Malawi launches Internet governance forum
Malawi will for the first time have an Internet governance forum charter whose overall objective is to establish a multi-stakeholder process that will shape the development of Malawi’s economy and build capacity on Internet governance issues.
Speaking during the launch of the charter in Lilongwe last week, Secretary for E-Government in the Office of the President and Cabinet Olive Chikankheni said the charter is critical because Internet as a global network that consists millions of private, public, academic, business and government networks, linked by an array of electronic, wireless and optical technologies needs to be governed.
“Malawi Internet governance forum will bring together businesses, non-governmental organisations, government and end users to discuss internet-related policy issues, exchange ideas and best practices and help shape the future of the internet in an open, inclusive and sustainable setting,” she said.
Chikankheni said that the Internet governance forum will help improve Internet governance locally and globally, lower local internet service charges, enhance e-government and the realisation of an ICT-led Malawi as it strives to move from being predominantly importing to an exporting country.
Head of New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad) e Africa programme officer Edmund Katiti, whose organisation financed the meeting, said Malawi is going in the right direction on issues of ICT because of the e-government office in OPC.
“This charter is very important because it will facilitate the participation of a broad range of Malawian stakeholders in regional and global Internet governance,” he said.
Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) director of finance Ben Chitsonga said Internet is becoming one of the crucial tools for human development, hence it needs to be regulated and properly monitored.
“Every good thing has its negative side and the forum will be able to deal with some of the abuses that some people get through Internet,” he said.
Among other things, the charter aims to contribute to strengthening the multi-stakeholder dialogue model for Internet governance in the Sadc region and Africa.
