ICT stakeholders to assess impact of technology on Uganda

The team includes, representatives from the Commonwealth People's Association (CPA) Uganda and I-Network which are partnering with United Nations Development Programme, Uganda's ICT ministry and the private sector. The group will meet on September 5, under the theme: “Has the information society impacted on the socio-economic transformation of Uganda: Tackling the challenges together.”

Next week's assembly will follow meetings attended by the same stakeholders, on creating awareness about the Information Society in Geneva and the Tunis 2005 World Summit on the Information Society Outcomes and Action Lines. The group committed itself to building a people-centered, inclusive and development-oriented information society, to enable people improve their standard of living and promote sustainable development.

“The partners are planning to organise a one-day roundtable discussion as part of the activities aligned with United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),” said Kiapi Frederick, the acting executive director, CPA-Uganda, in a statement, to the media on Thursday.

“This activity is aimed at taking stock of the country's implementation of the Outcomes of the Information Society Geneva 2003 and Tunis 2005 and address the challenges abound,” the statement reads in part. The partners will use this as a medium to further the Tunis 2005 Agenda and the UN Millennium Declaration 2000 and the MDGs enshrined therein.

According to the communication, the roundtable aims to disseminate information about the Information Society and how it can create opportunities for economic transformation. In addition, it aims at addressing the challenges abound for Uganda in implementing the agreed commitments with regard to information communication technology for development and the MDGs.

Keynote speakers at the event will be Dr Ham Mukasa Muliira, Uganda's ICT Minister, Patrick Masambu, the executive director Uganda Communications Commission, and the resident co-ordinator/UNDP resident representative.