Purpose:
The purpose of this Session is to review the projects and the partnership agreements reached in light of the identified priorities and themes, leading to their announcement during the Summit on the Partnership Announcement Platform.

Note – This Session is open to all Summit Stakeholders. Project holders and entities willing to use the Summit as a platform to promote their projects, pledges and partnerships are encouraged to attend the Meeting.

Purpose:

Review the draft Summit Communiqué.

Note – This Session is open to representatives of delegations of the Arab States.

ENGAGE. PARTICIPATE. CHANGE

Solicite feedback from those who will help shape the future of this fluid and dynamic industry.

If the events of last spring showed us anything, it’s that young people have a desire and right to be included as stakeholders in the process of policy dialogue. Moreover, young people are often the drivers of innovative ICT solutions and are generally more ‘switched on’ than their older counterparts. The panel will focus on the key themes of youth, innovation and the role of technology as an enabler in people’s lives. What kinds of opportunities do ICTs make possible and how can young people today take advantage of these? Are there employment possibilities right now? Are the voices of youth being included in policy making and how can this be encouraged? What kinds of services are being made possible and who is the driving force behind these applications? Why should they consider a career in the industry, and is there room for personal growth? In addition panelists and the audience will be prompted to offer their views on the role of technology in ‘new’ governance. Recently in the Arab region we’ve seen the deconstructive power of technology in bringing about regime change. But regime change is not an end in itself; the end is a free and fair society. Technology has proved effective at helping bring down a system, but what about in the reconstruction process? Is there a role for technology in nation building? Could we reach a stage of ‘Governance 2.0’ where policy and decisions are made in consultation with online audiences? Is it possible to build a free and transparent democracy using the wiki-like approach of crowd-sourcing knowledge, and how far away are we from such a situation?

Speech

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Purpose:

The purpose of this meeting is to finalize the Summit Communiqué.

Note – This Session is a Meeting of Ministers and Heads of Delegations. It is open to representatives of delegations of the Arab States.

OPENING STATEMENTS

POLICY STATEMENTS

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OPENING DEBATE

Deploying ICTs to Accelerate Economic Growth

ICT deployment aims to achieve high levels of digitization nation-wide – i.e. the mass adoption of connected digital technologies and applications by consumers, enterprises, and governments. As ICT becomes ubiquitous, affordable, reliable and embedded in daily lives, the resulting digital environment starts to develop impacts that are much larger than anticipated. Economically, ICT becomes the precursor of accelerated economic growth, job creation, innovation and entrepreneurship. Socially, ICT also boosts societal wellbeing and improves access to basic services and overall living standards. Governance wise, ICT improves the delivery of government services, and enhances transparency and engagingness in the public domain. It is now clear for policy makers and business leaders that ICT and the resulting digitization has the potential for dramatic economic, social, and political improvements. The challenge now is to translate the opportunities into realities.

EDUCATE. CREATE. EMPLOY.

Dismantling the barriers to entry through education, digital literacy, entrepreneurship, and the creation of an Arab ICT industry.

Educating to empower and open access to employment

HARMONIZE. BUILD. ACCESS.

Developing a strong regional ICT network, through the harmonization of regulatory policies, the launch of the Arab Regional Digital Plan, and the access for all to networks, services, information, and knowledge.

Harmonizing policies to attract investment

COOPERATE. SECURE. PROTECT.

Developing a regional cybersecurity plan on the basis of enhanced international cooperation, with a view to building trust in networks and service and to guaranteeing hardware and software infrastructure security and individual protection, in particular for the child.

Secure to navigate with confidence

IMAGINE. DIGITAL. CULTURE.

New electronic media often rely on imported software and applications as well as internationalized content. The new digital era offers an opportunity to develop local and Arabic content and culture, to benefit from the associated new jobs.

Creating locally, thinking internationally

YOUTH. INNOVATION. ENTREPRENEURSHIP.

Fostering job creation through the provision of incentives to entrepreneurship, particularly in the field of ICTs, or using ICTs as an underlying infrastructure. Developing locally the new digital value chain, with special attention to young digitally articulate entrepreneurs.

Thinking the present to create the future

ENGAGE. COMMIT. ACT.

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