ITU TELECOM AFRICA 2008 to focus on ICT connectivity in Africa

Geneva, 24 April 2008

What: Forum special session on Connect Africa Summit follow-up: From Kigali to Tomorrow

When: Tuesday, 13 May 2008, 11:00 − 12:30.
Press Conference 14:30: Announcement of major initiatives and roll-out of USD 55 billion commitments to connect Africa made in Kigali, Rwanda. 

Where: Cairo International Convention & Exhibition Centre (Chefren A) Cairo, Egypt 

Why: In October 2007, ITU organized the Connect Africa Summit, a key initiative to bridge the digital divide. Over a thousand participants from 54 countries, representing governments, industry, development banks and international organizations met in Kigali, Rwanda to mobilize the human, financial and technical resources needed to expand access to ICT infrastructure across the continent. Planned investments totalling USD 55 billion were announced to connect Africa and help accelerate implementation of the objectives of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Further important commitments were made in workforce training as well as policy and regulatory reform to support these investments.
ITU is now working closely with the Connect Africa partners to help achieve key objectives which emerged from the Summit in Kigali, including interconnecting all African capitals and major cities by 2012.

How are these goals and aspirations of the African community being implemented and where does attention need to be focused now? Keep an eye on this key Forum session.
 
Who:
Chairman of Connect Africa special session: From Kigali to Tomorrow: Mr Sami Al-Basheer Al Morshid, Director, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT).

Invited Keynote Speakers and Panellists:

Keynote speakers
H.E. Romain Murenzi, Minister in the President's Office in charge of Science, Technology, Scientific Research & ICT, President's Office, Rwanda
Mr José Manuel Briosa E Gala, Special African Envoy of the President of the European Commission

Panellists
Mr Jean Ping, Chairman, Commission of the African Union, Gabon
Dr Donald Kaberuka, President, African Development Bank
Ambassador David A. Gross, U.S. Coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy, Bureau of Economic, Energy and Business Affairs, U.S. Department of State
 

Further information on this and other Forum sessions at ITU TELECOM AFRICA 2008 is available online.

Online registration for Visitors and Forum participants is available here.

PRESS CONFERENCE
A Press conference will follow the Connect Africa Summit special session on 13 May at 14:30 featuring high-level policy-makers and top CEOs who are expected to make major announcements. 
Venue: Press Conference room, Media Centre, CICC. The panellists will be announced shortly.

Media accreditation
Accreditation for media and industry analysts for ITU TELECOM AFRICA 2008 is available here.  

All journalists and industry analysts who wish to gain full access to information and benefit from media services for this event need to be accredited.

Accreditation to ITU TELECOM AFRICA 2008 will also provide access to the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day celebrations and award ceremony at the Cheops Auditorium on 15 May at 13:00.
 

For more information, click here or contact:

Sanjay Acharya
Chief, Media Relations and Public Information
ITU
Tel: +41 22 730 6135
E-mail

Fernando Lagraña
Executive Manager
ITU TELECOM
Tel: +41 22 730 5094
E-mail