Guterres launches AI Advisory body - ITREALMS

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The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General has launched an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Advisory body on risks, opportunities, and international governance of artificial intelligence, reports ITREALMS.

Disclosing this, Mr. Guterres said the creation of a new AI Advisory body is to support the international community’s efforts to govern artificial intelligence.

Guterres names Anriette Esterhuysen chair of IGF-MAG - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), Mr. António Guterres has named Ms. Anriette Esterhuysen ‎as the new Chair of the Internet Governance Forum’s Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG), reports ITREALMS.

The Multistakeholder Advisory Group advises the Secretary-General on the programme of Internet Governance Forum annual meetings. It comprises 50 members drawn from Governments, the private sector and civil society, including representatives of the academic and technical communities.

Ms. Esterhuysen, a South African, currently serves as a Commissioner on the Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace. She was the executive director of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) - the largest ICT-focused civil society network in the world - from 2000 to 2016.

She continues to work with APC as a consultant and convenes the African School on Internet Governance (AfriSIG) a joint initiative of APC, the African Union Commission and Research ICT Africa. Ms. Esterhuysen has served on the African Technical Advisory Committee of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa's African Information Society Initiative (1996-1999), the United Nations ICT Task Force (2002-2005), the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Working Group on Financing Mechanisms (2003-2005), the Commission on Science and Technology for Development Working Group on Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Improvements (2011-2012) and on Enhanced Cooperation (2017-2018), the Global Commission on Internet Governance and the Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG) of the IGF (2012-2014). She was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame as a Global Connecter in 2013.



The Secretary-General expresses his deep appreciation to Ms. Lynn St. Amour, outgoing Chair of the Multistakeholder Advisory Group, for her leadership and able guidance since 2016.

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Africa Week 2017: Opportunity abound in Africa says Guterres

ITRealms:

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr António Guterres, has urged the international community to change the way they look at Africa, reports ITRealms.

In his opening remarks to the Africa Week in New York on Monday, Mr. Guterres described Africa as a place of opportunity.

ITRealms reports that Africa Week commenced with a high level event on “Supporting an Integrated, Prosperous, People-Centred and Peaceful Africa: Towards the Implementation of Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”

Also, ITRealms gathered, that the rationale for this year’s theme for a prosperous African continent is one where different national economies are seamlessly integrated and the economic and social participation of all citizens is guaranteed and promoted. Governments and partners were therefore urged to work to ensure an environment in which entrepreneurship takes root and flourishes, as a means to stimulate economic growth and with a focus on peace and security.

Equally in his remarks, the Acting Special Adviser on Africa, Mr David Mehdi Hamam, pointed out that the UN agenda is central for Africa’s prosperity and peace.

“The question is not whether Africa can achieve its goals, but rather how we can facilitate the continent’s partnerships to achieve these goals. Africa is progressively overcoming its challenges towards the Africa We Want leading up to the World We Want,” Hamam said.

In the same light, Mr Miroslav Lajčák, President of the 72nd Session of the UN General Assembly reiterated that, “Africa is rising. The World Bank has confirmed that after a period of stagnation, growth on the continent is on the up-swing. Africa is taking charge of its own development.”

The Commissioner for Economic Affairs at the African Union Commission, Prof Victor Harison, stated that achievements in Africa include implementation of the First Ten Year Plan of Agenda towards integration. 

“Industrialisation must spearhead development and rural infrastructure development will lead to greater transformation,’ Prof Harison said.

In addition the chief executive of NEPAD Agency, Dr Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, focused on what not to do in order for Africa’s transformation to be realized, stressing on the need for countries not to implement solutions that contradict regional priorities, if integration is to be attained.

With regards to people-centred transformation, Dr Mayaki called for the broadening of partnerships, that is, governments, private sector and civil society. In order to realise a peaceful continent, he emphasised on the need for raising sufficient levels of youth employment through labour intensive industries, coupled with inclusive governance.

Prof Mahamoud Youssouf Khayal, Chairperson, African Peer Review Panel of Eminent Persons, underscored the fact that both Agenda 2063 and 2030 Agenda are people centred, and the African Peer Review Mechanism for Africa is also people centred.

Ms Chinwe Esimai, Managing Director and Chief Anti-Bribery and Corruption Officer,

Citibank, made the point that through Agenda 2063, technology and innovations have the potential to root out corruption and contribute to prosperity.

The events of Africa Week present an opportunity for open discussion on issues that are in line with the implementation of goals set out in the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. These two Agendas are mutually reinforcing as they focus attention on inclusive and sustainable structural transformation across all dimensions of sustainability including governance, peace and security and sustainable development.

Nonye Dom/GEE

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