The ASN is the Africa regional network of the United Nations ICT Task Force created in January 2002, with its secretariat based in ECA. It aims at ensuring that UN’s efforts to bridge the digital divide in Africa are better coordinated, more inclusive and reflective of the significant efforts already underway to develop an African information society.

During the ASN Steering Committee meeting, a presentation was made by Mr. Richard Bourassa and Mr. Raymond Lepage of Industry Canada that focused on the goals, principles, priorities, and partnership mechanisms for the global ePol-Net and its regional node for Africa.

Participants noted that the initiative is very important in assisting developing countries in formulating ICT strategies, and that ECA has been partnering with Canada as the regional node of the initiative and will serve to channel demand and supply and coordinate with partners. The discussions highlighted the importance of benchmarking, sharing knowledge and experiences with ongoing initiatives, coordination with partners and evaluation with clear performance indicators.