The 13th AGM of The Communication Regulators’ Association of Southern Africa CRASA was held from 11- 13 April 2024 at the Royal Villas Hotel in Ezulwini, Kingdom of Eswatini. The AGM was be hosted by the Eswatini Communications Commission (ESCOM).
CRASA organised a pre-AGM conference from the 8th to 10th of April 2024, themed “Innovation for Better Regulation”, which will also be hosted at the same venue. During the conference, Bengt Möllerydfrom SPIDER delivered a keynote presentation on the barriers to technological innovation.
(CRASA) is a forum for information and communications technologies (ICT) and postal regulators in Southern Africa. CRASA is a specialised agency of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and was set up in 1997 within the framework of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Protocol on Transport, Communications and Meteorology (1995). CRASA consists of four institutions: the Annual General Meeting (AGM), the Executive Committee (EC), the Specialized Committees, and the Secretariat. The RRO has 14 ICT and postal regulators from the SADC Region who are members of CRASA.
The Innovation for Better Regulation Conference
Over the years, the regulation landscape has undergone significant changes, influenced by technological advances, shifts in consumer demands and expectations, and evolving business models. To keep pace with this dynamic environment, CRASA Members must embrace innovation to enhance regulatory effectiveness, efficiency, and adaptability as regulators of the electronic communications and postal sectors.
Enhancing innovation in executing regulatory mandates is imperative in our increasingly digital and interconnected world. The Innovation for Better Regulation Conference will, therefore, tackle the following pertinent questions through interactive presentations, panels and roundtable discussions moderated by subject-matter experts from all over the world:
- What are the key challenges in regulations that hinder innovation and digital transformation in the communications sector?
- How can regulatory flexibility and agility be achieved when digital technologies evolve rapidly?
- What are emerging technologies' potential risks and benefits, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and 5G? How can innovation regulation maximise the benefits while mitigating the risks?
- How do the rapidly evolving digital technologies and services impact competition policy?
- How can innovative regulations foster expedited and secure cross-border flows of data, financial transactions, and merchandise to support regional and global e-commerce and trade?
- How do differing cybersecurity and consumer protection approaches in various Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries affect innovation in cross-border digital services and products?
- What is the role of digital ethics and data privacy in digital regulations, and how can they be integrated with the regulation to achieve responsible innovation?
The Provisional Conference programme can be accessed on the link:
