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WTDC 2025

ITU Regional Development Forum for Africa, 6-7 October 2020 with preparatory sessions on 5 October 2020

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​Digital transformation to accelerate achievement of the SDGs
– Digital development, partn​​​erships and funding​

The ITU Regional Development Forum (RDF) provides an opportunity for dialogue between the African Regional Office and decision-makers of ITU Member States and Sector Members, Regional and International Organizations, and other stakeholders who wish to strengthen cooperation and partnerships for activities carried out at the regional level. 

Under the  theme of "Digital transformation to accelerate achievement of the SDGs – Digital development, partnerships and funding", the 2020 Regional Development Forum for Africa focused on exploring digital development activities, projects and initiatives, and opportunities. It is organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), with the support of the Ministry of Transport and Communication of Zambia and the national ICT regulatory body ZICTA. The Forum was held virtually on 6 and 7 October 2020, together with  preparatory break-out sessions on 5 October.

The 2020 Regional Development Forum for Africa involved stocktaking and discussions on where the region is in terms of implementation of the 2018-2021 ITU Regional Initiatives approved by the 2017 World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-17), and assessed strategic orientations that may impact on ITU's work plan in the region going forward. In this context, RDF-AFR will discuss and report on the implementation of activities and projects under the Buenos Aires Action Plan, especially as this concerns the work items under the five Regional Initiatives for Africa. W​​ith a view to encourage a participatory and inclusive process of meeting the agreed development goals and adjusting as appropriate the approaches to meet them, RDF provides all stakeholders with an opportunity to discuss progress made, on​​going work and plans for implementation, to announce commitments, and to exchange experiences and good practices.

The RDF included insights from the regional UN Development Coordination Office (DCO), UN Resident Coordinators, and UN Country Team representatives to allow for a platform of exchange and sharing of experiences on the cross-cutting role of digital technologies for achieving a transformed and prosperous Africa, through the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063.​​​​​​​​​​

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Call for Contributions

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​The RDF showcased development efforts in Africa and inspired the next steps in implementing activities, projects, study questions and other Regional Initiatives. Stakeholders who are currently involved in the implementation of development projects, or have promising ideas for the future, were invited to submit their written input and proposals in the form of contributions to itu-ro-africa@itu.int. The submissions were presented durin​g the meeting and its break-out sessions and served as a basis to discuss the next steps for activities and projects to be implemented in Q4 2020, in 2021, and beyond.

 
You can find all contributions received for the meeting here.​​
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Agenda


​​Monday, 5 October 2020 preparatory co-creation sessions
with thematic projects and activities in the region in focus.

Monday, 5 October 2020
12:00 – 15:00 ​CAT (GMT+2)

12:00 – 12:10       Opening of preparatory co-creation sessions

​​Opening remarks: Andrew Rugege, Director, Regional Office for Africa, ITU

Welcome by virtual host of 2020 RDF-AFR: Patrick Mutimushi, Director General, Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority, Zambia

Practical information on the conduct of the sessions: Mohamed Ba, Senior Coordinator, Digital Innovation Ecosystem, Telecommunication Development Bureau, ITU

12:10 – 13:40    PREPARATORY SESSION 1:  Taking stock of projects, initiatives and activities in the region that contribute toward digital transformation

Guiding questions for interventions and focused presentation of contributions:

1)      What projects or activities related to regional initiatives have been undertaken in the country(ies)?
2)      What progress has been made so far and what impact have these activities at national (and regional) level?
3)      What are major issues or challenges and lessons learnt in the implementation of such activities?
4)      Who have been your partners in the mentioned projects and what has been the nature of the partnership (funding, outreach, implementation, etc.)

Thematic focus: Digital economies and innovation ; Emerging technologies ; Trust and security ; Capacity development ; and, Spectrum management and transition to digital broadcasting

13:40 – 14:50       PREPARATORY SESSION 2:  Co-creating solutions toward digital transformation

Main guiding question to co-create solutions to address the identified gaps:

1)      What do we need to do to be better going forward, to have more impactful projects and programmes, in terms of content, sharing, coordination and collaboration, and mobilization of partners and resources?
Perspective: Partnerships and resource mobilization
2)      Which sectors, institutions, organizations, etc. should be engaged in the implementation of the projects and other related activities to strengthen co-ordination and promote synergies at national and regional level?
3)      How could we mobilize resources for the project going forward?
4)      What is the level of engagement of UNCTs at national level and how can it be strengthened?
5)      What projects may be required to support the adoption of new tools and platforms to address the impact of COVID-19 in a holistic manner?
6)      List three key areas around ICTs that you would consider as priority in response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
7)      In the context of WTDC-21, what needs to be done to support the preparation and co-ordination at national and regional level to effectively engage different stakeholders in the region?

14:50 – 15:00       WRAP-UP AND CLOSING OF THE DAY​


​Tuesday, 6 October 2020
12:00 – 15:00 ​CAT (GMT+2)
Digital transformation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 
– Digital development, partnerships, and funding

   12:00 – 12:40       Opening and welcoming remarks

    • M​aster of Cer​emony: Grevazio Zulu
    • Opening of meeting​
    • Andrew Rugege, Director, Regional Office for Africa, ITU
    • Welcoming addresses
    • John Omo, Secretary-General, African Telecommunications Union
    • Doreen Bogdan, Director, Telecommunication Development Bureau, ITU
    • Honarable Minister Mutotwe L. Kafwaya, Minister, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Zambia

                                                                    Group photo

    • Election of the 2020 RDF-AFR Bureau and introduction of RDF-AFR Chair
    • ​Remarks by the RDF Chair : Patrick Mutimushi, Director General, Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority, Zambia
    • Setting the scene: The RDF as a platform for collaboration on ICT and SDG related project implementation in Africa: Andrew Rugege, Director, Regional Office for Africa, ITU

    12:40 – 13:50       VIRTUAL ROUND TABLE ONE: Collaboration for results and impact oriented regional actions from WTDC ‑17 and toward WTDC-21

    Moderator: Stephen Bereaux, Deputy Director, Telecommunication Development Bureau

    • Nicholas Williams, Manager, ICT Operations, Industry and Trade Development Department, African Development Bank
    • Paul Landers, Head of Strategic Partnerships, Connect To Learn, Ericsson 
    • Alfie Hamid, Regional Manager, Corporate Affairs for Africa, Cisco
    • Helge Brochmann, NORAD, Norway
    • Lacina Koné, Director-General, Smart Africa
    • Cynthia Samuel-Olonjuwon, ILO Assistant​ Director General and Regional Director for Africa
    • Chenge Munyadzi, Regional Director, UN Development Coordination Office (DCO)

    Discussion

    13:50 – 14:00        Reporting by Rapporteur from day of preparatory sessions

    14:00 – 14:55        VIRTUAL ROUNDTABLE TWO: Implementation, collaboration and funding - Regional projects, initiatives, and partnerships contributing to the achievement of the SDGs, WSIS Action Lines and regional priorities

    Moderator and fire-starter: Anne-Rachel Inné, Senior Vice-President, Government Affairs Department, American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN)

    • Regina Fleur Assoumou Bessou, Director, International Cooperation, L'Autorité de Régulation des Télécommunications/TIC de Côte d'Ivoire (ARTCI), Côte d'Ivoire and Chair of ITU-D Study Group 1
    • Dawit Bekele, Regional Vice President for Africa, Internet Society (ISOC)
    • Fargani Tambeayuk, Lead for Access and Connectivity in Anglophone Africa, Facebook
    • Ruth Berry, Acting Director for Bilateral Affairs, International Communications and Information Policy, U.S. Department of State and Thomas Koutsky, USAID, United States of America​Thomas Koutsky, USAID, United States of America
    • Maria Ribeiro, UN Resident Coordinator, Zimbabwe

    Discussion

    Strategic Partnerships | New Projects | Resource Mobilization |
    Broadband Infrastructure Mapping | PRIDA | Cybersecurity

    14:55 – 15:00       Wrap up of Day 1​
     
    Wednesday, 7 October 2020
    12:00 – 15:00 CAT (GMT+2)

     

    ​12:00 – 12:05     Opening of Day 2: Patrick Mutimushi, Director General, Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority, Zambia

    12:05 – 13:30     VIRTUAL ROUNDTABLE THREE: Implementation, collaboration and funding - - Projects, initiatives, and partnerships contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, WSIS Action Lines and regional priorities

    In focus ITU development thematic priorities: Capacity development, Digital services and applications, Digital inclusion, Digital innovation ecosystems, Statistics and data for evidence-based decision making together with the related regional initiatives (Regional Initiative 1 and Regional Initiative 3).

    Moderator and fire-starter: Elizabeth Migwalla, Senior Director and Head of Government Affairs, Middle East and Africa, Qualcomm

    • Honarable Minister Ibrahima Guimba-Saidou, Minister, Special Advisor to the President and Director General, National Agency for the Information Society (ANSI), Niger
    • Bakary Doumbia, UN Resident Coordinator for Senegal
    • Jean-Paul Adam, Director, Technology, Climate Change and Natural Resource Management Division, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa 
    • ​New ​ITU digital development projects (Connect2Recover, POWER, e-waste initiative, etc.)​​

    Discussion

    Strategic Partnerships | New Projects | Resource Mobilization | Smart Villages | Decent Jobs and
    Digital Skills | Digital Financial Inclusion | Digital Innovation and Ecosystem Building |
    Digital Empowerment and African Girls Can Code  |  Giga - School Connecttivity  | Connect2Recover 

    13:30 – 14:00     Connected Youth in Africa

    Moderator: Caecilia Nyamutswa, Director, Legal, Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), Zimbabwe and ITU-D Study Group 1 Question 5/1 Rapporteur  

    • Anaëlle Cathelineau, student from Ferney Voltaire, France
    • Ruth Mulu, student from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
    • Sylvia Poll, ​Digital Society Division, BDT/ITU, ITU Youth Strategy, projects and approach for Africa and WTDC-21 Youth Summit

    14:00 – 14:45     VIRTUAL REVIEW: Next steps for digital development, partnerships, collaboration and funding

    Moderator: Andrew Rugege, Director, Regional Office for Africa, ITU

    • Perspective: Oyeronke M. Oyetunde, General Manager, Regulatory Affairs, MTN and Vice-Chair, ITU Industry Advisory Group for Development Issues and Private Sector Chief Regulatory Officers' (IAGDI-CRO)
    • Perspective: Ana Graça, UN Resident Coordinator for Cape Verde
    • Perspective: Catherine Sozi, UN Resident Coordinator for Ethiopia 

    Building back better with digital in Africa – Roadmap development and journey ahead (digital development, partnerships and funding)

    • Reporting by thematic leads from day co-creation sessions to inform draft live Roadmap

    Discussion

    14:45 – 15:00       Closing of meeting

    ​​Opening remarks: ​

    • Andrew Rugege, Director, Regional Office for Africa, ITU
    • Eng. Misheck Lungu, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Government of Zambia ​​


     

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Documents and References

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Registration

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​Registration for this meeting has now closed.

Contact

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​​​Ms Chali Tumelo
ITU Area Representative for Southern Africa
chali.tumelo@itu.int

Ms Christine Sund
Senior Advisor, ITU Regional Office for Africa
christine.sund@itu.int

Tel.: +251 11 551 4977
E-mail: itu-ro-africa@itu.int​

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