The best part of the arrangement in the bigger picture, concerns the laying down of the much - hyped - about fibre optic cables.
With the coming of the fibre optics, we anticipate that sooner than later, the entire region shall indeed be networked, enabling the efficient and easy tapping into of various e-connection interventions in the region.
Late last week, the East African Community moved a notch higher launching the EAC web portal at its Arusha headquarters, bringing together a number of resources that shall henceforth be available on-line.
According to a media dispatch from the Community, the web portal docked on www.eac.int provides links to fully-fledged stand alone websites created for the various sectors of the Community.
The launch took place hot on the heels of yet another launch of the first regional lawyers blog by the East Africa Law Society (EALS) in Bujumbura, Burundi and Kigali, Rwanda. Similar launches by EALS are expected in the rest of the Partner States shortly.
The blog whose feed address is www.blog.ealawsociety.org has been developed as part of the organisation's wider strategy to technologize the legal profession and enhance the networking of the profession in the EAC region.
The blog offers its membership a more approachable, informal information-environment in which the stakeholders and general public gets to exchange views and learn about achievements and innovations of EALS.
It also provides a forum where challenges that face the legal and civil society fraternity and the regional integration process in general, can and should be tackled.
The above momentum justifies the importance with which the use of ICTs is gaining ground in the region. Article 7 of the Treaty establishing the EAC, highlights the principles that govern practical achievement of the Community as inter alia, the provision and creation by Partner States of an adequate and enabling environment including putting in place conducive policies and basic infrastructure to enable integration.
Sound telecommunications, broadband and communication facilities form an important backbone of infrastructure.
In addition to the use of websites in disseminating information and communications, the region is also now embracing e-governance strategies all the way from the government sectors to the regulators, operators and the civil society.
Discussions at the regional level are on-going with the Partner States focusing on policy and regulatory issues, projects, institutions, harmonisation and governance including the processes for implementation.
The policy harmonisation framework originates from the potential impact of ICTs on economic growth and regional cooperation.
Considering that the EAC partner states are at different stages of ICT development in terms of penetration of ICT infrastructure, service provision and policy, processes of harmonisation becomes critical as we move towards the formation of the common market. Relevant Links
Ideally, there is significant room in the new discourse for regional co-operation and ICT policy harmonisation to meet the single market agenda of the EAC.
At the outset, the region is determined to strengthen its economic, social cultural and other ties for balanced and sustainable development through the customs union and common market as stages that shall lead to a monetary union and ultimately a political federation as intimated by the EAC Treaty. My take from the overarching scenario is the need to continuously make use of ICTs and particularly exchanges through the websites and blogs and to further spread the gospel in fast tracking regional integration.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Bobi Odiko
Quelle/Source: AllAfrica, 07.07.2009
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