SADC Declaration on Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Context The SADC Declaration on Information and Communications Technology (ICT) was adopted by the Heads of State and Governments in Blantyre, Malawi in August 2001. As mentioned above, the Declaration is not enforceable in the courts, but it provides member States and citizens with clear guidelines in the field of ICT. The Declaration promotes the creation of a three-tier separation of powers in each country, with the Government responsible for creating a conducive national policy framework, independent regulators responsible for licensing, and a multiplicity of providers in a competitive environment responsible for providing ICT services. The State parties acknowledged that there is a need for a conducive environment to implement an ICT policy in the region. The following were identified as essential characteristics for the successful implementation of such a policy: Clear policy guidelines for each country; Enabling legislation; Well-defined strategies; Telecommunications deregulation; Reliable, efficient and scalable network infrastructure; Human resources development in the area of ICT; Knowledge management; Affordable access to information; Natural ways for collaboration and conversation; Seamless integration; Ubiquitous access; and Security Priority areas for action They also identified the following as priority areas for action: (a) The Regulatory Environment for Information and Communications Technology States undertook to continue efforts to: • Create a favourable regulatory environment and accelerated liberalisation of the telecommunications sector, which aims at creating a three-tier separation of power, with the Government responsible for a conducive national policy framework, independent regulators responsible for licensing, and a multiplicity of providers in a competitive environment responsible for providing services; • Remove trade barriers and reduce ICT related taxes and tariffs: this will reduce the costs of ICT equipment through decreased taxation of imported equipment, in compliance with the ongoing SADC Trade Protocol and World Trade Organisation processes to enable e-commerce-readiness. • Remove restrictive licence fees and other costly and time-consuming bureaucratic barriers: this will lower the cost of entry to the market, which means removing financial barriers, such as excessive licence fees for service providers, and reducing the time taken in licence issuance; and • Develop a regional policy on ICT to assist with the harmonisation of national policies and legislation: this will aim at encouraging the development of national policies and legislation that harnesses the dynamism of ICT to modernise the regional economy and establish consistency in rules across the region; Namibia Media Law Audit – report final draft 14