Statement at the opening of the Global Knowledge Partnership Action Summit: By Lalla Ben Barka Deputy Executive Secretary United Nations Economic Commission for Africa

Abstract

This statement delivered by Lalla Ben Barka Deputy Executive Secretary United Nations Economic Commission for Africa at the opening of the Global Knowledge Partnership Action Summit. Ms. Barka on her remarks highlighted that, ECA has always recognised the value of local knowledge and understanding as a necessary complement to the information that can be brought to bear on development problems from outside sources. Both are essential elements of the development equation: the absence of local understanding and involvement in the design and implementation of development projects has been the source of many failures. Its inclusion, we hope, will account for many successes. The African Information Society Initiative is rooted in 15 prior years of regional efforts to reduce the information gap between Africa and the rest of the world. AISI is not an ECA programme. It is an African programme which from the beginning ECA has implemented in partnership - in Africa through the Partnership for Information and Communication Technologies in Africa (PICTA), and globally, through the Global Knowledge Partnership. ECA will be one player among many contributing to the achievement of the vision of the African Information Society.