The Swiss government has pledged one million Swiss francs each to Mali, Mozambique and Senegal in efforts to upgrade their Community Multimedia Centres (CMC). This was announced today at a media briefing on the progress made by governments attending the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).
The pledge was a direct result of the intense lobbying and show of interest the three African nations have made during the WSIS process. The fund will be used to buy additional infrastructure such as equipment and satellites.
It was also announced that over 25 000 people have visited the ICT For Development (ICT4D) Platform at WSIS since it opened on Tuesday. The co-organisers, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), said that the large number of visitors is a reflection of the overwhelming interest in the development aspects of information and communication technologies (ICTs). The organisers said that by the time the platform closes on 13 December, nearly 40 000 people will have walked through the Platform’s exhibits.
African companies and governments make up 25% of the exhibitors. Over 250 organisations from about 80 countries worldwide are showcasing the potential of ICTs as powerful tools to sustainable development companies.
Christin Huges, Manager for International Policy for Hewlett-Packard, one of the many high-tech companies participating in the platform, describes the event as ‘amazingly successful. There are so many examples of the different kinds of innovations that can happen when real partners come together.”
The Platform is designed as a village, with a Market Square in the Centre into which five ‘streets” converge. Each of these five streets is dedicated to a particular theme. — Hana