We, African ministers responsible for telecommunications and information technologies, meeting in Yaoundé on 28 May 2001 within the framework of the Africa Regional Preparatory Meeting for the 2002 World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-02), organized to identify and analyse obstacles to the development of telecommunications and information technologies in Africa and to identify strategies, priorities and other appropriate means of overcoming those obstacles,

CONSIDERING

 

REAFFIRMING

the particular importance and central role of telecommunications and information technologies in political, economic, social and cultural development in the age of globalization and the information society,

NOTING

the efforts deployed by African countries, despite a particularly difficult economic context, to stimulate the development of the telecommunication sector,

FURTHER NOTING

	with satisfaction, ITU's initiatives and other initiatives, including the African Information Society Initiative (AISI) and African Connectivity;
	ITU's participation in and contribution to the meetings of "Dot Force", a working group set up by the G8 Summit in Okinawa,

DECLARE

	that we welcome the actions undertaken on behalf of OAU by South Africa, Algeria and Nigeria, particularly their fruitful participation in the Okinawa G8 Summit, and invite them to continue with such actions;
	that we undertake to devote more actions to the timely addressing of issues relating to telecommunications and to information and communication technologies, these being issues which we consider to be of prime concern;
	that bridging the digital divide must of necessity entail development of the telecommunication and sound and television broadcasting infrastructure, and that the development partners must consider this parameter, in particular with respect to rural areas;
	that it is essential that African countries, given the importance of telecommunication and information technologies in political, economic, social and cultural development, adopt innovative strategies and policies designed to stimulate development, particularly through reform of the telecommunication and information technology sector;
	that each African country should henceforth define a common, or at least coordinated, national policy and strategy for the development of telecommunications and information technologies that takes account of multimedia convergence (telecommunications, information technology and broadcasting),

RECOMMEND

that African administrations take the necessary measures to stimulate the development of the private sector as well as measures to encourage private investment,

APPEAL

	to ITU to pay particular attention to the urgent development needs of African countries and to continue to implement activities and programmes that will make a concrete and tangible contribution to reducing the digital divide in Africa;
	to ITU to assist African countries in developing their human resources and strengthening their capacities in the area of information technologies;
	to subregional economic integration institutions to work toward the harmonization of policies and regulations in the field of telecommunications and information technologies;
	to development partners, African regional institutions and international institutions to strengthen cooperation and coordination between all projects and initiatives with a view to ensuring the harmonious use of resources.