ISSUE 5

COMNET-IT at Durban CHOGM – Commonwealth Knowledge Network Launched

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) held in Durban on the 11-15 November proved a unique opportunity for COMNET-IT to draw attention to the impact of IT on development and to the value of sharing experiences between Commonwealth leaders and policy makers.

The Communique issued by Heads of Government at the end of their meeting endorses a number of initiatives amongst which is the launch of the Commonwealth Knowledge Network (CKN), sponsored by the Commonwealth Science Council and the Commonwealth Secretariat. The CKN is an Internet-based mechanism to promote networking in the area of Science and Technology, harnessing local skills and knowledge to resolve common or local problems (see article on page 7 of this newsletter).

COMNET-IT is a strategic partner in the development and promotion of the CKN. Its work in this and other areas was commended in the Communique with the following paragraph:

"The Committee [of senior officials] recognised the contribution made by the COMNET-IT since its inception four years ago to the promotion of the use of information technology for policy development and [for] good practice in the public service as well as the development of institutional networking, and encouraged Commonwealth countries to participate in its activities".

Whilst enhancing COMNET-IT's credentials as the Commonwealth's IT forum, this recognition re-inforces the political and policy lobby that COMNET-IT now constitutes; this influence should catalyse appropriate informatics policies and IT deployment strategies. To this end, on the occasion of the Durban CHOGM, COMNET-IT has launched a two year series of publications on Informatics Policy Issues (see page 11).

COMNET-IT feels, however, that this heightened political and policy awareness needs to be matched by the Commonwealth Secretariat's endorsement of Information Technology as an area of functional co-operation in its own right. It is now commonly acknowledged that Information Communication Technologies have made the transition from being management tools to becoming important economic and social drivers. One hopes that this perception will be upheld and reflected at the Canberra CHOGM in 2001.

Amongst its activities in Durban, COMNET-IT partnered with the Commonwealth Science Council (Commonwealth Secretariat) and Techniquest, a British firm active in the development of science-discovery material, to set up a major exhibit area known as "Commquest". This was done in collaboration with South Africa's Department for Arts, Culture, Science and Technology. Several important personalities took a keen interest in the Commquest area which, on its opening day, was honoured by a visit by HM Queen Elizabeth II and HRH Prince Philip, President Thabe Mbeki of South Africa and the Commonwealth Secretary General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku.

HM Queen Elizabeth II visits the COMNET-IT stand during CHOGM 1999 (left to right: Henry Alamango, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Her Majesty and Dr. Ken Lum)