Several priorities were identified during the 19th annual meeting of the Internet Digital Governance Forum, with a view to fostering a secure digital future enabling Africa to promote its sustainable development.
The 19th annual meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), which opened on Sunday in Riyadh, provided an opportunity to examine how Africa can develop digital technologies, following the adoption last September of of the Digital Pact in New York.
During the meeting, several sessions were organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNCEA) with representatives of African countries but also other participants.
”The objective was to examine, following the adoption of the Digital Pact last September, in New York, how Africa, on the basis of this pact, can develop digital technologies for its sustainable development’ ‘, explained Mactar Seck, section head of emerging technologies, innovation and digital transformation at UNCEA.
In an interview given this Wednesday to the APS on the sidelines of a presentation on ”exchanges around French-speaking priorities in internet governance”, Matar Seck highlighted the five priorities of the digital pact.
The first priority relates to how to reduce the digital divide in a context where Africa has reached a rate of 68% for internet connection and where 800 million Africans do not have access to the connection.
”We needed to discuss to find mechanisms to increase infrastructure in African countries. How to put in place adequate regulations but above all connect the rural world,” he explained.
The idea is also to “reduce the gender divide between men and women with strategic orientations”.
According to him, ”the discussions made it possible to find several avenues, in particular the involvement of the private sector in the development of ICT, which remains a priority for Africa”.
The participants also tried to see ”how to put in place good regulation to allow States and ICT stakeholders to benefit from all of this”.
The other aspect concerned public digital infrastructures which concern everything linked to administrative, financial services and digital identity, continued Matar Seck.
”Africa has a role to play by being a leader in mobile money transfer. It is an asset on which we must focus,” he urged.
Likewise, the promotion of digital inclusion was at the center of discussions. Matar Seck believes that this requires reviewing development policies, ensuring the strengthening of training in emerging technologies, nanotechnology, artificial intelligence (AI), among others.
Regarding network security, he warns that any effort will be wasted if the data is not secure. ”Africa must be a sovereign continent in data management,” he advocated.
In this regard, the discussions highlighted the need for close collaboration between Member States but also at the global level, to fight against cybercrime which represents nearly 10% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of African States.
Matar Seck recommends ”strengthening the capacities of actors in cybercrime”, noting that ”there is a deficit of experts in the field”.
”We must also review and harmonize our regulatory framework and prepare our diplomats for the era of cyber diplomacy, for the proper use of ICTs,” he added.
Concerning data management, he deplores the fact that ”most African data is not hosted on the continent but in multinational servers”.
In his view, Africa must take appropriate measures to manage its own data.
”Africa is a specific continent with a considerable number of young people. According to our estimates, in 2050, the young African population will represent 42% of the world’s young population. It’s an asset but also a disadvantage,” he noted.
It recommends putting in place strategies for better data management at national, regional and international levels for the future and security of African countries.
For the fifth priority relating to artificial intelligence, he believes that Africa must be in tune to train its population and put in place the necessary policies to benefit from AI.
Source : APS
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