Description
ICC BASIS, AFICTA and the African Union (AU) are partnering on this luncheon event on “Digital economy and sustainable development” to
be held alongside the WSIS +10 high level review at the United Nations in New York on 15 December 2015.
The value of ICTs and the Internet to social, economic and sustainable development are clear, whether it’s in the underpinning
infrastructure for economic and social progress or in providing tools for programmes in sectors such as health, finance and education.
That value has grown with time, due to the vast improvements in technology, increased bandwidth, and new services like social media and
cloud computing. The Internet provides the platform for the growth of ICTs and for an emerging digital economy, in which production, distribution
and consumption depend on broadband networks and services. Clearly it’s a critical enabler of sustainable development.
Purpose
This roundtable interactive discussion will seek to provide speakers and attendees with an integrated view of the lessons learned from the implementation of the MDGs, challenges of the evolving digital economy vis-a-vis the issues of openness, affordability, privacy and security on the Internet and the good practices for the digital economy that are imperative for enabling the SDGs.
Format
This interactive multistakeholder discussion will address a number of policy
questions pertaining to these important and pressing challenges.
Chair: ICC Secretary General John Danilovich
Co-moderators: ICC Commission on the Digital Economy Chair Joseph Alhadeff, Oracle and Moctar Yedaly Head, Information Society Division, African Union
Panel Speakers:
- Prof. Hlengiwe Buhle Mkhize (tbc), Deputy Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Service, South Africa
- Ms Nermine El Saadany, Under Secretary for International Relations Division, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology of Egypt
- Mr Hossam Elgamal, Managing director and partner of several SMEs, Egypt
- Jimson Olufuye Chairman, Africa ICT Alliance (AfICTA)
- Mr Adebayo Shittu, Minister of Federal Ministry of Communication Technology of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Panellists will address questions including but not limited to:
- How has ICT helped to fast-track the achievement of some of the MDGs in Africa and what lessons can we draw from the MDGs for the SDGs?
- What are good practices that can readily be leveraged to assuring Africa's digital security and at the same time engender a true African digital economy connected with the rest of the world?
- What new approaches are necessary to solving the digital infrastructure challenge to access, connectivity and affordability in Africa?
- How can progress be effectively monitored to ensure that benefits and targets produce results in youth employment and the improvement in the living standard of the people?
Statements by panelists will be followed by interactive discussions with interventions from the floor.
Outcome
A report of the meeting will be shared among the stakeholders and participants and used for follow up exchanges on the topic.
Additional Information
A sandwich lunch will be provided for speakers and participants outside of Conference room A.
Contact
Timea Suto
Email:
tso@iccwbo.org