The Ethiopian government has cleared the way for the 2007 World IT Forum (Witfor) to take place in that country from 22 to 24 August.
"This forum fulfils a pivotal function of assisting the efforts of developing countries to keep pace with the ongoing technological transformation," said Ethiopian prime minister Meles Zenawi recently.
"We are keenly aware of the crucial role ICT can play in the attainment of our development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals.'
Witfor is organised by the international federation for information processing and will be hosted this year by the Ethiopian government, its ICT development agency and IT professionals association, as well as the United Nations Commission for Africa. The inaugural Witfor took place in 2003, in Lithuania, with the second in 2005, in Botswana.
The gathering aims to recognise "developmental opportunities offered by technologies and the need for developing countries and developed countries to collaborate to exploit such opportunities".
The gathering's commissions will this year focus on the role of IT and technology in agriculture, building infrastructure, education, creating economic opportunities, empowerment and participation, the environment, health and social, ethical and legal aspects.
Countries participating in this year's forum include India, Germany, the US, the Netherlands and SA.
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