South Africa has been elected as the third Vice President of the Specialized Technical Committee (STC) on Communication and Information Communication Technology (CICT).
The Committee on Communication and ICT (CCICT) has been established as one of the 14 committees set up to work in close collaboration with the various departments of the African Union Commission (AUC) to provide well-informed inputs in their areas of specialisation to the work of the executive council.
The CCICT is also expected to monitor the communications programme’s development and implementation by the AUC and Regional Economic Communities (RECs), on behalf of the executive council.
One of the critical tools in achieving the committee’s mandate includes the AU Communication and Advocacy Strategy, as well as AU Branding Campaign.
The committee also aims to promote the AU and its symbols at national and international level. The strategy looks at means to mobilise funding for the branding of AU events and communications campaigns.
The AU is considering protocol to ensure that member States develop local content and community media.
The African Union has also developed a convention to combat cybercrimes and more states are encouraged to ratify this convention.
The AUC invited the South African government, as the member of the AU to the Extraordinary Session of the STC on CICT, which is underway in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The session, which started on 20 November, will end on 24 November 2017.
Deputy Minister of Communications, Tandi Mahambehlala and Telecommunications and Postal Services Deputy Minister, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams led a delegation from South Africa to the session.
Deputy Minister Mahambehlala said that it is a great honour for South Africa to be elected in this critical position of the third Vice President.
“The country will continue to advance the AU Commission’s Agenda 2063, as well as continue with efforts to strengthen mechanisms and governance principles to ensure that the CCICT is effective. This election comes at a time when South Africa is chairing SADC and will assume the chair of BRICS in 2018,” the Deputy Minister said. – SAnews.gov.za
