Access To Information Through Emerging Technologies Workshop On Today

Journalists and other stakeholders are gathered at UNESCO headquarters in Harare this morning for a pre-commemoration workshop centred on the upcoming International Day for Universal Access To Information (IDUAI).

The main aim of IDUAI this year will be to strengthen the implementation of the right to information by promoting access to information and improve the resilience of society to uncertainty and times of crises.

Officials from the ministries of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services (ICTPCS); Information, Media and Broadcasting Services as well as MISA Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe Online Content Creators (ZOCC) will be part of the event.

The workshop will be facilitated by Perch Media Trust.

Discussions will be centred on the importance and dissemination of information concerning emerging technologies under a theme dubbed ‘Artificial Intelligence, e-Governance and Access to Information. Leaving no one and no place behind’.

Focus of the IDUAI celebrations will be to make sure that emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) also known as machine intelligence, 3Dimensional printing, use of drones and utilisation of other social media sites that can be used for access to information reach Zimbabwe’s marginalised areas with locals understanding them.

In 2016 UNESCO marked September 28 as the IDUAI following the adoption of the 38C/Resolution 57 that declared the commemorations on this day.

This will be the seventh time Zimbabwe collaborates with UNESCO in celebrating the day which has relevance to the National Vision 2030 and Africa Agenda 2063 giving stimulus to the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 16.10 which calls for ensuring public access to information and protection of fundamental freedoms in the digital and cyber space.

Nhau/Indaba is reliably informed that the date and venue where the IDUAI commemorations will be held this year is still under deliberations but there are two provinces under consideration.

The ICTPCS and Information ministries will be the guardians of the upcoming event collaborating with UNESCO while the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (Potraz) and other network service providers that include TelOne, NetOne, Econet and Telecel as well as the media will also add impetus. Nhau/Indaba

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