Session
Assessing Internet governance approaches and mechanisms and fostering inclusiveness: What are the main strengths and weaknesses of existing Internet governance approaches and mechanisms? What can be done, and by whom, to foster more inclusive Internet governance at the national, regional and international levels?
Governance and cooperation for an evolving Internet: How does Internet governance need to change in order to meet the changing nature and role of the Internet? What tools, mechanisms, and capacity building instruments are needed for stakeholders to effectively cooperate, and engage in Internet governance?
Other - 60 Min
Format description: Interactive Session/Debate.
ESCWA Open Forum on Digital Cooperation is intended to gather relevant stakeholders and groups to discuss evolving global processes on digital cooperation and internet governance to brainstorm on selected regional and national policies to advance internet governance and digital cooperation in the Arab region.
The Open Forum will discuss the evolving global processes on global digital cooperation and internet governance, with a focus on their regional implications, the progress in the development of the Arab Digital Agenda/ICT Strategy, as well as the National and Regional Digital Development Reviews will be presented as the knowledge-production side of the Digital Development track of ESCWA integrated work on Digital Cooperation and Digital Development; while the Digital Cooperation track is manifested in an innovative consolidation of the Arab IGF process with the Arab WSIS process under the composite notion of Digital cooperation and Development Forum (DCDF).
The Open Forum will also shed the light on the preparation of the Sixth Annual Meeting of the Arab Internet Governance Forum (Arab IGF-VI) as part of the inaugural edition of the Arab International Digital Cooperation and Development Forum (DCDF), scheduled to take place virtually from 13 to 23 December 2021. In addition, the Open Forum will discuss selected key messages captured from the opening session of the IGF-16 of Poland in the morning of the same day; as well as messages issued from National IGF initiatives, such as the Lebanese IGF.
Expected Outcomes:
It is expected that ESCWA Open Forum generates new perspectives to build forward better and advance digital cooperation in the Arab region.
Proposed Agenda:
- Keynote speech
Mr. Charles Sha'ban, Chair, Arab Multistakeholder Program Advisory Committee (AMPAC) of the Arab Internet Governance Forum (Arab IGF), Executive Director of Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property (AGIP) and Chair of the ICT committee of TAG.Global - Assessing Global IGF perspective and what it means for the Arab region: global processes, digital cooperation, update on global IGF and implications at the global and regional levels
Mr. Qusai El Shatti, International Expert on Internet Governance, Former Chair of the Inaugural Arab IGF 2012 and Strategic Partner to Arab IGF 2020, Kuwait - The Arab Internet governance forum, its process, objective and linkages with the global IGF and an overview on the preparation process of the upcoming sixth annual meeting of the Arab Internet Governance Forum (Arab IGF-VI)
Ms. Fatna El Farsi, General Engineer, Ministry of Economy, Finance, and Administration Reform, Morocco - Overview on the Arab IGF-VI agenda structure, content and main pillars
Mr. Hosein Badran, Director, Internet Growth and Trust, Internet Society - Overview on the Lebanese IGF preparations for its annual meeting, its program and main key messages
Ms. Zeina Bou Harb, Head of International Cooperation, OGERO Telecom, Lebanon - How the unified Arab Digital Agenda/ICT Strategy addresses digital cooperation in the Arab region through its preparation and implementation life cycle
Mr. Ibaa Oueicheck, Adviser to the Minister of Communications and Technology, Syrian Arab Republic - Brief on digital cooperation as a component of the Regional and National Digital Development Reviews Process
Mr. Mansour Farah, International Expert in Technology for Development, Syrian Arab Republic - Questions & Answers
- Key messages
United Nations-Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN-ESCWA)
- Mr. Ayman El-Sherbiny, United Nations-Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN-ESCWA)
- Ms. Rita Wehbe, United Nations-Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN-ESCWA)
- Mr. Charles Sha'ban, Chair, Arab Multistakeholder Program Advisory Committee (AMPAC) of the Arab Internet Governance Forum (Arab IGF), Executive Director of Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property (AGIP) and Chair of the ICT committee of TAG.Global
- Mr. Qusai El Shatti, International Expert on Internet Governance, Former Chair of the Inaugural Arab IGF 2012 and Strategic Partner to Arab IGF 2020, Kuwait
- Ms. Fatna El Farsi, General Engineer, Ministry of Economy, Finance, and Administration Reform, Morocco
- Mr. Hosein Badran, Director, Internet Growth and Trust, Internet Society
- Ms. Zeina Bou Harb, Head of International Cooperation, OGERO Telecom, Lebanon
- Mr. Ibaa Oueicheck, Adviser to the Minister of Communications and Technology, Syrian Arab Republic
- Mr. Mansour Farah, International Expert in Technology for Development, Syrian Arab Republic
Mr. Ibaa Oueicheck Adviser to the Minister of Communications and Technology, Syrian Arab Republic
Mr. Ayman El Sherbiny, Chief of ICT Policies, ESCWA & Ms. Mirna El Hajj Barbar, Programme Management Officer, ESCWA
Ms. Rita Wehbe, United Nations-Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN-ESCWA)
Report
- The value of the Internet has been manifested by its role during the Pandemic. But this also showed the shortcomings related to the digital divide and the misuse of the internet and the need to protect people’s data.
- These issues cannot be solved by one country or one stakeholder group. There is a strong need for global cooperation to achieve a safe open and fully inclusive internet by 2030. The UN Secretary General stated the call for a global digital compact bringing government, private sector and civil society together to outline the principles governing the future of the internet and the digital future.
- The National and Regional (Arab) Digital Development Reviews (NDDRs/ADDR) constitute an effective tool for national and regional policy makers in detecting policy gaps and developing evidence-based policies to fill these gaps. Digital Cooperation platforms, such as the Arab IGF and the Arab WSIS, are the main venues in which such policy changes are to be debated and advocated, to reach a consensus among stakeholders.
- Without such consensus, it will be extremely difficult to achieve substantial policy advancement. - A clear action plan is needed in the Arab countries to achieve digital development & make the best of use of the Internet & technology. - Collaboration between the stakeholders is needed to enhance Inclusion. - encourage youth in the IG process. - Detailed deliberations & policy debates on IG issues will continue in the Arab IGF6 during DCDF2021
ESCWA Open Forum on Digital Cooperation in the Arab Region, took place on Tuesday 7 December 2021, 4:15-5:15pm (Beirut Time) and attracted 70 participants.
Below are the key takeaway messages, intended as input into the IGF 2021 Messages.
A pioneering initiative that is the first of its nature in the world is needed, to present a ONE UN and Global/Arab proposition for breaking the siloes between WSIS Community and IGF Community as well as other related development communities, creating a consolidated blend geared towards Digital Cooperation & Development, that’s aligned with the UN Secretary General motions towards Digital Cooperation and towards our Common Agenda.
Areas of Agreement:
Digital cooperation in the Arab region is effectively sustained through the Digital Cooperation and Development Forum” (DCDF), convened by ESCWA. The preparation and development of National and Regional (Arab) Digital Development Reviews (NDDRs and ADDR), as well as the National Digital Agendas which should point to existing gaps in digital development policies and strategies, would also contribute to the digital cooperation in the Arab region.
Consensus on how to further the discussion:
It was agreed to continue and further the discussion for “shaping our digital future”, guided by the 2020 United Nations Secretary-General’s Roadmap on Digital Cooperation, the 2021 Secretary-General’s “Our Common Agenda report”, and the ESCWA Conceptual Model on Digital Development and Digital Cooperation, through the “Digital Cooperation and Development Forum” (DCDF), newly conceived by ESCWA as a consolidated inclusive and streamlined multipartite regional collaboration platform for Policy Dialogue on Digital Cooperation and Development issues.
Embracing the Arab IGF forum and the Arab WSIS forum, DCDF consolidates the two global tracks of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and Internet Governance Forum (IGF) at the regional level, along with other several regional digital development related tracks, bringing together high-level government representatives engaged in digital cooperation and development, civil society networks and organizations, a wide range of regional and international institutions, the private sector, regional experts, and academic and research centres, offering a common space to hundreds of participants, to deliberate on digital cooperation and development priority issues of concerns to the Arab and global community.
Areas of disagreement that need further discussion:
- None
Call to action to one or more stakeholder groups as discussed during the meeting:
- The value of the Internet has been manifested by its role during the Pandemic. But this also showed the shortcomings related to the digital divide and the misuse of the internet and the need to protect people’s data.
- These issues cannot be solved by one country or one stakeholder group. There is a strong need for global cooperation to achieve a safe open and fully inclusive internet by 2030. The UN Secretary General stated the call for a global digital compact bringing government, private sector and civil society together to outline the principles governing the future of the internet and the digital future.
- Member countries to be represented at the ESCWA Digital Cooperation and Development Forum” (DCDF)
- The National and Regional (Arab) Digital Development Reviews (NDDRs/ADDR) constitute an effective tool for national and regional policy makers in detecting policy gaps and developing evidence-based policies to fill these gaps. Digital Cooperation platforms, such as the Arab IGF and the Arab WSIS, are the main venues in which such policy changes are to be debated and advocated, to reach a consensus among stakeholders.
- Without such consensus, it will be extremely difficult to achieve substantial policy advancement.
- A clear action plan is needed in the Arab countries to achieve the digital developemnt and make the best of use of the Internet and technology.
- Collaboration between the stakeholders is needed to enhance Inclusion.
- encourage youth in the IG process.
- Detailed deliberations and policy debates on internet governance issues will take place as part of the Arab IGF-VI’s during the DCDF-2021 next week (13-23 December 2021).