [Day 3]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62flG7eqh4U&t=3798s

Contact Information

For further inquiries regarding the workshop agenda:

Mactar Seck (Dr.)
Chef, Technology and Innovation Section
Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
Email: seck8@un.org  

Sorene Assefa (Ms.)
Digital Governance and Cybersecurity Expert
Technology, Innovation, Connectivity and Infrastructure Division (TICID)
Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
Email: sorene@un.org

For further inquiries regarding the workshop logistics and communication:

Adeladay Solomon (Mr.)
Program Assistant
Technology, Innovation, Connectivity and Infrastructure Division (TICID)
Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
E-mail: bahta.bekele@un.org

Adyam Abay (Ms.)
Programme and Finance Coordinator
Technology, Innovation, Connectivity and Infrastructure Division (TICID)
Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
E-mail: abay3@un.org

Bahta Mamo Bekele (Ms.)
Programme Coordination Officer
Technology, Innovation, Connectivity and Infrastructure Division (TICID)
Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
E-mail: bahta.bekele@un.org

Abiy Goshu (Mr.)
Projects Communication
Digital Center of Excellence on Digital ID, Trade, and Economy (DITE4frica)
Technology, Innovation, Connectivity and Infrastructure Division (TICID)
Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
E-mail: abiy.goshu@un.org