DEVELOPMENT PLAN OF ACRAN

Introduction

The African Communication Regulation Authorities Network (ACRAN) is a new sub-regional integration means which creation benefited from two factors: the progressive democratization of the political systems in some African countries on the one hand, and the quick release of the press and communication sector on the other hand.

In fact, democracy has become since the 1990s the creed of those combating for civil rights, human rights and State of freedom. This struggle is no longer a mere socio-political claim or the dream of an elite vanguard : it is nowadays a daily demand of the continent’s peoples.

But there is neither freedom nor rights if the peoples are not free to express themselves everywhere and every time. Thus, the freedom of speech seems to be one of the important bases of democracy and, the access to mass communication an inalienable right.

In Africa today, the newspapers and the audio-visual are no longer the game-preserves of politicians exercising the State authority. Everywhere, the newspapers, the radio stations and the televisions are becoming private sector owned. The communication sector is becoming a real economic activity which structures are still disorganized in an approximate judiciary environment.

Therefore the necessity to set up rules specific for each country and respecting the international framework becomes imperative ; that is why Regulation Authorities are created on the country level and, ACRAN on the continental level in June 1998 at Libreville during the First Conference of African Communication Regulation Authorities.

ACRAN is a young organization which can only develop harmoniously and play its role fully in the regional integration if it sets up a coherent development plan.

This implies a prospective vision for its actions, the conception of concise, clear and realistic objectives by sector, as well as the acquisition of technical means and materials to achieve its ambitious mission.

This document presents ten projects intended to help achieve these objectives.

This development plan and the planned projects are conceived to enable ACRAN achieve its essential missions effectively through an efficient Executive Secretariat which maintains dynamic relations with the current President and the member Authorities of the network.

Here, the goal is to make ACRAN an effective and dynamic network through a functional and efficient Executive Secretariat.

The following projects are conceived for that goal.

PROJECT 1 : Directory of the African Communication Regulation Authorities

In Africa, there are many Communication Regulation Authorities which have diverse and sometimes conflicting competences. In some countries, there are many regulation Authorities : press regulation, public audio-visual regulation, telecommunication regulation, etc.

It is important to know and collect them in order to have a realistic overview of the African continent as far as communication regulation is concerned.

PROJECT 2 : Harmonization of the laws governing the Communication Regulation Authorities in Africa

All the inter-African meetings deplored the diversity of the laws governing the African Communication Regulation Authorities and have recommended actions for their harmonization.

Actions must be taken at appropriate time to achieve this harmonization, especially the realization of consultants’ studies to be approved by the statutory bodies of ACRAN before application by member Authorities.

PROJECT 3 : ACRAN, Privileged Spokesman of Inter-African and International Development Institutions for communication issues

ACRAN is an Inter-African Institution specialized in communication regulation.

Unfortunately, it is not yet associated to any regional or international forum dealing with communication regulation or matters. It is not known and considered as the spokesman by the Inter-African and International Development Institutions.

It is necessary to change that situation very quickly by realizing adequate actions to make ACRAN gained the status of privileged spokesman of every institution as far as communication is concerned.

PROJECT 4 : ACRAN, Partner of training, exchange and cooperation institutions for communication matters

URTNA, CIRTEF, CESTI, ITU, NAFTI, etc. are some institutions with which ACRAN must set up an active partnership since they are above (training) and below (production and broadcasting) the communication system and their experiences must enable the Network reach its training and cooperation objectives among its member Authorities.

PROJECT 5 : Cooperation with Development Partners

Every bilateral or multilateral development partner, every Communication Regulation Authority, and the networks of which they are members in the world must be associated by ACRAN to develop the actions necessary to achieve its members’ mission.

It is important that ACRAN achieve the adequate actions to become the privileged partner of those institutions.

The High Council for Audio-visual of France is a Regulation Authority with which ACRAN must strengthen the traditional relations through the success of the meeting planned for June 2005 at Paris.

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