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SADC agenda

The 14 Southern African Development Community* (SADC) states recently met in the Zambian capital Lusaka to map out the region's strategy in the development of national and regional information technology infrastructure.

The SADC delegates unanimously agreed and identified information technology as an effective tool that could be used to collect and disseminate information about HIV/AIDS which threatens to reverse the region's economic gains and negatively affect regional development initiatives in various fields.

The fastest growing HIV prevalence rates of more than 20 percent are reportedly in Southern Africa, particularly in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

The 14 SADC member countries resolved to seek the assistance of developed countries to establish a new technological culture in the region.

The economic grouping wants to improve information and communication technology as ''a necessary tool'' for its economic integration and development initiatives.

The conference, attended by overseas cooperating partners, recommended that information technology be made part of the SADC regional integration agenda.

It called on the international cooperating partners to help promote the transfer of science and technology to the region and other developing countries.

The conference noted that as the region enters the next millenium, it was still faced with several challenges including the provision of quality education and skills on global competitive standards.

Delegates encouraged the growth of software and hardware development facilities in the sub-region and the improvement of human resource capacity.

SADC states have set the improvement and broadening of equitable access to information and telecommunication technology as a means to creating new opportunities for socio-economic development in the next millenium.

* SADC Member states are: Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe
28 February, 1999

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