Session
Roundtable
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: The session is gathering experts from the region who will be providing strategic insights to promote digital cooperation in the Arab region.
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA) in collaboration with the League of Arab States (LAS) are organizing the Open Forum on Digital Cooperation in the Arab Region, in a hybrid mode in the context of the global IGF2024, in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Relevant stakeholders and groups from the digital development community are gathering to discuss the Arab region perspectives on the recent developments at global level, with regard to digital cooperation processes, including the GDC and the WSIS+20 review processes and their implications on the region.
In this context, the Arab Digital Agenda (ADA) will be discussed as a strategic framework of action for the period 2023-2033 for Arab countries to coordinate their actions in order to maximize the benefits of digital transformation, digital development and digital cooperation towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in the Arab region. This would also enable the Arab region to achieve the position it deserves at the global level and to have an active and influential role in international decision-making forums related to digital development and digital cooperation.
In addition, the Open Forum should discuss selected key messages that would be a main input to the second edition of the Arab International Digital Cooperation and Development Forum (DCDF) in 2025, and as such will be considered as a pre-event to DCDF2.0.
United Nations-Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN-ESCWA)
● Mr. Khaled Wally, Director of the Communications and Information Technology Development Department, League of Arab States (Regional Organization) ● Mr. Hazem Hezzah, IT program coordinator for ICT development, Information Technology Development Department, League of Arab States (Regional Organization) ● Mr. Ayman El-Sherbiny, Chief of ICT Policies, UNESCWA (International organization) ● Ms. Mirna El Hajj Barbar, Programme Management Officer, UNESCWA (International organization) ● Ms. Rita Wehbe, Economic Affairs Assistant, UNESCWA (International organization)
● Mr. Khaled Wally, Director of the Communications and Information Technology Development Department, League of Arab States (Regional Organization) (TBC)
● Mr. Charles Sha'ban, Arab Multistakeholders Programme Advisory Committee (AMPAC), Arab IGF (TBC)
● Mr. Qusai AlShatti, International Expert on Internet Governance, Former Chair of the Inaugural Arab IGF 2012 and Strategic Partner to Arab IGF 2020, Kuwait (TBC)
● Ms. Christine Arida, Strategic Advisor to the Executive President, National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA), Egypt (TBC)
● Mr. Chafic Chaya, RIPE NCC, Regional Manager - Public Policy and Government Affairs, UAE (TBC)
● Ms. Nermine El Saadany, Regional Vice-President-Middle East, Internet Society (TBC)
● Mr. Ayman El-Sherbiny, Chief of ICT Policies, UNESCWA ● Ms. Mirna El Hajj Barbar, Programme Management Officer, UNESCWA
● Mr. Ayman El-Sherbiny, Chief of ICT Policies, UNESCWA ● Ms. Mirna El Hajj Barbar, Programme Management Officer, UNESCWA
● Ms. Rita Wehbe, Economic Affairs Assistant, UNESCWA
9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
9.c
17. Partnerships for the Goals
17.6
Targets: 9.c- Significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet in least developed countries by 2020 17.6- Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation and enhance knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through improved coordination among existing mechanisms, in particular at the United Nations level, and through a global technology facilitation mechanism