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What information is available here?
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APC editors select the latest policy information on Africa
and internationally. Recommended reading is marked with a star.
Browse information by country Click
on a country in the ‘countries’ list on the right
Browse information by theme Click on a theme in the ‘themes’
list on the left
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you want from the countries list, wait for the page to load and then select
the theme you want from the themes list (or vice versa)
 IGF: Recommending policy 
10/07/2008 --
This paper identifies and documents the main areas of discussions and ‘recommendations’ that were generated under the Access theme at the second Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Rio De Janeiro, November 2007. While recognising that the IGF is currently viewed and operates primarily as a space for discussion, the paper finds that it is also a space in which commonality of opinion occurs to the level at which ‘recommendations’ can be made and repeatedly asserted independently/individually in the workshops.
Dem. Rep. of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe | Access
Technology transfer for the poor
05/02/2007 --
Technology transfer has in the past often been demonised in many development policy circles as a process by which multinational corporations become rich at the expense of poor countries — selling them products they cannot afford and keeping them politically subservient by refusing to license technical know-how. This editorial by SciDev.Net director David Dickson.
International | ICT4D
Microsoft 'breaks' SA patent law
29/01/2007 --
Although software patents are not allowed in South Africa, poor administration is leaving the law in tatters. Tectonic reports that Microsoft regularly files software patents, and gets away with it - much to the ire of free software advocates.
South Africa | Software
Regional knowledge centres to stimulate alternatives
19/01/2007 --
This Southern African Development Community paper calls for regional knowledge centres to be established. It envisages centres which can, among other things, focus on understanding the historical context of the region and provide alternative analyses to those from northern institutions. In this way they will positively contribute to SADC regional development plans.
International | National ICT Strategies
Social networks: Activists move in...
06/03/2009 --
Facebook is not just a way to get back in touch with old classmates from school or see what your “friends” are up to. Activists around the world are taking advantage of this new virtual space to expand their reach and establish more immediate and interactive contact with individuals and organisations from an ever wider range of backgrounds. ITeM, an APC member in Uruguay, talked with APCNoticias about how it is using this web-based tool, and shared some practical advice for others who are experimenting with social networks and other Web 2.0 tools.
Dem. Rep. of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe | Communication Rights
South Africa: Building rural legal capacity through ICTs
03/03/2009 --
APC members have been preaching the importance of bundling capacity building with technology projects for a long time. Last year, Ungana-Afrika demonstrated the value of this approach in their work in rural South Africa with under-resourced paralegal advice offices just getting connected to the internet for the first time.
South Africa | Access
Survey of e-learning in Africa
03/03/2009 --
According to this 10-page report, e-learning is in its infancy in Africa; but the evidence suggests that there is nevertheless considerable enthusiasm for the potential that it offers across the educational spectrum, not only for universities and schools, but also for vocational training, for lifelong learning, and for marginalised groups such as street children and those with disabilities.
Dem. Rep. of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe | Communication Rights
Open Source Observatory
19/11/2004 --
The European Commission's Open Source Observatory (OSO) is a clearinghouse of information related to free/libre/open source software in the public sector, and is intended to promote and spread the use of best practices in Europe.
| Software
Information Society or Knowledge Societies? Unesco in the Smart State
18/10/2005 --
The chapters in this volume canvasses the dialogue emerging from discussions about the WSIS Statement of Principles and Plan of Action in the context of local, national and international communication policies. It also offers some insights to WSIS participants, which may be helpful when it comes to evaluating the process in Tunis and beyond. The various authors discuss the WSIS Statement of Principles and Plan of Action from multiple perspectives, offering insights into the key challenges facing the process and offering alternative frameworks for the management of communication rights.
International | Communication Rights, WSIS
New book: How to Build Open Information Societies: A collection of best practices and know-how
26/05/2005 --
(Edited by Amy Mahan & Yuri Misnikov) presents a collection of knowledge-based best practices accumulated by UNDP in Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Case studies and examples from 19 countries illustrate different e-governance programmes and applications – from a diverse range of initiatives including support for policy formulation, customs reform, youth sexual education, rural deployment of ICTs and training, country database building, and others.
International | E-Governance
Facilitating India’s Knowledge Revolution Through Electronic Networks
09/11/2004 --
'In the same way that honeybees thrive off of pollen from flowers, the Honey Bee Network is designed around the principle of information and knowledge sharing for the common good. Just as taking nectar away from flowers does not make them poorer, the objective of the Honey Bee Network is meant to enrich the lives of the people who share their innovations and ideas by helping them realize the value of their knowledge. By facilitating the cross-cultural and multi-linguistic exchange of ideas, the Honey Bee Network offers artisans, farmers, and marginalized groups an opportunity to tap into the creative component of indigenous knowledge systems.'
| Intellectual Property
Cameroon Telecommunications Sector Performance Review
22/10/2004 --
Almost 6 years after the introduction of the market reforms in Cameroon, this research seeks to determine the degree to which policy outcomes match policy objectives in order to assess the success of policy and regulatory reform in terms of performance of the ICT sector. This is the first step of a process which will, hopefully, provide a baseline assessment of the ICT sector in Cameroon that can be built annually, and to provide basis for studies required for appropriate policy formulation and effective regulation.
Cameroon | Telecommunications
Primer on Egovernment
22/09/2004 --
This primer will provide a comprehensive review of global best practices on e-government and e-governance. Specifically, the section on e-government will provide basic information on what e-government is about, its benefits and challenges, and its usefulness within a developing country context. Also, a needs assessment criteria on the requirements to become e-government ready will be explained.
| E-Governance
"Digital Dangers: Information and Communication Technologies and Trafficking in Women"
21/10/2005 --
It seems unlikely that whoever coined the term 'information superhighway' anticipated that the traffic on the internet would be in people, as well as information. How, and how much, the internet and other ICTs are implicated in trafficking is the subject of this issue paper by The Association for Progressive Communications Women's Networking Support Programme (APC WNSP) produced in cooperation with The Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID).
International | Gender
Africa Civil Society Prepcom Briefing
24/08/2005 --
The WSIS PrepCom III of Phase II of the WSIS – will take place from September 19-30 and will be the last meeting for negotiation of the final Tunis documents. The following document outlines briefly the documents that will be negotiated, how they will be negotiated, and different opportunities for lobbying and the timetable for negotiations for PrepCom III.
International | WSIS
Incorporating Gender Issues in ICT Policy-Making
15/06/2005 --
This paper takes a broad overview of the issues of gender and ICT from a policy-making perspective. The specific objective of this paper is to provide a systematic framework for incorporating gender issues in ICT policy documents. This framework is designed to serve as a toolkit that can be used by policy-makers, researchers and advocates to evaluate the “gender-sensitivity” of ICT policy documents. T
International | Gender , National ICT Strategies
Kenya: Innovating the future
21/08/2008 --
In the republic of innovation, life is unfair. A relatively small number of places — all in wealthy countries or in China and India — create nearly every important technological advance. Consider Wilfred Mworia, a 22-year-old engineering student and freelance code writer in Nairobi, Kenya. In the four weeks leading up to Apple’s much-anticipated release of a new iPhone on July 11, Mworia created an application for the phone that shows where events in Nairobi are happening and allows people to add details about them.
Kenya | Access, Software
So what is 'net neutrality'?
21/02/2008 --
So what is 'net neutrality'? A case example from the United States puts you in the picture.
Dem. Rep. of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe | Access, Communication Rights, Internet Governance
GETTING STARTED: What is 'net neutrality'?
16/07/2007 --
The principle of 'net neutrality', sometimes referred as “network neutrality” or “internet neutrality”, is about equal access to the internet. It is concerned with the fact that everybody's content should receive equal treatments in terms of speed and reliability, and be transmitted on a first-in-first-out basis. It also refers to an internet network that is free of restrictions on the kinds of equipment attached and the modes of communication allowed. GenderIT.org has compiled a useful reference for ICT jargon.
Dem. Rep. of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe | Access, Content and Language, Gender , Intellectual Property, Internet Governance, Media, National ICT Strategies, Security and Privacy, Software, Telecommunications, WSIS
The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority ACT, 2003
24/11/2004 --
An Act to establish the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority for the purpose of regulation of telecommunications, broadcasting, postal services; to provide for allocation and management of radio spectrum, covering electronic technologies and other Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) applications and to provide for its operation in place of former authorities and for related matters.
Tanzania | Laws and Regulation
Broadcasting act of 1998
23/10/2004 --
An Act to provide for the establishment and functions of a National Broadcasting Board, to provide for the issue of broadcasting licences; and for other matters incidental thereto or connected therewith.
Botswana | Laws and Regulation, Media
Tanzania: Govt seeks views on communications bill
25/11/2004 --
The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) has appealed to stakeholders and the public in general to read, discuss and air their views on the draft of the Electronic and Postal Communications Bill, so that the envisaged Act takes into account the interests of Tanzanians and the existing policies.
Tanzania | Laws and Regulation
A law unto themselves
23/10/2004 --
'All that is required for evil to triumph,' wrote Edmund Burke, 'is for good men to do nothing'. His words came to mind last week as I read the daily reports from Geneva about the meeting of the standing committee on copyright and related rights of the (Wipo). The meeting was assembled to discuss a draft treaty to 'protect' broadcasters and broadcasting signals.
| Intellectual Property
WSIS is over, but the debate has just begun
01/12/2005 --
This WSIS wrap up piece looks at what lies ahead of WSIS. The author argues that building an inclusive information society will need civil society to hold governments to account – and that the media has a crucial role to play in ensuring this happens.
International | WSIS
The denial of women’s right to communicate
11/11/2005 --
Silencing women’s voices is one of the oldest methods in history of keeping women in their place. The denial of women’s right to communicate or to put it plainly, a right to voice and free speech, is one of the strongest political weapons in the armory of patriarchy. When the voices of women have been silenced, there are many things they cannot do. They cannot participate effectively in democratic debates and discourses; they cannot tell policy-makers (the majority of whom are men) what they think of the economic, education..
Zambia | Communication Rights, Gender
Can ICT help achieve education for all?
10/09/2005 --
Last week’s IFIP World Information Technology Forum (WITFOR) addressed 12 major goals within the framework of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals. One of these was to develop ICT-based alternative educational delivery systems to achieve Education for All targets.
Botswana | Training and Education
Cameroon steps up to ICT plate
17/01/2007 --
An interview with Cameroon-born Victor Mbarika, considered one of Africa's foremost experts on ICTs. He says: "Cameroon has been one of the leaders in the sub-Saharan African region in terms of technology. We are far ahead of many other countries in Africa. Cameroon was one of the first countries to have import duty free policy on computers." Interview conducted by The Post.
Cameroon | ICT4D, National ICT Strategies
Looking at ICT policy in Botswana
03/01/2007 --
Botswana's Ministry of Communications, Science and Technology was tasked with producing a National ICT Policy for Botswana. The policy was to be aligned with Vision 2016 - the country’s long term strategy. This recently posted item is an introduction to the Botswana's draft ICT policy, finalized in January 2005.
Botswana | ICT4D, National ICT Strategies
Africa Statistics Day!
28/11/2006 --
Africa recently celebrate Africa Statistics Day. According to the African Union, the 2006 celebration was devoted to raising awareness about the importance of developing national strategies that create new benchmarks in quality statistical data.
International | ICT4D, National ICT Strategies
Work together, minister tells software vendors
07/04/2008 --
"I would like to appeal to vendors to listen to the demands of consumers as well as Free Software developers. Please work together to produce interoperable document standards. The proliferation of multiple standards in this space is confusing and costly..." The full text of the address by South Africa's minister of public service and administration, Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, at the third Idlelo open source conference in Dakar.
Senegal, South Africa | Software
Kenya: Policy watch - key documents
11/06/2007 --
Kenya's new Media Bill and amended Communications Bill is stirring up a hornet's nest in a country otherwise praised for its transparent and inclusive ICT and communications policy processes. Activists say the Kenyan government has not consulted the people it should have properly, and that consumers are getting a raw deal. The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANeT), a multi-stakeholder network in that country, has collected some of the key texts for you to browse. And it is asking for your input.
Kenya | Communication Rights, Media, Telecommunications
Kenya: ICT ministry website
17/05/2007 --
Kenya's Ministry of Information and Communications is working hard to cultivate an image of transparency and inclusiveness. Its website contains a wealth of policy information and documents that you might find useful.
Kenya | National ICT Strategies
National, regional, local and sectoral E-Strategies
14/02/2005 --
The e-strategies are formulated and implemented at local, national and regional levels or can relate to specific sectors e.g. e-commerce, e-government, e-schools, e-health etc. The objective of the pre-Conference is to discuss the conditions for the formulation and implementation of these e-strategies, taking into account linkages between these various levels.
Ghana | National ICT Strategies
African content and the black diaspora
06/10/2004 --
This presentation from the Highway Africa 2001 conference looks at how Africans in the diaspora use African online content and whether they regard it as a way to "keep in touch with their roots". Are Africans living elsewhere contributing to African online content? Are producers of African online content thinking only of their African audience?
| Media
State of Free and Open Source Software in Africa
09/06/2003 --
In the face of rapidly changing technological advancement, and the exorbitant cost of proprietary hardware and software solutions, which discriminate against Africa in attempting to participate in (Information and Communications Technologies) ICTs for development, the need for open source solutions has emerged. There is a global trend toward open source solutions, which have become viable, cost effective and sustainable options for Africa’s participation in ICTs for development.
| Software
African ICT reporting comes of age
05/09/2006 --
Interviews with African ICT journalists and a content analysis of ICT coverage in the media paint a picture that is far more positive than two years ago, argues a new report from Rhodes University's Journalism Department. The study is an update of a 2004 CATIA-sponsored study of the DRC, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Kenya and Senegal.
International | Media
"A Comparative Analysis of Spam Laws: the Quest for Model Law"
28/06/2005 --
This paper focuses on the potential nature of the legal regulation of spam, specifically the importance of harmonizing regulations in the form of a model spam law. The authors recognize that the law is only one means towards this end and urge regulators to incorporate other modes of control into their efforts, including technical methods, market-based means, and norm-based modalities.
International | Security and Privacy
Namibia: Some Prefer Cell Phones than Fridges
27/07/2005 --
The main challenge facing Namibia in the telecommunications sector is to make information communication technologies cheaper and more accessible to the public. While most Namibians can afford to have cellular phones in both rural and urban areas, the majority of people cannot afford to have access to the Internet, further widening the digital divide in the country.
Namibia | National ICT Strategies
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The Africa ICT Policy Monitor is an initiative of the 
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