In this week’s column we look at the beneficial relationship Zambia enjoys with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).
We also reflect on the recent visit to Zambia, by the Deputy Secretary General of the ITU, Houlin Zhao.
The ITU, which was actually the first United Nations (UN) agency to ever be established 149 years ago (it clocks 150 years next year), is responsible for information and communication technology (ICT) issues, and is the global focal point for governments and the private sector in developing networks and services.
It has coordinated the shared global use of the radio spectrum, promoted international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, worked to improve telecommunication infrastructure in the developing world, established the worldwide standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communications systems and addressed the global challenges of our times, such as mitigating climate change and strengthening cyber security.
Zambia’s collaboration with ITU has been beneficial, with the organisation in the past assisting the country in a number of projects including the provision of assistive equipment, communication equipment when the country suffered floods, expertise for the establishment of a computer emergency response team (CERT) in Zambia to oversee issues of cyber security, and has given expert guidance in the review of data protection legislation as well as in the area of spectrum management.
The ITU is also considering assisting Zambia in areas including the establishment of a national emergency communication centre, assistive equipment for schools for the blind, video-conferencing, and feasibility studies in certain areas, amongst other projects.
Last week, Zambia was privileged to host Mr Houlin, whose objective for the trip was to look at the projects Zambia was undertaking as well as discuss upcoming projects with a view to considering them for support.
During his visit from July 25 to 30, 2014, Mr Houlin met with Vice-President Guy Scott to whom he pledged ITU’s continued support to Zambia. Mr Houlin informed Dr Scott that the ITU was impressed with the various ICT projects Zambia had embarked on, particularly, the Connecting Chiefdoms project which has seen the installation of communication towers in the rural areas. He said according to the ITU, Zambia was the first country whose government took such great interest in ensuring that communication towers were installed in rural chiefdoms. Over 200 communication towers are expected to be installed by November as part of phase one of the project which is being run by ZICTA.
Apart from visiting the office of Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communications Yamfwa Mukanga (MP), Mr Houlin also toured the communication tower and the national addressing and postcode project. ITU works closely with the Universal Postal Union - (UPU) in Chief Mukuni’s village in Livingstone.
In Lusaka, he visited one of ZICTA’s connecting learning institutions projects at Munali High School where a computer laboratory and ICT club have been established. He also visited University of Zambia (UNZA), Department of Education - Special Education Unit which was a recipient of assistive equipment from ITU a few years ago. This equipment is used to print material in braille for the blind students at UNZA.
Mr Houlin also took the opportunity to pay a courtesy call on the First Lady Dr Christine Kaseba-Sata who is the ITU Ambassador for E-health with whom he discussed E-health projects and expressed ITU’s commitment to support Zambia in this area. The ITU, in collaboration with World Health Organisation (WHO), has embarked on an m-Health project in Zambia to facilitate communication between health centres and patients in outlying areas.
His visit left a mark in the hearts of many in the ICT sector and members of the community, particularly when he launched the ZICTA-financed cyber security forensic laboratory at Zambia Police headquarters on Tuesday, July 29, 2014. He praised Zambia for its commitment to domesticate ITU resolutions and for being a leader in the area of cyber security in the region.
In February 2014, Zambia was again honoured with a visit by another senior ITU representative – the Secretary General, Dr Hamadoun Toure, who came to officiate at the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) preparatory meeting for the ITU conferences. He also paid a courtesy call on the First Lady Dr Christine Kaseba-Sata.
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Quelle/Source: Zambia Daily Mail, 07.08.2014
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