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18th Annual Internet Governance Forum in Kyoto, Japan: What’s top on the agenda for Africa’s digital Governance?

10 octobre, 2023
18th Annual Internet Governance Forum in Kyoto, Japan: What’s  top on the agenda for Africa’s digital Governance?

Kyoto, Japan , 10 October 2023 - This week is packed with high-level discussions on all things digital at the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 2023 being held 8 - 12 October in Kyoto, Japan. Government representatives, industry leaders, and civil societies are gathered towards shaping our collective digital future that is open, safe and inclusive. 

ECA’s delegation to the IGF 2023 is sharing its perspectives and experience towards developing solutions to the challenges and opportunities facing the continent's digital transformation. The forum is also a chance to learn from and collaborate with global partners. A wide range of issues in focus include African National Digital Transformation Strategies, Cross Border Data Flow, Cybersecurity, Digital Media, Information Literacy, Gender Digital Divide, Multi Stakeholder processes for enhanced digital cooperation and South-South Cooperation among others. 

Here are some selected Africa-ECA focused events that might be of interest to you for joining virtually:

National digital Transformation Strategies in Africa | IGF 2023

Date: Wednesday, 11th October 2023

Time: 11:30 am - 12:30 am JST | 05:30 am - 06:30 am EAT    

Event Page + Zoom Link:  IGF 2023 Open Forum #124 National digital transformation strategies in Africa   

This session, facilitated by UNECA and UNU-EGOV, will focus on the latest developments, challenges, and opportunities in Africa's digital transformation journey. By featuring case study examples in the adoption of Digital Transformation Strategies and Roadmaps in select African countries, the session will focus on approaches that employ digital assessments and diagnostics to identify gaps and challenges that inform strategy development. It will also explore how the AU Digital Transformation Strategy (2020-2030), co-developed with the ECA, provides a framework for prioritizing digital infrastructure and accessibility as a prerequisite to achieving digital transformation and prosperity in line with SDGs and Agenda 2063.

The discussion will also focus on the importance of digitizing Africa's governance system and the digital transformation of the governance sector on the continent. The session will highlight the importance of institutional foundations for a digital government ecosystem and contribute to identifying, through a co-creation and collective intelligence approach (co-construction workshops), some concrete proposals to seize the digital transformation of the public sector and lay the foundations for the development of digital government roadmaps.

 

UNECA Role in the Internet Ecosystem in Africa | Open Forum

Date: Thursday 12th October 2023 | Time: 10:15 - 11:45 JST | 04:15 - 05:45 EAT

Event Page + Zoom Link: IGF 2023 Open Forum #110 UNECA Role in the Internet Ecosystem in Africa | Internet Governance Forum (intgovforum.org)

UNECA has supported the formation of the Africa Internet Governance Forum (IGF) and has continuously supported its growth since its inception in 2011. UNECA's programs in Innovation and Technology focus on a variety of issues related to internet governance, including capacity building, cybersecurity, infrastructure, digital identity, and technology policy development. These programs are designed to spur the inclusion of youth, women, and girls in the digital economy.

This session discusses and reflects on the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa UNECA’s leading role in promoting inclusiveness and bridging the digital divide in Africa. UNECA is currently assisting several African countries in their digital transformation strategies and supporting them on policy development and implementation of digital identification systems that promote inclusion and progress the African continent in terms of its socio-economic aspirations. UNECA has also continuously provided support for youth in the IGF processes in Africa and at the global IGF.

UNECA's work in the African internet ecosystem is essential to ensuring that all Africans have the opportunity to benefit from the digital economy. By promoting inclusiveness, supporting policy development, and empowering youth, women, and girls, UNECA is helping to create a more equitable and prosperous future for Africa.

 

South-South Cooperation for Harnessing Digitalization |Draft Report Presentation, Launch and Award

Date: Thursday 12th October 2023

Time: 14:00 - 15:00 JST | 08:00 - 09:00 EAT

Event Page + Zoom Link: IGF 2023 Launch / Award Event #147 Report South-South Cooperation for Harnessing Digitalization

The draft report is inspired by the fact that industrialization is a recognized development priority for the African continent, in light of persistently weak economic diversification, lack of structural transformation processes, the necessity to create decent jobs for Africa’s bulging young workforce and, at the same time, the opportunities available to harness emerging technologies, including digital technologies to improve on the continent’s industrial competitiveness, address its industrial development challenges and enhance the value-added of industrialization to the continent’s economies.

The imperative to industrialize in Africa has been highlighted in many African policy documents, including Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want and the UN Economic Commission for Africa Economic Reports on Africa as well as in the strategic policy frameworks of several Regional Economic Communities (RECs) such as the SADC Industrialization Strategy and Road Map (2015-2063), COMESA Industrialization Strategy (2017-2026) and various National Industrial Policies of many African countries.

The hybrid session is expected to bring in various stakeholders from development organizations that collaborate with UNECA and UNOSSC on the field, academia, researchers, end users, mostly youth and women and other participants from the global Internet governance ecosystem.

South-South Cooperation for Harnessing Digitalization for Africa’s Industrialization by Hany Besada, Senior Research Advisor, United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation

Follow the Digital Center of Excellence @UNECA (@Dite4Africa) on X (twitter.com) for live Tweets and updates. 

For more information, please do reach out to the following contacts:

Sorene Assefa,
Internet Governance and Cybersecurity Expert, ECA
Email: sorene@un.org

Hilda Mwakatumbula
Digital Development Expert,
Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
Email: hilda.mwakatumbula@un.org

Abiy Goshu
Projects Communication Lead,
Digital Center of Excellence in Digital ID, Trade and Economy (DITE4Africa)
Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
Email: abiy.goshu@un.org