Arab Internet Governance Forum kicks off

Minister of Communications and acting Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Salem Al-Utahinah stressed here on Tuesday that the first Arab Forum for Internet Governance would narrow the gaps among Arab internet users especially after the recent events in the Arab world. This came in a keynote address delivered by the Minister before the first forum on behalf of His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah dubbed (Better internet for better Arab homeland) and organized by the Kuwait Society for Information Technology. He added that the forum will discuss public policy issues related to Internet governance in order to reach an international administration of the Internet and enhance access to this network and its security, stability and development. He explained that the forum seeks to facilitate the exchange of information and best practices and drawing lessons and knowledge, especially from experienced professionals and academicians and reach appropriate suggestions and recommendations in this area. He said the forum would also address the issues of emerging technologies without operational management processes of the Internet and contribute to capacity-building and development in the field of internet governance in Arab countries. Al-Utahinah underscored the importance of strengthening the participation of all those in charge to make full use of the available resources of knowledge and expertise. For his part, Director of Communications and Information Technology of the Arab League Khaled Fouda said that one output of the World Summit on the Information Society is to establish the Global Forum on Internet Governance since 2006 and includes all those concerned with the field of Internet policies of governments, including private sector, civil society and technical community "in open dialogue on international public policy issues related to the Internet." He added that the form of the Global Forum has proven successful since its inception as an opportunity for the convergence of all the parties to discuss important issues and discuss practical solutions to them."