Consultation of digital sector decision-makers from French-speaking countries in BeninConsultation of digital sector decision-makers from French-speaking countries in Benin

Aurélie Adam Soule Zoumarou, Minister of Digital Economy and Communication, opened on Thursday 30 May the proceedings of the regional consultation day of French-speaking African countries on digital cooperation. A regional consultation day of French-speaking African countries on cooperation? Benin, at the centre of attention of digital sector decision-makers in French-speaking countries, was designated in October 2018, at the 17th Summit of La Francophonie held in Yerevan (Armenia), to host the headquarters of the permanent secretariat and to chair the Francophone Network of Ministers of the Digital Economy, in the person of Aurélie Adam Soule Zoumarou, Minister of Digital Economy and Communication. One of the outcomes of this choice of Benin is the proposal by the United Nations High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation to hold the regional consultation meeting for French-speaking Africa in Benin. The initiative was co-organised by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Communication and Benin’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, together with the International Organisation of La Francophonie and the High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation. Thus, on Thursday 30 May, Benin launched the “Regional Consultation Day of French-speaking African Countries on Digital Cooperation”. It was an opportunity for the international delegations and the High-level Panel attending the consultation to express their satisfaction at seeing Benin’s economic capital host this international meeting. The Minister of Digital Economy and Communication, Aurélie Adam Soulé Zoumarou, first thanked all the delegations from French-speaking countries before stating that “Harmonising standards in Africa is necessary so that we no longer remain in a fragmented market.” She recalled that Benin had undertaken to host this consultation day “like the rest of a French-speaking Africa aware of the need to pool its efforts”. The High-level Panel’s “main task is to raise public awareness of the transformative power of digital technologies on society and the economy and to inform the broader debate on how to ensure a safe and inclusive digital future, in keeping with all applicable human rights standards,” stressed Aurelie Adam Soule Zoumarou, Chair of the Francophone Network of Ministers of the Digital Economy. Her counterpart, Mali’s Minister of Digital Economy and Foresight, Kamissa Camara, believes that, in terms of digital cooperation, “civil society makes it possible to develop applications that meet people’s specific needs, such as reporting environmental problems in their localities to the authorities.” On the agenda of the consultation day was a panel on “Digital cooperation: a lever for accelerating digital transformation in French-speaking Africa?” Other topics discussed included inclusive development, the protection of human rights and the preservation of human agency over digital technologies, inclusive participation in the digital economy and capacity building for individuals. In addition, several high-level presentations will give rise to a report in which stakeholders will put forward solutions for effective digital cooperation. “The high calibre of those present bodes well for the conclusions that will emerge from this work,” said the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aurelien Agbénonci, before concluding that “President Patrice Talon saw fit to launch the idea of a forum for coordinating action among digital economy ministers in order to meet the challenges of the digital sector.” #CooperationNumerique