AfrISPA - Minutes First Annual General Meeting

Minutes of AfrISPA Annual General Meeting 2002

Minutes of the first Annual General Meeting

of the AfrISPA

held at the Pharmaceutical Society Conference facility,

52 Glenhove Road, Lower Houghton

Johannesburg, South Africa

on Wednesday 11 September 2002 at 17h00

Present:

William Stucke (interim Chairperson) ISPA South Africa
Brian Longwe (interim Secretary) TESPOK Kenya
Eric Osiakwan (spokesperson) GISPA Ghana
Ganesh Ramalingum FAIR Mauritius
Lanre Ajayi ISPAN Nigeria
Lameck Ogembo Bichang'a ISPA Tanzania

Masedi Molosiwa Cape IT Initiative
Geoff Rehmet Internet Solutions
Eyal Tevet Connectit
Theodore Mhlongo ZANet
Gregory Massel Storm
Ant Brooks Future Foundation
Alan Barret Cequrux Technologies
Mike Lawrie ZA Administrator
Mark Elkins Posix
Bruce Conradie Computers in Africa
Alan Levin Cape Online

With

Jacqui Deale Future Foundation

Apologies:

Charles Musisi UIXP Uganda
Viv Padayatchy FAIR Mauritius
Sammy Buruchara TESPOK

1. Financial Report

Income Received: $3 000
Expenditure: ($ 500)

Balance: $2 500

Plus Membership Fees pending (Debtors) $1 000
Less Expenditure Pending for Incorporation (Creditors) ($2 000)

Retained Income as at September 2002 $1 500

The income was derived from a $2 500 donation from Cosmos Satnet, Nigeria and $500 membership fee from GISPA. $1 000 still to be invoiced to TESPOK Kenya and ISPA South Africa who have pledged membership fees.

The incorporation costs are estimated at $2 000 and $500 was paid out to Richard Francis for work done relating to the incorporation.

2. Progress Report

There are currently 7 official members of AfrISPA:

ISPA South Africa
TESPOK Kenya
GISPA Ghana
FAIR Mauritius
UIXP Uganda
ISPAN Nigeria
TISPA Tanzania

A full member is an incorporated body of ISP's who have come together as an industry association, there is
currently 1 ISPA per country.

Meetings

The founding meeting was held in August 2001 at the ACT Summit in Pretoria, South Africa. This meeting was well received and there was enough consensus to create the organization.

AfrISPA has had subsequent meetings at the Outreach meeting in ICANN Accra, Ghana, in Lome, Togo in February, Afnog 2002 and the 1st East African Internet Forum in Nairobi, Kenya in August 2002 and now the AGM in Johannesburg, South Africa

Objectives
· To provide industry perspective on policy formulation and regulation as it relates to the Internet industry and act as an interface with Governmental bodies and the public at large.
· To develop policies and positions in the best interest of the Members and protect and promote these interests in regional and International Fora.
· To promote the development of key Internet Infrastructure on the Continent.
· To promote the development of a free and open telecommunications market.
· To facilitate the establishment of national ISP Associations in Africa and provide common services to them.
· To provide and promote educational opportunities that will enhance and empower technical and policy understanding of the Internet. To build, maintain, and publish relevant industry data for Members

Proposals
o The publication of a series of bi-annual reports by AfrISPA on regulatory regimes in selected African countries which will be made available to ISPAs in every country on the continent
o to promote strong lobbying for liberalization
· National and regional workshops
· To increase the awareness of the benefits of ISPAs
· To enhance collaboration between ISPAs on the continent.
· Development of position papers and reports for presentation at the key African constitutional bodies and Trade organizations such as the African Union, East African Assembly, SADC, COMESA, ECOWAS and others

· The African IXP Task Force's first 3 years of operations
· Workshops to catalyse the process within interested countries
· Tailored training
· Initial support for each new caucus of ISPs, to help them get their IXP up and running

Deliverables

· Increasingly influential network of national ISP Associations getting actively stuck into driving an informed reform process
· Six reports on regulatory regimes highlighting key issues for ISPs over a period of 3 years
· Eight national or regional ISP Association workshops
· Development of position papers and sectoral studies for presentation at 12 continental and regional meetings, including: ATU, African Union, East African Assembly, COMESA, SADC, ECOWAS, SATRA etc.
· 20-30 national and regional IXPs up and running in Africa within three years, and enough momentum for the rest of the continent to follow suit for sound business reasons, without further assistance

Sponsors

· DFID - UK package of support - have pledged £1 000 000 over 3 years on condition that the deliverables are met.
· Cisco Systems - facilitate roll out of exchange points by providing equipment, training material and system engineers when convenient
· Packet Clearing House - NGO in USA. Monitoring statistical equipment at INXes, data collection from over 40 INXes in Asia, Europe and USA.
· IDRC (Canada) - Sponsoring research at exchange points with a view to assisting Africa map out traffic routes. Tying up commitment from them estimated at $58 000 - $60 000 over one year.
· Solatech (Nigeria) - Donated $2 500 in response to an appeal for funding in order to finance the incorporation of AfrISPA.
· CTO - Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation - sponsored representatives to travel to Nairobi for AfrISPA consultations
· Zanet - Hosting the AfrISPA website and mailing lists
· Uniforum - co-sponsoring the travel of AfrISPA delegates to attend 1st Annual General Meeting
· Berkman Institute for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School - working together with Andrew McLaughlin on IXP related policy and economics

3. Action Plan

o Financial and Contractual Arrangements to be finalized with sponsors
o Constitute respective Task Forces/Working Groups and formation of teams
o Scheduling of workshops, publications, etc
o Workshops
o Resource Allocation

4. Incorporation

The incorporation process took 1 year to finalise AfrISPA as a legal entity. Mauritius were given the task to form AfrISPA as a Limited company under the new company's act and registered AfrISPA as a non profit organization within Mauritius.

The Memorandum and Agreement and Articles of Association have been circulated to members. Memorandum may need some amendments - these have been noted by the secretary and chair.

A motion was passed to adopt the current constitution. The constitution is not perfect, and it will be looked at over the next few months.

It was suggested that AfrISPA members subscribe to the members@worldispa.info list in order to keep up to date with international issues by means of an informal forum.

5. Election of New Office Bearers

6 of the 7 AfrISPA members were present at the AGM, Brian Longwe was attending by proxy, Sammy Buruchara (Chairman of ISPA Kenya) had sent apologies. Ganesh Ramalingum from FAIR (Mauritius) was attending on behalf of Viv Padayatchy.

The constitution requires the appointment of an Executive committee consisting of no less than 5 directors. At least one director shall be ordinarily resident in Mauritius. Fom the executive committee, the general meeting shall vote for the appointment of the Chairperson and Treasurer.

Only full members have voting rights.

The election of office bearers was voted on by a show of hands, with a nomination and a second to allow for voting to proceed.

Chairman William Stucke ISPA South Africa
Secretary Eric Osiakwan GISPA Ghana
Treasurer Viv Padayatchy FAIR Mauritius
Vice Chairman Lanre Ajayi ISPAN Nigeria
Deputy Secretary Lameck Ogembo Bichang'a ISPA Tanzania

Resolution for the appointment of an additional office bearer by the Executive Committee

A resolution was passed by the newly elected committee to appoint a manager onto the Executive committee.

Manager Brian Longwe TESPOK Kenya

6. Other Business

There were queries regarding membership to AfrISPA. The membership was divided into 3 categories

o Full Membership - $500 per annum membership fee
o Associate Membership
o Observers - no fee

A sponsor cannot be a member of AfrISPA

7. Thanks and Closing

A thank you was extended to all the delegates who had come from afar, to Uniforum and ISPA (South Africa) for making it all possible. To the Future Foundation, Eric and Brian for all their hard work.

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 18h00.