The following are the outputs of the captioning taken during an IGF intervention. Although it is largely accurate, in some cases it may be incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors. It is posted as an aid, but should not be treated as an authoritative record.
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(Music playing)
>> ADIL SULEIMANA: Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Open Forum. Welcome to those of you for the first time. Consider this like your home. As an African organisation, we share what we're doing and what we've accomplished. It's also an opportunity for you to share with us what you have accomplished back home and the challenges that you are facing. So I think, without further ado, let me welcome you once again.
Also, let me recognise that we have also some ministers with us. Also, we have members of parliament with us also. They are welcome. I think after we make the introduction and the briefing from the organisation, if you feel that you want to speak, for the ministers, I will give you the floor so you can at least greet everybody. If you have something to share with us, please feel free to share.
Without further ado, the agenda for today, you are going to get briefing from the organisations that are responsible for the African IGF and also from the digital activity within Africa, namely the Africa Union Commission. You're going to hear what we are doing.
Rest assured that a lot of things are being done in the continent, and the next session, we are going to get a briefing on the African IGF that was held in Tanzania.
We'll hear from the youth representatives, and then we're going to open the floor for Q&A.
I can see that we have the Minister of Zambia, welcome.
Gambia, welcome. It's an honour to have you with us today.
Without further ado, let's start the programme, and let's hear from Dr. ‑‑ Chief Digital Officer with the Digital Commission For Africa.
>> Good morning, Minister, Distinguished Delegates. Thank you for attending this Open Forum to listen and we need to get a view from you.
We're here to hear from the member states. Things should be based on your needs.
For this year, 2024/2025, a lot of things have been happening at the continental level, driven by ECA.
And this activity, or key project, is based on the needs of the continent. And, as you know, our continent is facing challenges. Let me just focus on four.
Policy, we have a lot of fragmentation of our policy. One is to work with the AUC because our objective is to come with a single market in the implementation of the African area.
Connectivity is an issue across the continent. At the end of 2023, the connectivity was 37% for African country. At the end of 2024, 38%. We've had 1% progress for one year. It's unacceptable.
Why? We have the issue of affordability and literacy and policy also and also informing of the private sector. Trying to get more from the private sector to get rule and regulation developed in the private sector and also to develop this access to the service and device. We have one platform developed, tax calculator, to review the taxation in the ICT sector. I think we can share the link on the screen.
This has been conducted in 54 member states with all data following the salary payment, the tax, everything regarding taxes in the ICT sector.
And we have shown to the Minister of Finance in this conference last year that optimising ICT tax can increase not only the GDP, but we have seen an increase, according to our statistic, of the broadband connectivity as well as the job creation.
What does mean? ICT sector is not an area where government thinks they can get money, more money. Generally, all our government will focus on the ICT sector, on the taxation. The revenue will be increased because the impact of ICT sector, health, education, final service, it is a one platform that you have at your disposal, and we invite the Minister of Finance and the Minister of ICT to go and optimise how they can optimise the taxation in your country. It's a very comprehensive tool. You can play with 1%, 4% until you get what is necessary for the development of the country.
Another point, we talk a lot about AI, artificial intelligence, but the big problem is we don't know what has happened in the continent. I don't know in Rwanda, what is up with innovation on artificial intelligence in Kenya or Tanzania or Senegal. We have developed a platform to show all innovation on AI in the continent.
We find around 2,400 innovation across the continent. And given the impact, 343 innovations around, I think, 20H sector. And you have the platform where you can visit the platform.
The innovation platform will show you what is the impact of the innovation, how to contact the people that led this innovation across the content, and we create knowledge sharing as a partnership, collaboration, technical transfer of digital skills between Africa.
It is the second project.
Data governance, we thank ‑‑ we support ‑‑ for African country to develop their national framework on data governance in line with the data governance framework. Namely, we are supporting DRC ‑‑ and Tanzania, as well as ‑‑ we're making good progress in DRC and ‑‑ and we start last week ‑‑ two weeks ago the process in Tanzania and Mozambique ‑‑ and this was through the support of ‑‑
If you want to know, we are 500 million of our population without any legal thought of identity. When you talk about 38% connectivity, you forget the 500 million. It is something we needed to overcome in the continent and why we have a big activity on digital ID, and we support a lot of African developers. We are supporting them now, and we have now more than 10 million people registered in the digital ID database and we organised for the digital ID database meeting in Ethiopia.
Another issue on policy, the issue of cybersecurity. We talk about ‑‑ is there more than 12 years. We have only 14 countries ratify, and when we ask a country, yeah, you have to adapt to, but we are working with the African union to respond to the need of the African country.
We work on the digital payment system, how we make this cross‑border digital transaction happening in the continent, as you know, we have around 130 digital payment systems in the continent, and more than one, they don't ‑‑ each other because of interoperational ‑‑ we work to make sure we have a system across the continent in order to make digital payment happening in all African continent because we need it to develop the digital trade between African continent, not in the country alone.
Another point where its capacity building, we need to build the capacity of few and also of the private sector. Why we have several programmes targeting this women entrepreneurship on technology, policymaker, how to use this technology and how to develop regulation as well as capacity building for the parliamentarian.
For the youth on innovation, we organised this technology forum for African country, and we have a very competent youth. How this youth can use the digital technology to solve the African problem.
Find a solution for an African problem, and this concept worked very well in Kenya and Morocco and Zambia.
Another, international collaboration, how African country should amplify its voice at the international level? We are the focal point for organisation of several gatherings and meetings. We organised WSIS+20 in May. Almost all African countries were represented at the government level, private sector, civil society. We come up with a declaration on the WSIS+20, what is the view for Africa since the implementation of the WSIS in 2025.
What we need for Africa, also, what is our key priority? We did the same thing in Tanzania with the African Internet Governance Forum. And thank you to the governments for their support in organising this WSIS+20 at the Africa Internet Governance Forum.
Because there's linkage between WSIS and IGF. There's one outcome that we agree. Africa, it's harmonising policy. We need to harmonise our policy and bridge the digital divide between urban, rural, and between country because we have several digital divides between the countries in Africa. Also between the men, women, and youth, we need to bridge the digital divide.
Another, digital literacy. We need to build the capacity of our policymaker, of our youth generation. The aspiration of Africa is to be a leader in this digital technology by 2050. We have more than a lot of you across the continent making a lot of progress, innovation. I give you an example. During the COVID period, Africa registered around five innovation on AI, that will focus on medical issue, health care, and other. It is one priority for Africa.
Another priority is collaboration. We need this kind of collaboration, sharing, discuss between us. What happened in Rwanda? What happened the Tanzania? And share knowledge. We have to start this collaboration in Africa first.
Yesterday, during the session, we had several initiatives shared by the minister. There's something very important we have to learn about it, and we have to see how we can collaborate it.
I'm going to finish quickly because we have too many things.
Another area where we need to focus in Africa, it's energy. We talk a lot about digital technology, but we focus on energy, energy side. 700 million of our population doesn't have access to electricity. When we build the Internet Society, we need to also take into consideration energy.
And last but not least, it's security that's very important. Cybersecurity, it's a big challenge for the continent, if we want to use this digital information, this service.
Also, we talk about this misinformation. It's coming with the knowledge society. We need to find a way. There's a good example presented by Gambia. We have to see how we look at this misinformation of our country and across, also, our continent. All these declarations ‑‑ for the final issues of challenges in Africa.
And, finally, we are requested at WSIS and IGF, to expand the Internet Governance Forum for the next 10 years, given the multistakeholder aspect of this forum. Also to expand the WSIS forum for the next 10 years, to align with the SDG, and also to make alignment with the Global Digital Compact. We have five objectives, namely connectivity, inclusion, data governance, cybersecurity, and also artificial intelligence. We are going to stop there. And thank you very much.
>> ADIL SULEIMANA: Thank you very much. Thank you.
(Applause)
>> ADIL SULEIMANA: Thank you. I promise you you will have time to speak because I think that's the essence, to have people on the floor to speak and share their experience.
Let me also acknowledge the presence of the Honorable Minister from Chad and also Dr. Romina (phonetic), the CEO of Nigeria Communication Commission. Nigeria has been a strong ally of the Africa IGF. Hosted three or four times in the last decade. So we're thankful.
Let me run through things. This is not like something ‑‑ this is an ongoing activity. Most of these activities are being reported through the ministerial meeting that's going to take place by the end of the year.
With regard to the Digital Transformation and Strategy For Africa, the following activities commenced this year. Digital connectivity for education and agricultural sector, digital tracking tool offline/online, tracking digital transformation across Africa, digital strategy implementation and monitoring visualisation dashboard, report on the digital transformation implementation across the continent and recommendation, development of green digital infrastructure guidelines and standard as well as GHG calculation tool for Africa.
Following the adoption of the interoperability framework for Africa, digital ID, the AUC is considering developing guidelines for interoperability in Africa.
‑‑ will be formally launched this year.
Strengthening the ability of African stakeholder to participate in the Internet governance debate.
On the development of the development framework, the Commission will prepare the following reports: Progress report on the implementation of technical assistance programme with the support of ‑‑ data categorisation and sharing framework, cross‑work ‑‑ continue the open data strategy.
On the implementation of the AI strategy, the Commission will impact on the development of the following, implementation plan and M&E plan for the AI strategy, study on the implementation of AI on African economy and security and democracy development, report on G20 including the update for AI African initiative and conference outcomes in relation to AUA digital agenda.
A strategy has been developed. The Commission is conducting consultation workshops with various stakeholder groups. There should be submission for approval by early of November of this year.
The Commission will be launching a cybersecurity initiative in close collaboration with World Bank, EU, and the initiative is the ‑‑ convention as mentioned by my colleague here, including developing modern laws on ‑‑ convention.
Cybersecurity strategy and also development of child friendly online portal for African children and also the digital ID.
I stop here. Let me give the floor to His Excellency, the Secretary.
>> Good morning. We all know the 14th Africa IGF was held from 29 to the 31st of May, 2025, and this forum was represented by various stakeholders, including policymakers, parliamentarians, technical sectors, technical committees, advocates, civil society organisations, academia.
Welcoming the participants in person and most were online from almost 67 countries, including 49 from the African continent, 18 international partner countries, and the forum brought together a wide range of stakeholders across the ecosystem.
On this forum, we came out with the declaration, which is a limited time. We'll just talk about the key points, what was discussed and what was inside the declaration. Inside this declaration, we identified the challenges, which there were almost nine of them. I will go through them one by one.
One of the key challenges that was discussed and which is in this declaration is the issue of infrastructure and connectivity. This, we're trying to address the large segments of our population that remains excluded due to broadband coverage, high data costs, and insufficient access to fix ‑‑
The second challenge that was addressed in the declaration is the Internet Resource Management. As we all know, the African Network Centre, serious organisation ‑‑ jeopardising resource management. Those are most of the changes we're facing in the resource management in ‑‑
Persons included are persons with disabilities, women ‑‑ workers that remain excluded from digital opportunities.
And the fourth challenge which has been addressed in the declaration is ‑‑ readiness, fragmented policies, and frameworks across member states.
There's the rights‑based digital ecosystem.
And then capacity ‑‑ education systems, lack integration of advanced digital skills such as AI, artificial intelligence, big data security, cybersecurity, and, furthermore, many schools do not integrate ICT education at the primary level, limiting our exposure to digital skills.
And the sixth challenge is cybersecurity threats. We all know with data protection regimes and limited cybersecurity capabilities leave countries vulnerable to cybercrime that breaches and attacks on critical infrastructure.
The seventh issue that was identified is the challenge of stakeholder engagement and continue coordination. Here, we are trying to address the framework that exists for definition roles, responsibilities, and oversight mechanism among the key stakeholders as well as the ‑‑ position on digital government issues.
And the eighth issue has been declared in the declaration, localised content. Limited available content in languages and culture relevant formats, and the digital culture preservation.
And the last key challenge that has been addressed is the energy infrastructure. Reliable electricity supply continues to strain connectivity.
My colleagues, these are the nine challenges that we discussed in the forum, and they are all explained in the declaration.
So what we did is came up with commitments to addressing the above challenges with the following actions.
One is to do investment in secure and resilient infrastructure. We're trying to invest in promoting development and expansion in critical Internet infrastructure to ensure equitable and access to digital resources across Africa, including domain names, IP address, and root servers.
The second commitment is accelerating the adoption of digital public infrastructure, DPI, to first public‑private partnership to scale DPI to preserve governance and digital ‑‑ the third is enhancing structure and connectivity. Here, trying to support the modernisation and digitalisation of power systems while integrating energy solutions to expand broadband access in remote areas.
And the fourth one is ensuring effective governance to Internet resources. Here we are trying to address that strengthening the institutional and operational stability of AfIGF for ‑‑ and regional ownership. We have a lot of challenges.
And the fifth one is strengthening legal policies and frameworks.
Harmonisation of digital governance policies, legislation will focus on AI regulations, data protection, and inclusive digital innovation using stakeholder governance sandboxes.
And the sixth one is advancing cybersecurity and data governance. Here, we're trying to harmonise national and regional frameworks to introduce cybersecurity maturity and mitigate risk and enhance digital trust.
The seventh one is promoting digital inclusion and skills development. Here we are trying to implement inclusive digital literacy programmes that address gender, stability, and geographical disparities and integrate advanced technology modules in two national curricula, including AI, Internet of things, and quantum computing.
And then eighth, to commit to the development of Indigenous African human capacity across member states to support African‑led digital transformation.
The ninth someone advancing development that supports production and this high‑quality digital content that reflects African cultures, languages, and knowledge systems. We also looked at empowering African youth. Here, we are committed to empower African youth to lead, innovate, and invest in potential, fostering digital skills and providing assistive support to unlock the digital transformation for the continent.
Next one is empowering Africa parliamentarians. We commit to strengthen the role as key drivers of digital governance, shaping policies that promote sustainability development, innovation, and ensure access to digital opportunity across the continent.
The next one is encouraging African countries to ratify the ‑‑ by establishing a dedicated committee to establish the underlying reason for the low ‑‑ rate and action to facilitate broader adoption.
And the last one is developing African Internet Governance Index. We're committing to five specific targets, indicators and metrics for the progress and development of Internet governance in Africa.
Dear colleagues, these are the commitments that are in the declaration that took place on 29th to 31st of May of this year.
To conclude, we also came up with additional commitment and the strategic imperatives.
One is to strengthen monitoring, evaluation, and the oversight frameworks.
Here we are trying to develop a continent mechanism for developing progress by annual report to the IGF to ensure transparency and evidence‑based decision‑making.
We also came up with advancing gender equality and the generational digital judges. Empower youth to come up with policies.
Also, protection of legal knowledge systems. We're trying to promote Indigenous services in Indigenous African language to preserve technology through inclusive digital platforms.
Here, adopt green policy and invest in low‑carbon infrastructure, and ‑‑ waste management.
Also, partnership and international solidarity, calling on international partners to support Africa's digital transformation through investment, assistance, and equal partnership in global governance processes.
Safeguarding human rights and digital freedom and uphold fundamental rights, including freedom of expression, access to information, privacy, and protection for discrimination in all digital policies and technologies.
Strengthening national and subregional IGF and the appointment and sustainability of national and regional Internet Governance Forum, NRI, with inclusive platforms aligned with African IGF process.
To conclude with the declaration, the present declaration reflects African collective commitment to reaffirm the role of the Internet governance, IGF, as an essential platform for fostering inclusive, transparent, and multistakeholder discussion, global Internet governance as well as a spectrum of digital policy and policy issues.
Also to ensure the progress remains aligned with global priorities, including the objective of Global Digital Compact. We call for the continuance of ongoing process within the framework of the World Summit Information Society.
We look forward to establishing the Internet Governance Forum, IGF, mandate as part of ‑‑ to ensure the funding and ensuring the relevance in the global governance of the Internet digital policy.
Thank you so much.
>> ADIL SULEIMANA: Thank you very much, Secretary. Thank you for the report.
(Applause)
>> ADIL SULEIMANA: It was very enlightening. I'm sure, by you, you are tired of this side of the meeting. So we are going to open the floor.
Let me start by understanding that the minister ‑‑ I understand the Minister from Gambia wants to address the meeting.
Okay. Thank you very much. Let's open the floor for intervention, Q&A, remarks, reports from the floor. I think, as I said, this is the essence of this meeting. It's good that we have almost 35 minutes or 36 minutes.
So we start with ‑‑ I think that there is a queue there. The
>> FLOOR: Thank you very much, Chair. Poncelet speaking, for the record.
You said to get more countries to adopt the Malabo Convention. With the 15 countries that have adopted and ratified, you only have Egypt and Senegal as the big countries. South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, they have not adopted it. I don't know what Ethiopia ‑‑ who houses the African Union, I don't know how we're going to do it with this committee. To go forward, when you want to localise cybersecurity initiatives, our own GDPR, the big countries should be a good example for that, and it has taken time. So I don't know how this committee will do it.
Thank you very much.
>> ADIL SULEIMANA: Anriette?
>> ANRIETTE ESTERHUYSEN: Thank you. I'm one of the organisers of the African school of governance, which is an initiative of the AU and association for progressive communications. I just want to share that we had a AfIGF. It was the 13th in Tanzania. Can I not thank enough the ministry, the secretary, the team, everyone in Tanzania for doing an excellent job of hosting us and for giving us their stuff to participate in the school.
So just to thank everyone, the Nigerian Communications Commission, who has hosted ECA, everyone who has hosted. I do feel that, over time, AfIGF is contributing to governance. It's a school for people practicing, professionals, leaders from all stakeholder groups and Internet governance. It's very intensive. But we really have results.
And I think it also demonstrates that there is so much leadership, and there is so much capacity, and the capacity of AfIGF, there's people in the room with so much quality. What it shows us is we have expertise. We have existing government expertise in the continent. We need to galvanise it. I won't name the donor, but we had a meeting with a donor recently that referred to AfIGF as the Ivy League.
I want to thank everybody.
How many people have participated in AfIGF over the years? Put up your hands. Thanks so much to everyone.
Just in response to the call you put to us, what we really have to be cautious about, we have such a spirit of collaboration in Africa, and we produce good outputs. Every African IGF has produced excellent outputs, but we don't go back to them and see if we're actually implementing.
I'm thinking about 2022 when we collaborated with the African Union for the open‑ended working group, which was a strategy about how to mold multistakeholder cyber resilience. Practical implementations. I think we should be very conscious about constantly making new proposals and coming up with new ideas. Often, I think that happens at the expense of actually fully implementing the ones we have already generated.
Thanks very much.
(Applause)
>> ADIL SULEIMANA: Thank you.
>> FLOOR: Thank you. My name is ‑‑ Milan from Nigeria. I want representativity of the African Youth IGF.
So the African Youth IGF 2025 held a meeting. The theme of the day was empowering youth to promote Africa's digital future, which was aligned with the main theme.
The main room had over 200 participants from ‑‑ African countries. This was one of the most‑attended Africa IGFs.
Hopefully, it will be impactful and things will be implemented.
We had conversations across some of the initiatives that have been mentioned, like the digital identity and borderless opportunity. One of the conversations around that was for cross‑continental interoperability. We also had conversations on collaborative to social media content moderation and ensuring that unique ‑‑ while there's a thin line of protecting freedom of expression and ensuring user safety, platforms need to ensure that their guidelines are clear, accessible, and easy to understand.
We also had conversations on opensource and open future. We noted that UNESCO's readiness assessment is being implemented in over 50 African countries, however, there's need to invest in the continent within the entire value chain from computers to data to talents and policy because without skilled youth and infrastructure, funding alone will not be effect in developing AI solutions.
Lastly, we had a generational dialogue between the youth and parliamentarians.
Now, we had conversations around the founding principles of the WSIS and engaged in dialogue about how to move forward as a region and what will be most important for us while the WSIS mandates are being reviewed.
In conclusion, the Africa Youth IGF provided a platform to engage in the youth shaping Africa's digital transformation.
Thank you.
(Applause)
>> ADIL SULEIMANA: Thank you very much.
>> FLOOR: I will adjust this.
Thanks very much for organising the forum. I have been away for a while. So I'm quite impressed with the activity I'm seeing.
I thought I would try to redirect some things and then maybe also post my priorities, just so I am also included.
I would like to do a check. There was a mention of domain names, so I like to find out how many of people here have domain names from African CCTLDs or dot Africa.
Okay. There's some, but I notice that it's very small so redirect to we believing in ourselves and owning the domain name system in Africa.
The second thing is there was a mention about AfIGF having financial problems. They have reserves of $9 million. I do not know many companies in Africa, apart from operating capital, have reserves of 9 million.
So that needs to be ‑‑ the problem we see the AfIGF, the resource management organisation, it's more about failure of the multistakeholder approach where it's not able to reach consensus, and there are attempts of capture.
You know when participation is low, this process we like so much can easily be captured. And that may be a good study for the researchers regarding the case of AfIGF.
Now, my priorities, the supply side is where we are not. Africa is not on the supply side. Even on the Internet, Africa is not on the supply side. We can clap about every small gain, but we are not significant suppliers of anything on the Internet. Not really. Okay?
So we have to kind of focus on what creates that supply side.
In my opinion, it's science, education, and also, in particular, the sciences that are creating these technologies, which is really computer science. Okay? Applications of it is what we are seeing that we are enjoying. We've been doing AI since the '70s. Okay. We have been doing all of these systems since that time.
So, for me, the priorities in beefing you have science education, it does not mean that the other humanities and social sciences are not significant, but you need a minimum composition of the sciences to be able to advance, in my opinion.
The second message that I can give is we need to adopt the MS practices in our domestic environments because it requires techniques such as active participation. You must be knowledgeable enough, and you must be constructive, and you need to have a moderate consensus. So if you miss participation, it can be captured. If you don't have a monitored consensus, you are doomed. So I will just leave it there.
The last bit is we have to preserve and grow the capacities that we have by focusing on intergenerational mentorship and coaching. Currently, it looks like it's disjointed. Everyone is going their own way, peer‑to‑peer. We forget that you have to have a stream, especially in certain areas like cybersecurity where you cannot afford to have any vacuum in the chain.
So I thought I would give you these ideas. Thank you for a good forum.
(Applause)
>> ADIL SULEIMANA: Thank you. Can you please be brief because I think we need to give the floor for as many people as possible.
>> FLOOR: Sure. Good morning. My name is Tobias Teal (phonetic). I'm based in Alibaba. You mentioned ‑‑ in the digital sector, which I think is a crucial prerequisite for the transformation of the continent.
At the same time, we also know from experience that the commitment is also very much measured, in terms of the resources that have been committed. So my question to you would be given recent reduction in corporation budgets, how do you expect this wealth of initiatives to be funded, especially with a view to member‑state resources but also the private sector?
Thank you so much.
>> All right. From this side.
>> FLOOR: Good morning ‑‑
>> ADIL SULEIMANA: Oh, you have another side?
>> FLOOR: Okay. Yes. I'm from Malawi. I'm with the Malawi Youth IGF. Thank you for the presentations that have been made, especially on the issues to do with digital inclusion.
My question this morning will be directed more especially on the proposed solution to do with promoting digital inclusion. I always advocate for a digital divide, more especially for the remote areas. So my question is: In rural communities where digital infrastructure is weak, digital ‑‑ is low and participation in programmes is limited. How can we rethink our approach to make digital inclusion and skills training more practical and ‑‑ thank you.
>> FLOOR: Good morning. I'm the West Africa Advisor for UNESCO. My intent is to share with you an initiative that is ongoing in the West Africa and related to information integrity. I'm happy to see Honorable Minister from Gambia, who is one of the champions of that initiative. It's aimed at promoting an integrated approach to policy on information integrity as well as enhancing digital platform governance. As you know, UNESCO adopted a few years ago the guideline for digital platform ‑‑ govern accessed to information and data in line with the model on accessible information adopted by African union and will address the population to the information online that has been said here. It's considered a major threat in the region.
Initiative has started with stakeholders across the West African region, civil society organisation and women organisations in the region started in April of this year. It will lead to the organisation with the governor of ‑‑ in 2025 on regional ‑‑ it's expected the conference will lead to the adoption of policy work for information integrity in West Africa as well as an action plan for information integrity in the region.
Thank you for your attention.
>> ADIL SULEIMANA: Thank you very much.
>> FLOOR: Thank you very much. I'm Dr. ‑‑ I chair the Nigeria Internet Governance Forum. Thank you for the presentation, particularly the comprehensive assessment of the Africa IGF held in Tanzania.
I'm particularly concerned about the implementation of some of the declarations that were mentioned, particularly one of the contributors here listed the nations that have developed some of those declarations. I try to make consultations with my Secretariat to find out if these declarations have been formally written in correspondence to the NRIs.
My petition here is the events, we should be able to reach out to all local regional IGFs to formally write that these are the outcomes and these are the rules that you're supposed to play.
We're aware that the implementation of policies, adoptions, all that, they're usually difficult. So we should create a provision for following up and monitoring the education so, to a great extent, we will achieve what we have set out to do.
That's my contribution.
Thank you.
>> ADIL SULEIMANA: Thank you very much. I think we'll stop here. Maybe the second round after we go to the questions.
I think we have some of intervention was not questions, just reporting, but we will try to answer the questions that were raised.
There was a question about Malabo Convention. It went into force in 2023. We needed 15 ratification. So for the treaty to go into force ‑‑ and we are now at 17. I agree it's very low, the number of countries define. And that's why we're taking a two‑pronged approach.
Number one, working with the ECA, we want to have this committee, first of all, to do some kind of research, why not ratify? What are the challenges? We can go to the country and get the answers.
The second approach is to develop ‑‑ as you correctly mentioned, the Malabo is a very old treaty. It has to be updated.
So I think we did the review report. We suggested some amendment. But the company is supposed to champion the amendment, but, so far, they have not come forward.
The intent of the law is to be able to explain and add more content. As I said, it's a long time ago in this space. So it's to make the countries feel comfortable after explaining direction and cybercrime, and after that's explained, the countries are going to be more inclined to ratify.
So that's in regard to the question.
There was a question from the director about ‑‑ I will leave some of questions to my colleagues, but I will try to see the data question. There was question about the initiatives, there are too many initiatives, and with all the politics that's happening now, what are we going to do, especially with the international partners. They're going through a very tough time.
It's true. I think the countries have to step up, the African countries. I think it's good to have the minister with us. Not only in funds but mobilising the funds and getting the private sector. I think it's important for the private sector to be part of this because they're playing a major role in the digital space.
So I think we look forward to the countries to step up, in terms of playing a leadership role, not only in providing funds but also in mobilising funds through the private sector. I think it's very important that we get the private sector into the question.
There's also ‑‑ within the African Union Commission, there's also a move to take a levy from the GDPs, like .02 from the GDP so it can go into development.
We're still not getting enough number of countries to adopt this approach, but I think if it's adopted, then, I think, maybe it's going to provide a little bit of relief.
But I totally agree there's a challenge, a huge challenge. Actually, not only Africa is facing it. Even developed countries are facing this challenge.
Let me pass the mic and also to the representative from Tanzania.
>> Thank you for your participation and contribution.
Let me start, first, by Anriette about the implementation of the IGF local implication. It's a platform for the WSIS. It's a platform for discussion. Everything happening in IGF, we don't have any obligation to implement it. It's why, in the new reform of IGF, we needed to look at this implementation side because we discussed since 19 years on the IGF, and nothing has happened about the recommendation. Even when you go to the global IGF, there's no recommendation, just a report and a summary of the discussion.
In Africa, we tried to adopt this to our declaration, but you don't make ‑‑ between declaration and resolution. It is just a commitment.
We have the key challenges, and we think we're going to do this and, this and we commit ourselves. It's why we need to rethink how we can use IGF for sustainable development. How IGF can contribute to bridge the digital divide in the continent and as a continent also.
And this ongoing discussion on the expansion of IGF and how to align IGF with this Global Digital Compact, and we see it's very important we talk about evolving framework, how we can integrate this framework under IGF. It's also something we have to take into consideration.
I fully agree that IGF provides a platform of discussion where a lot of great ideas come, but the lack is on the implementation side, but it is the spirit of the IGF that's a little bit different to WSIS where we have some target and some resolution and something we try to sort it out this year during the General Assembly in December 2025.
I think you did very good Youth Summit. We need to support you more and value all the discussions we are having in the continent because everything we discuss is for you. We need to get the youth view. We need to see how we can go together. It's very important for the future.
When you talk about digital skills, we need to involve youth in the discussion. When we talk about job creation, we need to involve you in this discussion. It's very important. Sometimes it's something we forget in several discussions. You don't have youth, and we need to have the youth to be fully part of the discussion across the continent.
It's not only the ICT structure, when you talk about climate culture, et cetera. We need the youth view.
We discussed a lot on this, but for AfIGF, I will not discuss now because there will be a discussion tomorrow. Tomorrow, the meeting is at ‑‑ what? ‑‑ 10:00, I think?
>> (Off microphone).
>> Tomorrow at 11:30, very important for the continent. We have a special discussion on AfIGF.
Supply, it's where we have to go. I think we talk about ‑‑ we talk about 20 years but more than 20 years. We talk about development technology across the continent, and we're still not progressing very well. It is the reason why at ECA, we have this Technology Information Forum. And we also established the African Centre of Artificial Intelligence in Congo and, also, we're going to establish ‑‑ in Rwanda and a cybersecurity centre in ‑‑ to promote innovation across the continent.
Without the supply side, we cannot be a key actor in this technology revolution.
The other is ‑‑ thank you, Dr. ‑‑ for the support we received. We appreciate this collaboration, and you are fully right, given what we have to do.
We have several organisations, even at the UN, doing the same thing at the same time.
Now the UN 80, we talk about UN 80 and to see how we can be more different working together.
First, the UN agency, we are also a member state. Duplication, we have to avoid as a policy now. If you have two agencies doing the same thing, we are going to merge them. We have several partners at the continent level. We are going to look at the competitive advantage of each organisation. Each organisation that has a competitive advantage will lead project related to its sector.
We have to give ‑‑ member states don't have a lot of issues on funding. We need to give more advisory service to the member state. Some countries, you go there. They don't need money, they need advisors. They need to be more efficient. When you talk about digital ID ‑‑ we talked about it in Ethiopia. We have to see how we can replicate things in other countries and also the member state in all development support, it's going to become more and more efficient. This is very important and comes at the right time now. People are thinking of new ways to support the member state and to develop our own expertise in‑house. I think it is something we are doing now. We have UN UAT. By the end of June, we're going to have a first proposal for the agency. After we go to member state, it will be before we are going to the General Assembly.
Also, Malawi, how to promote digital inclusion in the area, you know, we have several ways to develop this digital inclusion. First, the big issue is there's a usage gap in the continent. You have the network, but you don't have connectivity. People didn't connect. Why? Because they don't have money to pay. There is an issue of affordability on the data and also on the device. Hmm? For data, it's easy. We can just look at our policy and have a good regulation of the sector to register the data.
We have taxation on the ICT sector. This will improve the connectivity across all the continent in the rural and urban area.
How can we work to develop the device in Africa, on the continent.
It's a way to harmonise data. This can help the area to be more connected.
And, also, technology, the technology side, I think Poncelet was there. A lot of technology adapted to the rural area. Why you put 5G in place where you don't need it? You have several applications, satellite, constellation, Wi‑Fi. You can use technology for the rural area. And, also, there's a Universal Access Fund. In several countries, they have a Universal Access Fund to connect the service area.
Sometimes innovations is not going to support the rural area. It is a political issue, unfortunately. We have to think about if you want to put a universal fund for ICT, this universal fund should respond to the need of this sector. It's where we can develop also for inclusion in the rural area.
Also, at UNESCO, I fully agree with you. I think it is a good project.
Also the Internet Governance Forum, we have this declaration. The declaration is posted in the website. Now we are going to make it very official. There is an SDC to be organised by the African Union by the end of October, beginning of November. We are going to submit this declaration to the Minister of ICT for adoption.
Now, when it becomes a resolution ‑‑ on the WSIS+20 and IGF, also and now at the national level, we are going to see how we can implement, and we can report on this next year.
Thank you.
>> ADIL SULEIMANA: Thank you. Thank you very much.
I think we have time for one intervention. Let me comment before I give you the floor.
I see a lot about the recommendation, what happened, implementation, and all that. So it's important and contribution from you is important.
We need to think more about not connectivity but solutions. I think we need to think about also community, provide solutions to the communities. Like, if there's an issue with education, we will provide education.
But embedded in the solution is connectivity, everything.
So we need to change our mindset from providing connectivity and it's not used to solutions. Meaning, like, if you have issues, local issues, community issues, you need to address them with the provision of solution, and then the solution is going to be an integrated solution.
Let me give the floor to our colleague here, Coco.
>> Thank you very much. So, yesterday, in our session, the point of harmonising our data policies was made strongly. But what we usually do not talk about is also something that Matau (phonetic) just mentioned is we need to work together. One something the harmonisation of the those working on the data policies. So you have AUC leading the effort. UN ECA is supporting the member alliance states there. There are several organisations, and I think we need to harmonise this effort. Because the challenge I see is this. Different organisations work with different policy approaches and policy frameworks. And if we do not harmonise the work we are doing, then what is going to happen is that neighbouring countries may have different policy frameworks that do not speak to each other. And this will make harmonisation extremely difficult. So this is also an area that I think we should look at going forward.
>> ADIL SULEIMANA: Thank you very much.
I think we are going to be not doing the service if we don't give the floor to ‑‑ who has been instrumental in the Africa IGF organisation.
Let's give the floor for her to say a few words, but I think let's give her a round of applause.
(Applause)
>> ADIL SULEIMANA: For a job well done with the organisation of the Africa IGF over the last two years.
Thank you very much.
>> Thank you, Adil.
Thank you, everyone, for coming to this Open Forum. I wanted to talk about the last line, that we're calling for the permanent structure of the IGF. When we are calling for the global IGF to be a permanent structure, we ask the African region, how do we make sure the Africa IGF secretariat, which is the brain behind what happens in the Africa IGF forum.
I want to take you back to Kyoto. We had a task force to review the charter to guide the secretariat, the MAG, in hosting institution currently is ECA in collaboration with AUC. How can they work seamlessly to produce a new charter and already adopted last year, in November.
Today, you see Anriette, which is the programme director of the African School of Internet Governance, talk very happily about the organisation and the support she got from the host country because this year, we made sure that the secretariat incorporates all the activities from the Africa School of Internet Governance, the parliament ‑‑ all working cohesively.
Even the global IGF has been working with us seamlessly.
But I also just want to go back to what the director said. Our commitment is how much resource we put in place to strength structure in the institute.
I work at ECA, and ECA has been playing a pivotal role to make sure the secretariat and the institution is strong enough.
That's why this year, we can really see the success of African IGF. So going forward, we need to create stability for the secretariat.
I want to thank our greatest supporter, ISOC and ICANN, who hold our hand to make sure the African community engages, but I would like to support to be institutional support in the state of forum support. All the conversation we have, the Malabo Convention, things need to be as strong as possible. We require institutional support.
With that, I will close. Thank you so much for always been supportive.
Tomorrow, we have African Engagement Forum in studio A from 11:30 to 12:30 where we will discuss any issues.
>> ADIL SULEIMANA: With that, we thank you very much. We come to the conclusion of this meeting. Thank you for coming and have a wonderful day.
Thank you very much.
(Applause)