Conference Programme

Programme (Updated 15/6/2001

Day 1 - Monday, 18 June
Day 2 - Tuesday, 19 June
Day 3 - Wednesday, 20 June


Day 1 - Monday 18 June Theme: Challenges and Opportunities
08:00	Registrations
09:00	Session 1: Opening Ceremony
	1. Chair: Opening Remarks	Myles Wickstead, British Ambassador Rosemary Arnott, Director, British Council K.Y. Amoako UN ECA Executive Samuel Niyambi Resident Representative UNDP
	2. Opening of conference by Guest of Honour	HE Ambassador Mohamoud Dirir, Minister of Transport and Communications
	3. Keynote Address: Delivering information to Ethiopia and Beyond: Using Leading Edge Technology	Anitha Soni, Managing Director, WorldSpace. South Africa
	Announcements by EITPA	Ahmed Hussien, President
	Operating principles for Focus Groups	British Council
	Official opening of the Exhibition
10:15	Coffee break
11:00	Session 2: ICTs in Ethiopia - Challenges and Opportunities Chair, Asrat Bulbula, Commissioner, Ethiopian Science and Technology Commission
	1. Restructuring the Information and Communications Sectors	Dr. David Souter, Executive Director, Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation
	2. Policy and Regulations : an African perspective	E N OleKambainei, Co-Ordinator, Policy and Regulation, African Connection
	3. Ethiopia's National Information Communication Policy	NICP Team
	4. An ICT vision for Ethiopia: the policy formulation process	Dr Lishan Adam, Regional ICT Advisor, UNECA
	5. The DOT force and GKP consultations on bridging the digital divide	Lary Forgy, World Bank
	Discussion and comments from the floor
12:30	Lunch
13:30	Session 3: Focus Groups, Challenges and Opportunities (three 15 minute presentations followed by discussions) Group 1: Policy and Regulatory Issues, Chair OleKambeinei (Africa Connection), Rapporteur: Gorfu Assefa (UNECA) Samuel Kinde: Responding to New Challenges: The case of Telecom Policy in Ethiopia Bob Day: ICT Policy and Strategic Initiatives - South African Experience of relevance to Africa Asfaw Hailemariam: ICTs in Ethiopia - An emphatic look at the infrastructure Sara Solomon: Role of ICTs in alleviating poverty through women's empowerment Group 2: Infrastructure and Access, Chair: Dawit Bekele (Ethiolink), Rapporteur: Kibruyisfa Achamyeleh (UNECA) Mesfin Tasew: Repositioning of the Ethiopian Airlines ICT Systems M E Smalley, N Demers and J Smith: Virtual Networking for a global R&D network on animal agriculture Abebe Kirub and Berhane Getahun: Changing environment of ICTs in the Ethiopian Agricultural Research Organisation Branislav Cika: ICT infrastructure in Africa Group 3 : Application and Services, Chair: Afework Temtime (UNECA), Rapporteur: Assefa Bahta (UNECA) Ahmed Kellow: ICT applications and the pivotal role of defending information requirements Teshome Kebede: Benefits and prerequisites of electronic commerce Eskedar Nega: ICT for good governance Yishak Tadesse: Groupware - Enterprise Technologies Group 4: Human Resources Development, Chair: Lishan Adam (UNECA), Rapporteur: Workshet Lamenew (AAU) Dejene Ejigu: Human resource development and brain drain Herhanu Seboka: The Global Distance Learning Network Initiative: its potential in Ethiopia Abayneh Girma: Knowledge management in human resource development Shalon Simmons and Brian Hamilton: ICT - investing in the future
15:00	Coffee break
15:30	Session 4: Group Task - Describing the challenges and opportunities (each group formulates a list of recommendations within their area) Recommendations from each working group
17:00	End of Day 1. Exhibition remains open until 18:15
18:30	Reception at the Hilton
Day 2 - Tuesday 19 June Theme: Partnerships and Co-operation
08:30	Session 5: Presentations to plenary by rapporteurs of respective Focus Groups Chair, Julie Brittain, Regional Information Co-Ordinator, British Council
09:00	Session 6: International Partnerships and Co-Operation Chair, Ayenew Bitewilgn, Vice Minister, Transport and Communications
	1. ICT Partnerships in Africa (PICTA and CODI)	Karima Bounemra Ben-Soultan, Director, DISD, UNECA
	2. Bridging the Divide: Global Partnerships	Nii Quaynor, CEO, Network Systems, Ghana
	3. Promoting sustainable partnerships: Imfundo, ICT and learning in Africa	Tim Unwin, Director, IMFUNDO
	4. Using Knowledge for Development	Nic Gorjestani, Chief Knowledge and Learning Officer, Africa Region, World Bank
	Discussion and comments from the floor
10:30	Coffee break
11:00	Session 7: Partnering. Public and Private Sectors and Civil Society Chair, Brook Debeba, Vice-Minister, Trade and Industry
	1.Public Sector perspectives	Government spokesman
	2. Private Sector perspectives	Berhane Mewa, President, Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce
	3. Civil Society and Professional Associations: perspectives	Dr. Dawit Bekele IT Standards Assocation
	4. Participation by Developing Countries in E-Commerce	Yusuf Kalindaga, Senior Economic Officer, UNCTAD
	5. ICT Entrepreneurship: A Private-Private Partnership	Solomon Wole, Director, Enterprise Ethiopia
	Discussion and comments from the floor
12:30	Lunch
13h30	Session 8: Focus Groups, Partnerships and Co-Operation (3 x 15 minute presentations in each group followed by discussion)
	Group 1: Policy and Regulatory Issues, Chair: Eskedar Nega (UNECA), Rapporteur: Berhanu Tefera (AAU) Emiliana Tapia Dominguez: Bridging the gender digital divide: the UN Experience Abebe Chekol and Simon Ingram-Hill: Multipurpose community telecentre in Ethiopia: a case study Ben Akok: Electronic business in Africa, Ethiopia and the developing world Hailu Abiebie: "ICT" a walking practice in Ethiopia Group 2: Infrastructure and Access, Chair: Eshetu Alemu (ESTC), Rapporteur: Abiy Yeshitella (Ericsson) Assefa Dagne: Integrated planning information systems, a basis for national information Rahel Bekele: Women resource database the case of CERTWID Carl Chaffee: I-Borders K.S. Thio: Ethiopian Natural Resources and Environmental Meta-Database: (ENRAMED: let's go together!) Akalu Lentiro, Genet Awlachew and Abebe Chekol: Development Information Network on Ethiopia (DEVINET): the British Council and CRDA Initiative Group 3: Application and Services, Chair: Adebabaye Birru (Vision Computer), Rapporteur: Addisu Engida (CPU) Gebresellassie G. Anenia: The Challenges of developing localised applications: beyond the standards Tekeste Berhan Habtu: The role of information technology (IT) in logistics solutions in Ethiopia Mekonnen G / Egsiabher: Information technology: its uses in the tourism industry Getachew Betru: ICT and infrastructure development in developing countries - the Ethiopian Experience Group 4: Human Resources and Development, Chair: Mulugeta Libse (AAU), Rapporteur: Solomon Berhanu (EITPA) Lars Asker: Academic network building in the area of ICT Michael Smalley and H Ibrahim: Using ICTs to strengthen the teaching and research on animal agriculture in African Universities Demisew Bekele: Distance education in Ethiopia: from reel tape to satellite radio - Ethiopian Media Agency (EMA) Yared Getachew: Access and utilisation of ICTs: the case of distance education in Ethiopia In Information Society for All, UNESCO's approach, Gunther Cyranek
15:00	Coffee break
15:30	Session 9: Group Task - Recommendations for future partnership arrangements (Groups 1 - 4)
17:00	Day 2 Close
	EITPA General Assembly
18:30	Reception at Hilton Hotel hosted by GCS/NCR & Group
Day 3 - Wednesday, 20 June
08:30	Session 10: Plenary Presentation by Rapporteurs on Day 2 Group Task Chair, Julie Brittain, Regional Information Co-ordinator, British Council
09:30	Session 11: Co-ordinating the development of ICTs - International and Ethiopian Perspectives, Chair, Dr. Hailu Ayele, Vice President, Addis Abba University
	Country Case Studies on Mechanisms for Co-ordination: the case for Ethiopia, Eshetu Alemu	Ghana, India, South Africa Tanzania and Ethiopia
	Discussions and comments from the floor
11:00	Coffee break
11:30	Session 12: Outcomes Participants work in 4 Groups to produce 4 Documents Group 1: Refining the ICT Vision for Ethiopia (using reports from Day 1) Group 2: International Partnerships - mechanisms and project identification Group 3 : Private, Public and Civil Society: Recommendations and Investment Opportunities Group 4: Co-ordinating Mechanisms for ICT development in Ethiopia
13:00	Lunch break
14:00	Session 13: Plenary - Final Statements
15:00	Coffee break
15:30	Session 14: Closing Session
	1. Comment on Conference Outcomes	Dr. David Souter, Executive Director, CTO Ethiopian Representative
	2. ICT Awards Ceremony	EITPA
	3. Concluding Remarks	Guest of Honour
	4. Closing thanks	Chair
	* The Exhibition area is open till 18:00 hrs from 18-20 June 2001