The Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) concluded its first visit to the member state, the Republic of Djibouti, earlier this week, where the DCO delegation led by the Secretary-General Deemah AlYahya held several bilateral meetings with government and non-government entities, startups, and university students in the country. Include the names and titles of the members of delegation.
The DCO delegation met with key government representatives, including H.E. Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed, Djibouti’s Prime Minister; H.E. Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; H.E. Mariam Hamadou Ali, the Minister of Digital Economy and Innovation, Mr. Abdi Ilmi Achkir, the President of Multisectoral Regulatory Authority of Djibouti (ARMD) and Mr. Slim Feriani, the CEO of the Djibouti Sovereign Fund and Chairman of Djibouti Telecom and Mr. Mohammed Bouh, Managing Director of Djibouti Telecom. Among the key discussions during these meetings were an overview of Djibouti’s digital economy and innovation ecosystem and strategic plans and the country’s Vision 2035. The Delegation also visited the Haramous Cable Landing Station, a subsidiary of Djibouti Telecom.
The DCO delegation also met with senior representatives from non-government entities, including Dr. Djama Mohmed Hassan, President of the University of Djibouti; and Hasna Houmed Bilil, the Vice President of The National Union of Djiboutian Women (UNFD). There was also a visit to D-Money, Djibouti's first mobile money company. The meetings focused on connectivity and infrastructure challenges in Djibouti, attracting investments, economic empowerment of women and modernizing regulations. Add meeting with Dr. Osman Babikir, Director of Economic Development and Regional Cooperation, IGAD.
Deemah AlYahya, Secretary-General of the DCO, said that as an international, multilateral organization representing 11 member nations, such visits are essential for the promotion of digital prosperity for all. She said, “By its nature, the digital economy is highly international and borderless. For any country to reach its full potential, it must work in partnership with others. However, global governance has not kept pace with economic development. Regulations are increasingly splintering rather than cohering around common standards. Barriers to cross-border digital activity are being erected rather than lowered. This is why these visits to Djibouti and other DCO Member States are vital towards achieving our goal of bridging the digital divide. It is essential that organizations who can influence the digital field come together and proactively cooperate with each other to face challenges and bring down barriers.”
During the visit, Deemah AlYahya, Secretary-General of the DCO, also delivered a speech to engineering students at The University of Djibouti where she motivated students to pursue training in the new ICT technologies and aspire to export their future innovations to the region, raise awareness of the African region’s challenges in the digital field, the role of the DCO, and the opportunities they can leverage for the future. In addition, the speech highlighted challenges the students may face in the digital field and the opportunities available for entrepreneurs in the digital economy. The Secretary-General also shed light on the importance of social inclusivity and women empowerment for the achievement of digital prosperity.