PREAMBLE

 

WE, the Ministers in charge of Communication and ICT, meeting through Video conferencing on 5th May 2020 as the Bureau of the Specialized Technical Committee on Communication and ICT, organized by the African Union Commission (AUC) to consider strategies and actions to support the continental strategy on COVID-19 pandemic;

 

TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION Outcomes of the meetings of the African Union (AU) Bureau of Heads of State and Government held respectively on 26 March 2020 and 03 April 2020 regarding Africa’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the meeting of the Economic Commission for Africa with African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development on 19 March 2020; 

 

ACKNOWLEDGING the efforts made by the AUC, AU Specialized Agencies and ICT Organizations Executive Management in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic;

 

APPLAUDING the agreement to establish continental ministerial coordination committees on Health, Finance and Transport in order to support the comprehensive continental strategy;

 

RECALLING Executive Council Decision [EX.CL/Dec. 1074(XXXVI)] that endorsed the Digital transformation Strategy for Africa with a vision to have an Integrated and inclusive digital society and economy in Africa that improves the quality of life of Africa’s citizens, strengthen the existing economic sector, enable its diversification and development, and ensure continental ownership with Africa as a producer and not only a consumer in the global economy;

 

RECOGNIZING that the COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated that the digital divide, exacerbates economic inequality and lack of opportunity and it curtails access to health care and pandemic information;

 

BEARING IN MIND the unprecedented demand for digital technologies to facilitate containment of the spread of COVID-19.  

 

HEREBY COMMIT OURSELVES TO: