IGF 2019 OF #21 Arab perspectives on Digital Cooperation and Internet Governance Process

IGF 2019 OF #21 Arab perspectives on Digital Cooperation and Internet Governance Process

Description

It has become self evident that many of today’s ills of the digital realm could not be tackled and mitigated without the enhanced and full participation of all communities around the world, with ‘no one left behind’. Full digital inclusion of all community is key to reaching workable solutions that are sustainable, effective, and scalable across borders.

Several forms of the Digital Divide evolved in recent years, with gaps emerging, and with existing gaps exacerbated. The fast pace of new technologies has widened these gaps, both in adoption of these technologies and in developing policies around them. This has made it more urgent than ever to address the barriers such as infrastructure, affordability, digital skills, content and its creation, among other barriers.

Realising the SDGs for everyone by 2030 will depend on empowering people across gender, languages, accessibility needs, geographies, affordability levels, and communities to effectively adopt digital technologies, and maximise the benefit of its use across sectors like health, education, etc.

As part of the UN Secretary-General efforts to facilitate an agile and open consultation process to develop updated mechanisms for global digital cooperation, with the options discussed in the Report of the UN SG High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation entitled “Age of Digital Interdependency”, and the suggestion of an initial goal of marking the UN's 75th anniversary in 2020 with a “Global Commitment for Digital Cooperation,”  this Open Forum aims at: 

  • Launching an Arab Consultation Process to discuss shared values, principles, understandings and objectives for an improved global digital cooperation architecture; and related regional implications. 

  • Exploring appropriate architectures, existing or new, that provide for a multi-stakeholder “systems” approach for cooperation and regulation that is adaptive, agile, inclusive and fit for purpose for the fast-changing digital age.

  • Discussing which platforms across the Arab region are addressing digital inclusion challenges for all stakeholders to overcome barriers; and how to develop the appropriate Digital Cooperation conceptual approach in the Arab Region, inspired from the outcomes of the UN SG Panel and Report.

  • Preparing for an Arab event in Q1-2020, building on this open forum, to outreach to the Arab IGF community, and build consensus and momentum at the Arab level, with the aim to contribute to the UNGA75, and envisaged global commitments.

Organizers

UNESCWA
League of Arab States and UNESCWA

Speakers

Moderator(s):

Mr. Qusai Al-Shatti (Rakmana, Civil Society)

Mr. Ibaa Oueichek, Syria Gov

Ms. Mirna Barbar, ESCWA, IRO

Guest Speaker:

Jovan Kurbalija, Executive Director, Secretariat of the High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation (ex officio)

Panelists:

Ms. Hanane Boujemi, Vice-chair of Arab IGF AMPAC

Ms. Christine Arida, NTRA, Egypt Gov, Arab IGF AMPAC

Mr. Hisham Aboul Yazed, NTRA, Egypt Gov, Arab IGF Secretariat

Mr. Fahd Batayneh, ICANN (Technical Community)

Mr. Chafic Chaya, RIPE NCC (link to Bio) (Technical Community)

Coordinator:

The Open Forum was submitted and coordinated by Ms. Zahr Bou-Ghanem, ESCWA, IRO

Online Moderator

Ms. Mirna Barbar, ESCWA, IRO

SDGs

GOAL 1: No Poverty
GOAL 4: Quality Education
GOAL 5: Gender Equality
GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
GOAL 10: Reduced Inequalities
GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
GOAL 17: Partnerships for the Goals

1. Key Policy Questions and Expectations

During this Open Forum, the main partners, experts and speakers from the IG community will discuss the following areas of interest or policy questions:

  • Assess the need and explore the opportunities to launch an Arab Consultation Process to discuss shared values, principles, understandings and objectives for an improved global digital cooperation architecture; and related regional implications. 

  • What are the best appropriate architectures for a multi-stakeholder “systems” approach for cooperation that fit with the fast-changing digital age in an agile matter? 

  • Inspired from the outcomes of the UN SG Panel and Report on DC, how to develop the appropriate Digital Cooperation conceptual regional model?

2. Summary of Issues Discussed

The forum started by an overview of the main components of the UN SG High-Level Panel report on Digital Cooperation entitled “Age of Digital Interdependency”, and experts supported its main findings and highlighted its importance. Experts also highlighted areas where more cooperation is needed in the region through bottom-up, transparent, inclusive and multi stakeholder approach. There areas includes data protection, cyber security, legal frameworks.

The Open form on “Arab Perspectives on Digital Cooperation and the Internet Governance Process” came in line with the call of the United Nations Secretary-General for facilitating an agile and open consultation process to develop updated mechanisms for global digital cooperation. It tackled options for these mechanisms, including those presented in the Report of the Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation.

Discussions yielded policy recommendations on regional priorities requiring increased cooperation in the digital field and the related mechanisms. ESCWA also announced current preparations for the Fifth Arab IGF, to be held in Cairo in January 2020.

3. Policy Recommendations or Suggestions for the Way Forward

Based on the discussions, the main policy recommendations towards better digital cooperation and digital inclusion, can be summarized by the following:

  • Importance of bottom-up and multi stakeholder approach based on transparency and inclusiveness principles,
  • Increase the impact of the IGFs at regional and global level by promoting concrete outcomes and recommendations.
  • Consider taking into consideration discussions happened at national and regional level and linking the grass roots needs to policy making process at the global mechanisms.
  • Synergize the efforts and increase coordination between the different initiatives that are taking place in the region.
  • More synergy among regional organization towards strengthening the community and addressing the main identified challenges.

The main components of the report on Digital Cooperation - Age of Digital Interdependency, were overviewed by Mr Yovan Kurbalija. After a comprehensive discussion of the scenarios suggested in the report to enhance the digital cooperation, experts showed great interest and supported the report findings. Experts also discussed several issues related to the regional needs and priorities and highlighted areas where more cooperation is needed. The main areas that were identified include among others, data protection, cyber security, legal frameworks. 

4. Other Initiatives Addressing the Session Issues

The open forum discussions paved the way towards a wider Arab consultation process to outreach to the Arab IGF community and build consensus and momentum at the Arab level. In this context, a dedicated session is planned during the upcoming Arab IGF V scheduled to be held in Cairo, Jan 2020. The session will aim at discussing shared values, principles, understandings and objectives for an improved global digital cooperation architecture; and related regional implications. Experts will also have the chance to discuss and explore appropriate architectures, existing or new, that provide for a multi-stakeholder “systems” approach for cooperation and regulation that is adaptive, agile, inclusive and fit for purpose for the fast-changing digital age. The discussion will lead to the identification of regional platforms that are adequately addressing digital inclusion challenges for all stakeholders to overcome barriers. Inspired from the outcomes of the UN SG Panel and report, discussion will also focus on the development of the appropriate Digital Cooperation conceptual approach in the Arab Region.

5. Making Progress for Tackled Issues

To follow up on the ideas discussed during the open forum, an Arab Consultation Process is under preparation to discuss shared values, principles, understandings and objectives for an improved global digital cooperation architecture; and related regional implications. This process can be included under the work of the Arab IGF process.

Under the framework of the Arab IGF process, partners started working together to follow up on the main focus areas and core ideas discussed during the open forum. This is with the expectation to launch and Arab Consultation Process to discuss shared values, principles, understandings and objectives for an improved global digital cooperation architecture and related regional implications. This process will also be more discussed and explored during a dedicated session is planned during the upcoming Arab IGF V scheduled to be held in Cairo in Jan 2020.

6. Estimated Participation

Onsite participants: 30

Online participants: 1

Women participation: 15 

7. Reflection to Gender Issues

There was no specific focus on gender dimension.

8. Session Outputs

The open forum on “Arab Perspectives on Digital Cooperation and the Internet Governance Process”, came in line with the call of the United Nations Secretary-General for facilitating an agile and open consultation process to develop updated mechanisms for global digital cooperation. It tackled options for these mechanisms, including those presented in the Report of the Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation.

Discussions yielded policy recommendations on regional priorities requiring increased cooperation in the digital field and the related mechanisms. ESCWA also announced current preparations for the Fifth Arab IGF, to be held in Cairo in January 2020. 

The main policy recommendations highlighted by the experts during the open forum:

  • the importance of the bottom-up and  multi stakeholder approach based on  transparency and inclusiveness principles,
  • Increase the impact of the IGFs at regional and global level by promoting concrete outcomes and recommendations.
  • Consider taking into consideration discussions happened at national and regional level and linking the grass roots needs to policy making process at the global mechanisms.
  • Synergize the efforts and increase coordination between the different initiatives that are taking place in the region.
  • Increase synergy among regional organization towards strengthening the community and addressing the main identified challenges.