OSS needs 'affirmative action`

While the government supports both proprietary and open source software (OSS), the latter might need "affirmative action-type attention", says Department of Communications director-general, Lyndall Shope Mafole.

Shope Mafole was delivering the keynote address at the seventh annual African Computing and Telecommunications Summit in Sandton this morning.

She said the third "prepcom" (preparatory meeting) of phase 11 of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) had been concluded last Friday and some of the key issues arising from discussions related to democratising Internet governance, the acceptance of the position of OSS for development purposes and the implementation mechanisms of the WSIS outcomes.

Agreement was not reached with regard to the issue of Internet governance, Shope Mafole said. The discussion was suspended and another prepcom would be convened to resume the discussion.

"SA`s position is that there should be a process of legitimising the governance of the Internet. If we decide that the best thing to do is for governance to be executed by one government, the process would also decide which government it should be."

For most developing countries there is no forum where governments can discuss inter-government policies, she said. There was, therefore, a resolution that the UN general secretary, Kofi Annan, formulate such a forum.

"I`m confident that when we get to Tunis in November, if we have not yet finalised the issue, we will be close," Shope Mafole said.

The question of the use and implementation of OSS for development has not been finalised either, Shope Mafole added. She said the government supports the use of OSS, as well as proprietary software.

OSS should, however, receive affirmative action-type attention, because it will enable users to have more choice. That, she said, is important in a developing world.

Prepcom participants agreed that the follow-up mechanism should be within the UN framework. However, the challenge is how to make sure countries not only work in partnership in implementing WSIS outcomes, but agree on how to monitor and evaluate the implementation mechanisms, participants said.

Each country`s implementation and monitoring will be guided by government priorities, Shope Mafole pointed out.

Shope Mafole outlined some government priorities that will guide SA. These include increasing the rate of investment in SA, boosting the role that ICT plays, strengthening the Independent Communications Authority of SA, creating an enabling environment for the ICT sector, strengthening the country`s capacity to be competitive as well as broadening the participation of the second economy.

Improving the capacity of the State to deliver on time, effectively and efficiently is also a priority, as is ensuring government departments work together. Mainstreaming ICT use in departments is also critical, Shope Mafole said.

Related story:
Consensus needed on information society