The following are the outputs of the captioning taken during an IGF intervention. Although it is largely accurate, in some cases it may be incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors. It is posted as an aid, but should not be treated as an authoritative record.
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>> SOUHILA AMAZOUZ: Good morning. Did you hear me? You hear me? Good morning. Why do you bring option? If you're getting noise from that, you should call that particular one. (side voices) hello? It's okay. All right. Thank you.
Good morning and sorry for that. We are going to start late this session. And let me check if you have all our online speaker. Souhila, you are here and also Vincent, Dr. Vincent.
>> DR. VICENT OLATUNJI: Good morning.
>> Let's start now this.
>> MODERATOR: Let's start now. When you discuss about data sharing governance data in the continent particular is very important. Why? The digital mart is estimated to $180 billion by 2025. This market a lot of coming from data. And we ‑‑ since the development of AI, data can provide a lot of opportunity in the continent, improve the economic growth and the growth of economy. Also the issue for reliability is very important for data intercontinent. But we can face some challenges to take opportunity of this data generation. And key challenges are the issue of policy. All country have several policies. And why you see can be just AI data from work strategy to guide it, the Africa data market. It is a very important at the continental level. Second, we have issue of ‑‑ of infrastructure, digital infrastructure is a key challenge for data development in the continent. If you want to discuss about crossed data sharing, certain digital skills are very important also and we have a digital gap, very big digital gap. If you look at the world level amongst the 20 countries, we were weak and 12 are from Africa.
Another point challenge very important for the African continent, it is original collaboration. We have several working together in the continent and also across the member states. And for that, we need collaboration can between member state is a very, very important and now, at the worldwide level, we put this data governance working group after the adoption of the global digital contact. And the global digital compact, one is very important governance of data. Why our discussion today will be providing key guidance on how we can take benefits of this data generation. As we know, Africa will represent 40% of our youth population around the wonder. We need to create job forces for this new generation and also create welfare for this new generation and data can help them. Of course, if we make in place of good governance at the continental world and as the world level and today have this thing speaker to talk about on this on several issues we are facing now in the continent is the opportunity of course. I am going to start. Let me present my distinguished panelists.
Have Ms. Souhila Amazouz. Dr. Vincent and Paul. We are all here. We have a sister and brother. We will have a good discussion today. I'm now going to ask you some difficult things. Let me start with Souhila. We talk about a lot about data policy at the continental level. Why AUC, we were developing this AU strategy data framework for the continent. The objective of this framework and where we are now with the implementation of this framework at the continental level. You have 3 minutes.
>> SOUHILA AMAZOUZ: Yes. Good morning, everybody. Thank you, moderator for this important question. Indeed, adoption of the AU policy framework shows the political will of African countries to effectively use data to support digital automation and also support development agenda of the continent. So the frameworks maximize data access and also data flows across the continent. We consider data as a strategic and value below sources. The framework by its development as you mentioned, it was comprehensive, forward looking and with participation of all stakeholders, it was pass participatory. So the framework it put forward a vision for the continent on how to use data and also how to manage and regulate that data that we can benefit from this also. This is why at the same time put the same courts to protect economies. So the principle's leading the transparency recounted corporation as corporation is very important to insure the development of shared data ecosystem across the country and also facilitate data to flow within countries and also between countries.
So the strategic frameworks of the strategic priorities over the continent manically developing the necessity capacities and also strengthening and admonishing events across the country reaching high level of convergence of data nos and regulations. This is same level of protection of data across the country. And also it ends to built the capacities of member states to develop their national data systems, to develop eternal data built as we said eye strategic to work beyond personal data that is needed for Artificial Intelligence and all that emerging countries. And also how to create value from data and to enable the create of data market that will support and will take the thought of the digital single mart.
When it comes to Harmonization and what we aim to achieve and where are we from the adoption of the framework since 2022, so we went through organizing capacity building and have the same understanding because we know one of the of data across the cornered is not a common understanding on the data governance. There is different approaches on data governance. From our side, flowing the out work organize delve workshops at the national and directional levels. For us to reach the same networks and also lie the found for integrated and also anti across the businesses is a challenge. There is data governance across the continent is the fact that so far the focus mainly is on personal data. We have only few ‑‑ but work is ongoing as we are providing technical assistance program with support of our partner GCID and the initiative are providing technical assistance to states and national data systems. There is storage capacity that may prevent or be for data flows across the country. We identify the need to empower incapacitate data protection authorities or division because it is beyond medical the personal data, but they need to be empowered and also to enhance corporation between the data proactivity. They're working with a network of data protection authorities and you mentioned, working with all organizations and we're also trying to build communities they can facilitate and also develop the necessary frameworks and mechanisms at level. Continental level, as part of the implementation, the data policy network provides guidance on how to facilitate and enable as part of the recommendations, our work to facilitate kind of and also work on open data. As you mentioned, we need to make data available for Artificial Intelligence and also at the same time, we need to work on incapacitating our member states both at policymakers and also technical levels, but also enable Africa to participate in ongoing discussion shape will the data governance. It is what I can say, but I will be happy to answer any questions.
>> MODERATOR: I highlight several issues. Very important. But wire hiding by two key frame works. It is from 2020 to 2030. How is this data governance that will.
>> SOUHILA AMAZOUZ: Thank you for the follow‑up question. The strategy is the overall framework that is guiding digital agenda of the continent. And the policy network as part of the implementation, we developed in several strategic frameworks including the data policy framework that address the aspect related to dada, but the ‑‑
>> MODERATOR: Okay. Let me come now to Thelma. In the strategies, there are issues that got into this data flow. You're covered around 37 member states now. 41 member state covered by Smart Africa. What organization such as Smart Africa can supply in creating challenges.
>> Thank you very much. Can you hear me? You can't hear me?
>> MODERATOR: Yeah. Go ahead.
>> So can you hear me? I think most of the challenges is what my sister Souhila has mentioned. The first one was on Harmonization. And one key thing that the original organizations can and should do is move in the same direction. That's why it is very kiwi are all aligned to the Africa union data framework. You would find that a lot of original economical communities is trying to create original harmonized data framework, but it's important that whatever work has been done, whatever work is being done in Sudic and EAC is aligned to the pan African framework. That is the only way we can move in one direction to the policies that are fragmented. The data infrastructure and what we found out was that there was a lot of lackey trust between governments and businesses ‑‑ the lack of trust between government and businesses. And so what original organization like Smart Africa can do is faster sort of trust this is by insuring that count the regulations and policies. Countries have the same understanding of what is security threshold, for instance. What do I mean by that? Say Uganda and ‑‑ there is standing of security and they have the same tolerance of data privacy so that they are able to create that trust. But we also need to look at it from economic point of view. Meaning when we are creating this regulations and policies, we need to think of it like let's say if MTM came to Africa, would it be economically attractive on them to do 50 plus policies? No. And that's why we also were looking at doing setting up original data centers where we try and bring ‑‑ we put Cloud technology on different data centers across different countries so that we aggregate that space. Because of the trust by the way that I started with the governments, every government is trying to create a data center. And those data centers have very low utilization. That's a lot of costs. We don't need to spend. And so to encourage that trust is from the infrastructure point of view is to build this Cloud technology on top of the various countries where they would share similar infrastructure leveraging Cloud think it and thereby attracting Martin nationals to come in and then in addition to making it easier, the government has that confidence that data is not being extracted.
One more thing that I want to add is that as original organizations beyond supporting countries beyond frameworks and regulations and policies and all these data centers, we also need to be aligned among yourselves. We need understand that there's only one Africa and we need to understand the only reason why we exist as original organizations is this. There needs to be know competition. We need to cooperate, work together and harmonize what it is we're doing so there's no duplication of efforts. You realize we could be more efficient if we came together. Even if we're doing the same things, split the bridges or to share the opportunities within the value chain. That is something if we also need to do. In terms of the technical things or the technical implementations, it's not lost on us. It's the how. We would be able to move forward. Thank you.
>> MODERATOR: Thank you very much. Work together to avoid when we come to implement this AUV strategy.
Now, we have a picture of the origin there is also an organization working on data and we need to harmonize all this effort to come up with one strategy for the can't tent. And now let's see how key can implement at the national level. The challenges facing by countries we can get some examples from economic growth and innovation and digital transportation. Data promotes key tool to support innovation in the continent.
>> DR. VICENT OLATUNJI: Thank you very much. Good morning. We are talking about Souhila. Data is alive. So everything we do now would depend on data. It is really (?) as a continent to put in place. Harmonize data and have data approach to whatever I want to do; however, it was restrained from nod using data loosely. We need to tab of what we're talking about. Is it for poly? Is it for policies? Or is it an area of data privacy protection. People have rights of citizens or their freedom, but this is the thing we need to take into proper contest. We are talking (?). We have done a lot in Africa. There are several ‑‑ we have laws and several people don't know what to do. There is potential of privacy of individuals.
Now, looking at where we are globally, there is a bigger aspect. The growth and development and trait without practices will payment in place. I would now put in place appropriate implementation framework. It is properly use that and make it work for you. It adds value. Now, for us to really we need to put in mace appropriate policies and I ahead to come in. We have Africa, you know, and data framework and also Europe has (inaudible) by the convention. It is across the continent. As I said before that, a lot of it utilizes and speaks to confidence and trust and economies. Now, people recognize those. They shout the data and remember policies and digitals that are guaranteeing that. I stand ‑‑ we'll talk tried. We're talking about African trade agreements which is having it covered in the regime in Africa. With this, I need to in what continent. It is trading commerce. If you don't have that, it will comic progress. By the time we believe and come together, we'll need to benefit from it and potentials. It will be proper data policies.
You look at what is happening in Africa. It is really great, really (?). Yes. It is too slow. For instance, there are several things and the U.S. has ‑‑ there is another strategy that took place. There is the digital economy in Africa is now growing very fast and we're trying to (?).
Now I'm going to digital transformation. Finding the government to be fully transformed, fully (?). We can't achieve it without proper data. It speaks to who we are, where we are and where we're going to get to. They work on the visuals and we put in place and we would like to achieve the visual that is set for ourselves. This is without data policies. This can't come without appropriate frame works. We wanted to look at what happened with COVID. A lot of schools they went under during COVID. They kept telling me, yes. This is the project that it's got. Some areas were saying okay. Because now we have a lot of schools deploying technologies for education. There are people walking from home where you believe (?). Now say online, do your visions. And I'm sure, many people are working together. They try to do that and achieve.
>> There is without data, we can't achieve dig transformation. Let me get the view from Lilian in Uganda. Lilian, the floor is to you.
>> Lilian: Good morning, everyone. I think the impact has been partially mentioned and what needs to be done. But what I wanted to throw more light on the digital policies that we are seeing coming up and the issue of data localization where we are seeing African country. We are seeing many countries that are putting in an element of data localization with data protection laws. This can have a very negative impact especially when we're looking at utilizing data. We are seeing their economic (?). My colleague here from smart Africa, the issue with setting up data center. The countries should I think is in the localization pushing for having individual country data center. You come to Uganda and we also want them to increase it deeing business.
If we're looking at promoting or advancing, you will find that order ‑‑ hidden due country ‑‑ among the policies and the possible impact of pushing forward data localization is the issue of undermining. I think the PBS become mission about a few countries about with having data protection laws. Some of these are in implementation. So when you push for things like policies that advancing localization of data, you're going to cut out a few of those countries and also this is going to impact the other continental level as pushing for the Africa union data policy. You find you have a few countries moving forward and others being constant. We conducted my organization I work would have been documenting impacts of data. We also did several analysis which we for data localization and we're finding where this is happening, there's really negative impact in terms of privates violations. We have a few countries as much as thigh have data protection laws, they're still struggling to have data protection set up and I think the most active ones is Ghana, and we are promoting and utilizing data policies and showing implementation. So I think I can say that the implementation level. So probably.
>> MODERATOR: Let me go because we are running out of time now. Africa is a specific continent. We have 90% of our economy informal. We listen, you know, some task on data ‑‑ it affects small businesses in Africa. In view, the African frequent area.
>> Thank you. Thank you for that question. So just to say that yes. The local policies have their benefits and try to promote in the security of data. But we also have to consider the implementation of these policies and actually is data more secure in your own jurisdiction than in other jurisdictions? So the consideration of what is the feasibility of enforcing strong data policies in different countries is questionable anyway.
For MSMEs, it means raising the costs of accessing services that might be cheaper elsewhere. The whole point of this is to be able to access more variety of choices, but also potentially most sophisticated choices. Some are less subject to cyber threats is not clear yet whether many found many countries in place. For businesses, we have to understand that it is true there are opportunities for local business to develop Cloud competing services. The martial this is not where the many benefits come from. This is more the analytical tools that will ‑‑ and so I don't believe at the moment there is that foreside. And looking at the actual Cloud storage facilities rather than looking at the article tools and again, if we look at the technology and sophisticated of some tools available globally, it's going to be very hard to match those. So those need ‑‑ of course, they try and promote across border transfers of data. Thigh do not encourage data localization and it is ‑‑ it is trying to promote the free flow of the moratorium of any types of duties on the electronic transactions as well amongst the members. So we see that trade agreements can advance I think more free flow of trait. Generally the trade Americas should be the national regulations, but it is the principle of what those regulations should contain. The ‑‑ these are normally incorporated. But they tell you how you must do it as long as you have a system in place that we have confidence in. That is sufficient to be able to meet the standards of the trait agreement and the same with the FASDA. It sets up the frameworks jump as African union started with that also, but it doesn't.
One last thing I have caused them to promote and that's quite critical for businesses to address other markets as well.
>> MODERATOR: Thank you very much. I think it is important when you rise. We need to align with the digital name work as well as FAACDA. Where the me go through to open the door. I think it is similar important discussion we have now. And we learned a lot. It is everywhere for every day. We are using data day and night.
Okay. You heard the area coming. Name and your institution. Let me start with this gentleman. Microphone, please.
>> Good morning. With the Youth IGF, I love the discussions about data and let me start with this and my observation is most of the platforms where we send our data as Africa. It raises then the question for me as we are talking about data policies from Africa when most of the data that we use or platforms we use, were not started in Africa. Hour we balance the business aspect so we create more room for data localization as well as promote increased policy so most of what we're talking about allows for data to be localized, but also the 60s picture is how we create an aspect where most of the platforms we use and localization to be actually on if Africa. Thank you.
>> Thank you.
>> Thank you. Working before the so the question is here. I think it will be work for the local community, for the local (?) not for the original organization. Original corporation between countries. This is the first question. Second question is: How can we change the mild from the to of are there questions about how ‑‑ do you have an example of the original corporation regardless of the data? Thank you.
>> MODERATOR: Thank you.
>> Hello. Good morning. I'm from Unicca. My question is ‑‑ hello?
>> MODERATOR: Yes, please go ahead.
>> My question is AU data policy President works what did we look? The Africa one is ‑‑ to make it a reality, there are so many nie things to follow up. The policy norm using on localization and data. As you can see, it is highlighted there in digital divide. If you have a stable electricity, they become a reality. So Harmonization is one thing, but cross sector or crossed collaboration is necessary. So my focus on my question to AUC Souhila is what is the implementation plan other than domesticating the policy framework? Thank you.
>> Thank you. Two parts to my submission. One is a prescription and the other one is probably a question for the panel. What we see here in my opinion is what we call the mixed messaging in some levels. On one hand, if I am sitting here as a Commissioner for data for a country, my responsibility will be to protect the data of my country as a sovereign entity. But then I'm both hold no. You have to open your data so that we can be sure you do tried. And then someone is also saying we don't have the data in my country. It is somewhere else. What we need to do is a layered Harmonization where if we talk of infrastructure, do we have it in terms of data centers? If we talk of the issues of implementation, do we have the top level domain names being used? Are they supposed to be aware? The messaging should be clear. The second issue is also to look at the issues of infrastructure. And we talk about infrastructure and how we want to share, are we building the infrastructure that is there to be able to deal with what we're dealing with and the localization at the national level? Thank you.
>> We have some question.
>> MODERATOR: We have questions online. Please go for the participant.
>> Good morning. Hello. Are you hearing me?
>> Yes.
>> MODERATOR: Yes.
>> Thank you. I'm from Unica. There are challenges in Africa. It is good to talk about data governance and the challenges in Africa. So the issues like lack of comprehension and legal framework and infrastructure and cybersecurity trends and digital divide are mentioned as one of the challenges of data governance in Africa. But for me, the most serious and the most challenging is we folk data fragmentation. So my question S. Do we really have Harmonized data at the country level, let alone at of the levels. It is making it difficult for decision making. We need to bring even an institution in a single country to have a kind of really same so that we can use that data appropriately. So the question is: Do we really have that sort of data Harmonization in the country? And the second question is for Souhila.
>> MODERATOR: Melody? You have the flier.
>> Melody: Can you hear me? Yes. So I wanted to chip in and say we are working on a project across the board and we're mainly looking at the inconsistency of the vision and what is happening at the national level. We looked at Nigeria, synagogue and what is a case study and one of our findings. I think they mentioned it that there is that clash between national interests and continental vision at the broader continental vision and we need more discussion on how best we can align and what is happening in our national governments and what is happening at the AU level and I guess something that I want to enter the conversation, which wasn't mentioned is the issue of data deficiencies and the law demand for the data flows. So when we were doing this, we found that a lot of African governments are operating manually and they're using outdated systems and have unreliable data. Because of that, there is always that challenge of law demand for use of that data and that also impact on how African countries and businesses are preaching this question of cross body data sharing as well. And just to add on as well, we have a couple of African countries that have started adopting and implementing the AU data policy framework so there is room there for peer to peer learning from other ‑‑ from these African countries leading on national data strategies and they can share their experiences with others as well. So I will stop there. Thank you.
>> MODERATOR: Melody, thank you. You are from where? She lost the data.
[Laughter]
Let's go to another one. I think we are done. Microphone, please.
>> Um ‑‑
>> MODERATOR: Two minutes.
>> I am women who code. So my question is based on what Melody said. How do we avoid selected data implications? Because at the moment, we are perpetuating inequalities that is very biased. The people that have the access to Internet, they're the same people holding the resources. Everything that they have is excluding the marginalized. How do we make sure the data that is online that we have is not perpetuating inequalities?
>> MODERATOR: Thank you. Someone else needs the floor? Wong, 2, 3? Let me go back. Focus now.
>> To my colleagues here. Actually, they combine both the data and digital transmission projects. So in order to have communication between data and digital submission projects there should be there kind of AI‑‑
>> MODERATOR: Let's go back to the panelists. There is AUC. Let me start here with Souhila.
>> SOUHILA AMAZOUZ: Do you hear me? Yes. I think maybe the majority of the questions that are related to the data infrastructure and the data localization capacity of the Africa as a continent and also the capacity at hosting capacity at national level. I think this is one of our challenges. It is one of the common challenges for African countries, but just to say that we are aware of the weaknesses and the deficiencys, there is work ‑‑ deficiencies. We can start talking about how to manage and regulate and effectively use the data being shared across the continent. So monitor related to original data centers, there is already three original projects that have been selected by digital economy communities like the projects that are adopted and the whole region that agreed on them in the data centers and now there is the African Union development adjustment and it is moving towards the implementation and from the discussion that we had recently as part of the development of the continent and Artificial Intelligence is a recommendation to accelerate the implementation of the three projects and to see if there is a possibility to move towards ridgal projects. At national level, as part of the data governance initiative, there is an EU EU program. Their is part supporting member states developed to projects proposals on national data centers and business models. There is more about project preparation and company member states to identify or to prepare national projects. I think having national data centers doesn't prevent data to flow across the countries. It is about putting in place the policies and the regulation that will build that stress, that confidence among countries and different stakeholders that we can enable data to flow across borders and as Paul mentioned, it is not all data that we need to enable to flow across the continent, but we need to do classification and to notify the level of security and privacy of each type of data. Having countries to agree on the minimum requirements to facilitate data flow. We are establishing a committee where we can have all representatives from member states and original organizations that we'll discuss and be kind of open discussion that they can agree on the minimum requirements and also the best way to facilitate data exchanges and data corporation across the continent.
On the comparison between the African Union and the European union, policy framework, I think the approach is different. We cannot compare because the context is different as mentioned even within Africa. We have some countries that ask somehow at best on the data policy framework developing the necessary mechanism at national level to manage data and we have at the same time, some countries at early stage of data at digital readiness and for us as a continental organizations, we need to work with all countries and find common ground like facilitate collaboration among countries. So the policy framework is continental approach. It is the original and continental level. It provides guidance we need directions and as we move to the implementation, we are doing beyond what is included in the data policy framework. For instance on national data governance and involving all national actors, we are supporting countries to have national dialogue data governance. With all stakeholders, thigh have this discussion and notifying key stakeholders and how they organize them to develop the national data ecosystem. The work is ongoing. So far we progressed very well with Zambia about to finalize their national data policy framework and also Smart Africa supported two additional countries. And I'm working with countries to create that conversation at national level and facilitate the discussion allowed data as an asset had beyond personal data, but data as a resource that needs to put at the disposable key stakeholders. We have developed guidelines on how to include data in the digital trade agreements and I'm working towards supporting members state to develop the national develop capacities.
The deficiencies and the lows are also identifying in our assessment and as I said, the work is ongoing. There is 2/3rds of countries that are in place. Some of them are outdated and many countries are in the process of reviewing them. There are less than 50% of countries they have in place that national data authority or commission and some of them are not operationally it. There is support where we're providing support to incapacitate and empower this data authorization.
On the last question of how to avoid biases and make data available for Africa driven development, it is collective work. It is collective efforts. Once we put in place all this necessary mechanisms and developed capacities at national level from our side, there is African Union and the organization. We aim to create platforms and create conditions for data to flow and also to support the digital trade in line with FDA objectives. Our work is to find like the common objective and common interest. Work is ongoing. It is a lot of work, but you are optimistic. Many countries have started and they invest in the implementation of the AU policy framework.
>> MODERATOR: Thank you. Thelma, you can complete.
>> THELMA QUAYE: Thank you. I will try to answer one of the questions on how to balance the fact that most of the platforms we use are not owned in Africa and we're talking about data localization. I wish I had a (?) here. But how I see it, we need to segregate the data because we're not ‑‑ when we talk about data governance, we're not trying to be protectionists and we're not trying to create an island of Africa. So on one side, there should be national level localization and then there's original level of localization and then continental level localization. Then across this, we have confidential, private and public. So once we're able to categorize data across this metrics, we will then know how we can, you know, keep what we have to keep in the countries if it's critical and confidential nature or if it's something that is of jurisdictional matter. Then we go to the next level. For me, the cross cutting is where we need to let go or open up our bodies to the next countries is what is going to impact or what will happen facilitate the AFCTA. At the moment, data protection laws are in direct contraction. We are not aligned. It is in their own world and data protection authorities are in their own world. Once we have that matrix, we will now know which box of data we can go to facilitate. We're suffering on trade because Rwanda is 12 million. It cannot thrive because 12 million is too little. Meanwhile if we treat that policy so that if we segregated or data and knew what we can let go, we can open up at 1.4 billion markets to, you know, the rest of Africa.
Then the third part will be what we can let go. We don't have the platforms and we have not had a lot of unicorns as my colleague from Nigeria had mentioned. We need to find that fine balance of which sort of data will go and which one we need to keep and which sort of data to facilitate so it helps our trade. From the smart Africa perspective, we encourage data localization within an African content and not just a national context. Data localization within an African coon text now brings into the question. How do we leverage Cloud? How do we leverage that within Africa? That is the existing data to be able to localize data in Africa, share trust amongst ourselves and help Africa so that we retain our data of, you know, as much as we can within Africa because with lower cost, it will increase efficiency to also increase the quality of service that people receive. Thank you.
>> MODERATOR: Thank you. Dr. Vincent, 2 minutes because we're running out of time. Dr. Vincent, 2 minutes, please. We don't hear you.
>> DR. VICENT OLATUNJI: Yes. I will say that just (?) issues of localization. Basic question. Can we actually practice full data localization? (?) services from localization in Europe and Asia and you have information. (?) to local data. (?) village and projects, what 11 of Cloud, just cities and countries where are these countries. I think what we need to do is data categorization. What categories of data must we look at in our countries? What categories of data that we will share. And I think you take the lead in this work. In addition to that, somebody mentioned the benefits they have in each of the countries. I think the strength of the (?) is all countries are like GDPR. 47 million. In Africa, I published 1.4 million. It focuses on different visions. We’re not aligned (?) data framework. That should be a very strong controlled level to direct and guide what is happening in Africa from which all of that within (?) and drive that loss. I think that is very, very strong even for us. The strength and whatever would ‑‑ (?) you see the data and the policy they want to put in place. They have the policies and you have no strong continental (inaudible) framework to control, to strength. So we need to work on this. Thank you.
>> MODERATOR: Thank you. Lilian?
>> Lilian: I will conclude by saying we need to be very intent. (audio cutting in and out) we need to be very intentional. My colleagues here mentioned as they're organizing data as a national asset. I think wedge intentional is ‑‑ I think being intentional is how do we go out with this categorization. So we need to be developing national data strategies. As much as we have been pushing for data protection and all that, we need to have national data protection, national data strategies. I think I need to be corrective, but they just came up with one. Uganda had a draft launched some time last month and this can be adopted by other countries. We should know which data we're keeping locally, what kind of investments are we looking at, what kind of support do we need, but also intentional means that we need to be looking for financing. You know? When you categorize that, then you know where you will invest heavily. You need to know how to utilize the data to bring in more income. You need to know which data, which category of data will be looking at promoting more innovation. So intentional looking at support, funding for both I think the Private Sector, looking into the Private Sector support, tapping into that pocket, but also (?) and Jay said Smart Africa and the UNDP, doing that, but also we need to tap in the Private Sector to support this national data governance or strategies. Thank you.
>> MODERATOR: Thank you. Paul?
>> PAUL BAKER: Thank you. Just quickly. I think we have to be practical for this data to look like (?) start for businesses. Very simple example for me to come to this conference, I had to send my most personal data to Germany giving all my passport details. If we're not going to allow sharing very personal information in certain circumstances, that becomes very problematic. Localization strategy is not going to help businesses. Had you entered contract with anybody else, that are very, very personal on shareholders on the company, where they live, on their passport details. I think it is not very practical and we need to think what we want to achieve and I think the UGDPR is make sense. Make sure they're aligned. We can encourage other countries to adopt. They're not aligned with what GDPR has already done. But they haven't gained equivalence. We need to put focus on mutual recognition, equivalence and helping those countries that are really struggling to have data protection agency or move towards that format to try and promote it is really not a practical solution to try and bar the access to data. Form a question. Very important question. recurring question. There are three levels that businesses use as channels for setting online. The first one is Facebook and social media. That is not truly e‑Commerce. We can row move those platforms. The last one is a national platform and platforms to trade with other countries. Using those, we want to use the platforms that give us opportunities to access markets. If that happens to be eBay or ‑‑ you ooze a business should be able to use. If you're putting requirements that you must only use those platforms, again, it would damage businesses. We need to think carefully about the policies.
>> MODERATOR: We're almost at the end of this session. Let me give you the floor for one word take away. One word only.
>> PAUL BAKER: Harmonized approaches.
>> MODERATOR: One word.
>> PAUL BAKER: Harmonization.
>> MODERATOR: Lilian? One word.
>> Informant. Informant.
>> Informant.
>> MODERATOR: Dr. Vincent one word for take away of this session.
>> DR. VICENT OLATUNJI: Collaboration.
>> MODERATOR: Collaboration. Souhila?
>> SOUHILA AMAZOUZ: Balance of approach.
>> MODERATOR: One word.
>> SOUHILA AMAZOUZ: I would say (?).
>> MODERATOR: One word.
>> SOUHILA AMAZOUZ: I think ‑‑ I think I am allowed to have two words since I am the last one.
>> MODERATOR: One, one, one.
[Laughter]
Okay. You well is two seconds.
>> SOUHILA AMAZOUZ: I would say multi‑stakeholder and sectoral approach.
>> MODERATOR: Multistakeholder. It was a very important discussion. We raised a lot of issues regarding this data sharing, data cross. We agreed. We acknowledge data framework strategy. But as an implementation at the national level, we have to take into consideration the local needs as well as the framework at the continental level. And the digital protocol. Digital transformation framework as well as FCTA. Also, I would say Lilian is a national asset. We need to contextualize that. It is very important. But first, we need to build the infrastructure and we talk about data center. It is something panelists talk about is the issue of energy. If you wanted to build, this we need energy. And generally the data centers honor will build where we have access in Africa and access is Africa and energy is a big problem. Harmonization also is a very important. We need to work together at the continental level to harmonize all policy because we have self policy job data protection. You have private data and also AI policy. All is focused on that. We need to harmonize the policy at the continental level. The organization has to work together to better serve with the interest of Africa. We have you have AUC. We have Africa and observation in our community. We work together in order to provide key assistance to African country in the data governance. And also we welcome and acknowledge the support of (?) because they're supporting the implementation of data governance at the continent level. We needed to have guide governance and thank you once again for that. And I think African country can take benefits of this support by developing this at the national strategy and also building capacity of a state. What is the need for African country in levels of data? It is very important before we need to build this national strategy. Thank you to all speakers. I think it was well done and also you raise a key issue. We can take Awe for this meeting, but this multi‑stakeholder is very important. Harmonization intention and also implement. Thank you very much.
>> SOUHILA AMAZOUZ: Thank you.