A high-level delegation from Qatar, headed by H.E. Mohammed Ali Al-Mannai, President of CRA, is participating in the twelfth annual meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF 2017). Organized by the United Nations (UN), under the leadership of UN Under-Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs, Mr. Wu Hongbo, IGF is taking place from December 18 - December 21, 2017, in Geneva, Switzerland under the theme: “Shape Your Digital Future”.
The Forum addresses different aspects of international internet governance including policy, legal frameworks and regulation, on subjects such as information security and Internet infrastructure. Additionally, the Forum is examining issues related to human rights for Internet users, cybersecurity, the impact of the Internet on the sustainable development and economic growth, as well as ways to enhance international cooperation.
“One of CRA’s goals is fostering the digital society of tomorrow. Hence, CRA is keen to participate in forums like IGF, which contribute to the development of a sustainable robust, secure, and stable Internet worldwide,” said H.E. Al-Mannai. “IGF is also an opportunity to connect and exchange experiences and enhance cooperation with other government entities and relevant international organizations. Stakeholders users, government and private sectors all share their views at the IGF with the aim of creating a consolidated view from which effective international policies can be formed.” he added.
The Forum includes a number of workshops that discuss various topics related to gender divides, Internet of things, cybersecurity and data privacy. The Forum also features capacity building workshops designed to educate young participants about their rights and responsibilities as Internet users and to exchange experiences. There are about 3.5 billion people connected to the Internet worldwide and around 6 billion connected devices.
Doris Leuthard, President of the Swiss Confederation, opened the IGF which was also attended by high-level officials and more than 2000 participants from around the world from government and private sectors and civil society institutions as well as representatives from international organizations such as the International Telecommunication Union, The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, United Nations, and Unesco.