[alac] AFTLD meeting, Marraketch 24th june

[Pierre Dandjinou <dandjinou.pierre@xxxxxxxx>]

Kindly find below my brief statement at the on going African Top level
domain managers meeting which is nearing its conclusion here in Marraketch.

Regards

Pierre

 

 

Follow up to the wsis: The African cctlds perspective (A contribution by
Pierre Dandjinou, member of the ALAC and policy advisor at UNDP)

 

 

At the end of the World Information Society Summit (WSIS) in Tunis, the
world has actually agreed on two important processes and documents to guide
the conduct of relevant actions which could lead to a better information
society. These are the Tunis Agenda on the one hand and the Internet
Governance Forum (IGF) on the other hand. Among others, UNDP is perceived as
a facilitator to action items related to capacity development and the
enabling environment. Looking at the African scene, it should be possible to
delineate the role of each stakeholders and agree on measurable indicators
towards the achievement of the Tunis Agenda and the organization of the
Internet Governance Forum. Thus, this meeting should be in a position to
highlight the contribution to be expected from the African country code top
level domains managers. I would like to point out a few key issues where
African cctlds could contribute:

 

ACCESS : This has always been the most important concern of the African
continent and it calls for a concerted effort to ensure availability and
affordability of the Internet to all, the building of a conducive
environment and the institutional and human capacity development. While
connectivity is much important and depends on international linkages and
networks, more homework still needs to be done in distinct African
countries. Another issue relates to SECURITY and the need for creating trust
and confidence on the web, to curb the threats borne by spam, phishing and
viruses, and ensure network security. DIVERSITY is another issue which is
linked to promoting multilingualism and local content development. Because
cctld managers are key to the development of the Internet community that is
inclusive and lead to economic growth and social development, they should
work toward resolution of these issues by contributing to the technical
solutions , the sensitization of other stakeholders and the deemed
institutional development.

 

Pierre Dandjinou, ALAC/ UNDP