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RESOLUTIONS OF THE 2ND ANNUAL MINISTERIAL COMMISSION MEETING OF THE NEPAD E-AFRICA COMMISSION | 18 June 2010 |

We, the Ministers in charge of the ICT programme of the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NEPAD Agency) having met in Dakar, Senegal from 8^thto 9^th June 2010;

RECALLING the decision of the AU Assembly (Assembly/AU/Dec.17 (XIV)) on the Integration of NEPAD into the structures and processes of the African Union, including the establishment of the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA);

AWARE that the NEPAD e-Africa Commission is mandated to develop and coordinate implementation of the AU / NEPAD ICT programmes in the African continent;

RECOGNISING the following:1. the commitment of the NEPAD e-Schools Initiative to support participating countries in their efforts to ensure quality, robust, secure, reliable, and sustainable broadband connectivity to the Internet and online educational resources and networks by 2015; 2. that a policy and regulatory framework for the development of the NEPAD ICT Broadband Infrastructure Network framed in the Kigali Protocol is currently under review;3. that the development of the submarine component of the Network (Uhurunet) and the cross-border terrestrial component of the Network (Umojanet) is being implemented within the framework of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP);

NOTING the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Declaration of Principles regarding the building of the Information Society and the pivotal role that ICT can play in meeting the Millennium Development Goals;And being fully committed to the on-going integration of NEPAD into the Africa Union structures;

HEREBY RESOLVE as follows:1. The governance structures for ICT in the NEPAD Agency and African Union Commission (AUC) be harmonized by merging the Ministerial Commission and Executive Committee of the NEPAD e-Africa Commission with the African Union Committee on ICT Ministerial Conference (CITMC);2.

Commend the NEPAD Agency and the AUC for the on-going harmonization of their ICT programmes in order to increase synergy and collaboration;

3. Urge the NEPAD e-Africa Commission to mainstream its strategic plan into the NEPAD Agency strategic themes;

4. Encourage national governments to categorize the provision of information and communication technologies, including broadband connectivity, to schools as a Universal Access issue;

5. Urge Ministries in charge of Information and Communication and the Ministries of Education to prioritize the provision of broadband connectivity to secondary schools and to include this issue in the policies and plans of the respective ministries;

6. Encourage national governments to ratify or accede to the Kigali Protocol and call upon all stakeholders to actively participate in the on-going review of the Kigali Protocol;

7. Call upon public and private sector investors to participate in the development of Uhurunet and Umojanet;

8. Charge the NEPAD Agency to develop frameworks and tools and to promote and facilitate the development and dissemination of digital content;

We sincerely thank the Head of State, the government and the people of

Senegal

for their warm hospitality and excellent organization that led to the success of this important meeting.

Done in Dakar on Tuesday the 8th of June 2010.

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