The Zambian and Swazi governments have echoed the Swiss government’s call to World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) participants to abide by the commitments contained in the Declaration of Principles and the Plan of Action.
Moritz Leuenberger, head of the department of transport, communications and energy in the Swiss government, told participating nations to abide by the resolutions ‘because cohesion of our world is at stake”.
Bates Namuyamba, the Zambian minister for transport and communication, underscored the role of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), adding that western governments needed to support its activities through financing and technological assistance.
In his speech, Prince David Dlamini from Swaziland said strong political will is essential if everyone is to benefit from Information Communication Technologies (ICTs). Dlamini is the acting minister for foreign affairs and trade in Swaziland.
He added that if NEPAD received much-needed support, it would identify common solutions in addressing challenges in different African countries. He said that the success of such an initiative would depend on the country’s abilities to implement various projects.
While Dlamini emphasised on the role of education and protection of intellectual property rights, he argued that such protection should not be used to deny developing countries the advantage of ICTs.