x It is further recommended that The African Union Commission, RECs and Regional Institutions: • facilitate collaboration between the various entities dealing with data across the continent through the establishment of a consultation framework within the digital ecosystem community to safeguard the interest of each actor; • promote and facilitate data flows within and among AU Member States by developing a Cross Border Data Flows Mechanism that takes into account the different levels of digital readiness, data maturity as well as legal and regulatory environments of countries; • facilitate data circulation across sectors and cross borders by developing a Common Data Categorisation and Sharing Framework that takes into account the broad types of data and the associated levels of privacy and security; • work in close collaboration with national authorities in charge of personal data protection of AU members, with the support of the African Network of Authorities (RAPDP), to establish a coordination mechanism and body that oversees the transfer of personal data within the continent and ensures compliance with existing laws and rules governing data and information security at national level; • establish or empower a mechanism within the African Union for centralising and empowering regional engagements on data standards; • establish mechanisms and institutions , or empower existing ones, within the African Union to build capacity and render technical assistance to AU Member States for the domestication of this data policy framework; and • support the development of regional and continental data infrastructure to host advanced data-driven technologies (such as Big Data, Machine learning and Artificial Intelligence) and the necessary enabling environment and data-sharing mechanism to ensure the circulation across the continent; • work towards building a secure and resilient cyberspace on the continent that offers new economic opportunities through the development of an AU Cyber Security Strategy and establishment of Operational Cybersecurity Centres to mitigate risks and threats related to cyberattacks, data breaches, and misuse use of sensitive information; • enable data sharing and enhanced interoperability among AU Member States and other AU mechanisms, including the African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation (AFRIPOL); • establish an Annual Data Innovation Forum for Africa to raise awareness amongst policy makers about the power of data as the engine of a digital economy and society so as to facilitate exchanges among countries and enable knowledge sharing on data value-creation and innovation and the implications of data usage on peoples’ privacy and security; • strengthen links with other regions and coordinate Africa’s common positions on data related international negotiations to ensure equal opportunities in the global digital economy; • develop an implementation plan that takes into consideration the digital sovereignty of states as well as the different levels of development, the vulnerability of populations and digitisation within AU Member States, namely aspects related to ICT infrastructure gap and lack of cybersecurity policies and legislations.