AA / Lomé / Alphonse LOGO
The first summit on cybersecurity in Africa held in Lomé, Togo, ended Thursday evening after 48 hours of work, on commitments aimed at promoting cybersecurity and meeting its challenges.
Formalized in the form of a declaration adopted by participants from around thirty African countries, including several ministers of the digital economy, the commitments relate to four essential points. Points that identify avenues for cooperation and coordination between stakeholders, while marking a renewed commitment to the fight against cyber threats.
Firstly, the participants in the Lomé summit on cybersecurity pledged to work towards the signing and ratification by all member countries of the African Union Convention on cybersecurity and the protection personal data – known as the “Malabo Convention”.
This convention was adopted on June 27, 2014 during the 23rd ordinary session of the Conference of Heads of State of the African Union. The objective behind this commitment is to “promote the development of a safe African cyberspace”.
This first Lomé summit on cybersecurity also made a commitment to promote the establishment of a legal and regulatory framework specific to cybersecurity and the fight against cybercrime.
At this level, he calls for the establishment in all the countries of the continent, “of regulatory bodies, allowing in particular to arouse the confidence of investors, to promote the adoption of digital activities and services by users and, more generally, to accelerate digital transformation”.
The third commitment made by the Lomé summit on cybersecurity relates to the development of cybersecurity strategies and policies. This through awareness-raising actions, new training courses and appropriate partnerships within the framework of the development of public policies. The objective behind is to encourage the strengthening of African cooperation in cyber security and the fight against cybercrime.
Finally, the summit made a commitment to promote in the African sub-regions, the creation of a “Organ for regional cooperation and mutual assistance in the field of cybersecurity and the fight against cybercrime. »
The Togolese Head of State, Faure Gnassingbé, will be the first actor designated by the summit, with behind him, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, for the implementation of these commitments. An honorary distinction was presented to him on the occasion of the official opening ceremony on Wednesday.
“I promise you that the mission will be fulfilled with great diligence. This distinction reinforces my choice of my country to make digital a vector of development and strengthens my determination and that of the entire government to pursue this mission. This is an encouragement for the continent and for all heads of state to move in this direction,” he said during his opening speech.
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