African Regional Internet and Development Dialogue

The first African Regional Internet and Development Dialogue will be held on 8–9 May 2017, in Kigali, Rwanda. The event will be organised by the Internet Society, in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and ICTs of Rwanda, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and is part of a series of global Internet Development conferences organised by the Internet Society with the objective of supporting the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The aim of the event is to create a forum for all stakeholders to discuss the various opportunities and requirements for entrepreneurship and innovation, as well as for education for this new age of the Internet. It will feature high-level discussions on the following issues: Internet and SDGs, connecting the next billion, African Internet economy, and opportunities for Africa's education.

The conference is expected to lead to several possible outcomes:

• Engagements and follow-up with national governments and other stakeholders.
• Partnerships might be established around creating an enabling environment for the Internet economy in Africa, and transforming Africa's education using the Internet.
• The Regional Internet development conference might become an annual event that serves as a pragmatic forum for broadening discussion about the Internet and socio-economic development.

Participants will include experts representing governments from within and outside Africa, regional experts, industry representatives, civil society organisations, entrepreneurs, and reserch institutes.

For more information, visit the event webpage.