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ITU-EC-ACP PROJECT

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Support for the Establishment of Harmonized Policies

for the ICT Market in the ACP States

Leaders from across the world increasingly acknowledge that information and communication technologies (ICTs) offer significant opportunities for socio-economic development. At the same time, ICTs are shaping the process of globalization. Therefore, coordination within and across the regions is essential if the policies, legislation, and practices resulting from each country's liberalization are not to be so various as to constitute an impediment to the development of competitive regional markets.

In that framework, the Project aims at providing support for harmonized policies and legislations for ICTs. Harmonization does not mean the same solution for all the countries. It means similar responses to similar issues and thus, different responses to different problems. These solutions incorporate the best national, regional and international practices. The Project is part of the @CP-ICT Programme that was funded by the 9^th European Development Fund (EDF) and co-financed by the ITU, and is focusing on the three fast developing regions of the world – Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific islands (ACP). It has an implementation period of 60 months (September 2008 - September 2013).

For each of the regions, a custom-made approach addressing specific needs was built into a sub-project:

1. Enhancing competitiveness in the Caribbean through the harmonization of ICT Policies, Legislation and Regulatory Procedures (HIPCAR Project).

2. Support for harmonization of the ICT Policies in Sub-Saharan Africa (HIPSSA Project).

3. Capacity Building and ICT Policy, Regulatory and Legislative Frameworks Support for Pacific Island Countries (ICB4PAC Project).

ACHIEVEMENTS

The Project has received a significant regional support and an overwhelmingly positive impact due to the methodology applied throughout the regions and in each individual country.

Central to the project’s success, regional and national stakeholders have been at the heart of the project from the initial Launching meeting to the final stages, giving advice and monitoring progress. The same Methodology has been broadly followed in each of the three regions, allowing regional variation where necessary. As a result, major goals and objectives set forth at the start of the Project have been achieved.

In a first stage, Model policies and legislation have been developed at a regional level with the full involvement of all relevant stakeholders. Following validation of this region-wide activity, technical in-country assistance has been made available to individual countries for transposing the regional model policies and legislations into national legislative frameworks that concur with national specificities.

With these recommendations incorporated into their national economic and social activities, these countries will now be in a position to take full advantage of being part of a harmonized legislative landscape.

Regional organizations and beneficiary countries have appreciated the way in which the Project has also incorporated the pertinent results of previous development projects - whether regional, EU, Commonwealth, World Bank or UN projects, to name a few. This integration has favored synergies and therefore increased the usability of the outputs that each country has received.

Finally, specific attention has been given to linking the substance of policy and legislation with capacity-building initiatives which are giving the beneficiary countries and regional organizations the skills they need to effectively implement and manage the project’s outcomes.

This project underlines the significant contribution that ICT can make to poverty reduction and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. It demonstrates the necessity of beneficiary countries and regional organizations taking ownership of development projects and the catalytic role that the international community can play.

Summary Report on the Project is available here.

PROJECTS

HIPCAR Project (Caribbean)

HIPSSA Project (Sub-Saharan Africa)

ICB4PAC Project (Pacific)

GLOSSARY

ACP – African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group of States

ARICEA – Association of Regulators for Information and Communication in Eastern and Southern Africa

ARTAC – Assemblée des Régulateurs des Télécommunications de l’Afrique Centrale

AUC – African Union Commission

CARICAD – Caribbean Center for Development Administration

CARICOM – Caribbean Community

CEA - Commission Economique pour l'Afrique

CEDEAO - Communauté Economique des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest

CEEAC - Communauté Economique des Etats de l'Afrique Centrale

CEMAC - Communauté Economique et Monétaire de l'Afrique Centrale

COMESA – Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa

CRASA – Communications Regulators Association of Southern Africa

CSME – Caribbean Single Market and Economy

CTU – Caribbean Telecommunication Union

EAC – East African Community

EARPTO – East Africa Regulatory, Postal and Telecommunications Organization

ECCAS – Economic Community of Central African States

ECOWAS – Economic Community of West African States

ESMT - Ecole Supérieure Multinationale des Télécommunications

ICB4PAC - Capacity Building And ICT Policy, Regulatory And Legislative Frameworks Support For Pacific Island Countries

ICT – Information and Communication Technologies

IGAD – Inter-Governmental Authority for Development

MDG – Millennium Development Goals

OMD - Objectifs du Millénaire pour le Dévéloppement

OECS – Organization of Eastern Caribbean States

PIS - Pacific Island States

REC – Regional Economic Communities

SADC – Southern African Developing Community

SWOT – Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats

TIC - Technologies de l'Information et de la Communication

UEAC – Union Economique d’Afrique Centrale

UMA – Union du Maghreb Arabe

UEMOA - Union Économique et Monétaire Ouest-africaine

UNECA – United Nations Economic Commission for Africa

UWI – University of West Indies

WAEMU – West African Economic and Monetary Union

WATRA – West Africa Telecommunication Regulators Assembly

WSIS – World Summit on the Information Society

WTO – World Trade Organization

CONTACT INFORMATION

Project Support Division (PRJ)
Tel.: + 41 22 730 60 90
Fax.: + 41 22 730 54 84
E-mail: BDTPRJHQ@itu.int
International Telecommunication Union (ITU),
Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT)
Place des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 20
Switzerland