Page 95 - SAMENA Trends - December 2023

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

ital participation team, acknowledging the accomplishments real- balance. It highlights the significant role of women in the broader
ized in recent years. He said: “Today, the UAE ranks first in the Arab telecommunications sector, including ITU-affiliated areas like radio
Region in the Digital Participation Index and is a global leader in communications. The Network aims to encourage women to ac-
this domain. The launch of the updated version of the digital partic- tively and effectively participate as delegates, presidents, and vice
ipation platform marks a significant milestone in our ongoing digi- presidents in ITU’s events, including WRC-23. In his speech to the
tal transformation journey, representing a pivotal moment towards Network, His Excellency Engineer Mohammed Al Ramsi, Deputy
attaining further milestones aligned with the 'We the UAE 2031' Director-General of TDRA for the Telecommunications Sector, and
vision, emphasizing the transition from one pinnacle of success the President of the World Radiocommunication Conference 2023
to another. Our emphasis on digital participation aligns with future (WRC-23), highlighted the crucial role played by women in the glob-
trends, aiming to drive key indicators of digital transformation, in- al telecommunications sector. He noted that the UAE is among the
cluding the E-Government Development Index, the Online Service leading countries in supporting and empowering women in this
Index, and others.” Al Zarooni added: “Participation has always sector, recognizing their capabilities in achieving milestones and
been integrated in our cultural fabric, woven into the tapestry of propelling forward the digital transformation based on the latest
our national journey. As we transition into the age of e-government ICTs. He stated, "As the World Radiocommunication Conference
and subsequently embrace the era of comprehensive and integrat- approaches its conclusion, we can affirm that this edition marks a
ed digital living, digital participation has emerged as a pivotal indi- new milestone in the accomplishments of women in the telecom-
cator that we are committed to nurturing and advancing with each munications sector. It is important to highlight that the woman
passing year.” The launch event included a workshop organized by leadership of the WRC and the ITU, exemplified by Secretary-Gen-
TDRA, designed to address the challenges encountered by federal eral Her Excellency Doreen Bogdan-Martin, serves as a testament
entities in digital participation. The workshop aimed to establish a to this progress. Throughout the conference duration, we observed
cohesive and standardized approach for digital participation within the distinguished involvement of women in study committees, dis-
federal entities. Key aspects included the imperative of planning cussions, and the management of participating delegations. This
and monitoring participation at the entity’s internal level, fostering involvement makes us feel a sense of pride. In the UAE, we are
awareness about participation components, standardizing practic- pleased with this achievement, which resonates with the UAE’s es-
es across entities, broadening the scope of topics related to partic- teemed status, as a result of limitless support from the leadership
ipation, and reinforcing the principle of public participation by pre- since the establishment of the ITU. The event featured a speech
senting topics of interest to the customers. The workshop delved by His Excellency Mario Maniewicz, Director of the ITU Radiocom-
into various digital participation initiatives in the UAE, addressing munication Bureau. He praised the role of women in humanitarian
the establishment of a digital participation team and defining its issues related to the ICT sector, with a focus on radio communica-
responsibilities. The discussion addressed different types of digi- tions and their significance in the era of the 4th Industrial Revolu-
tal participation campaigns, ranging from publications and opinion tion. The women members in the Network belong to delegations
polls to blogs. Additionally, the initiatives covered guidelines stipu- from 193 countries participating in the World Radiocommunication
lated in the Digital Participation Guide, offering comprehensive in- Conference 2023. The event included honoring the regional group
sights into the effective application of digital participation through leaders of the Network of Women in the Telecommunications Sec-
the shared platform. It emphasized utilizing UAE Pass for logging tor who took part in this year's conference. Honoring included fe-
in to leverage the interactive features available on the platform. male members of the Radio Advisory Group (RAG) concerned with
The ceremony, organized by TDRA, concluded with the acknowl- gender equality, acknowledging their steadfast efforts in advanc-
edgment of the members of the digital transformation and digital ing the success of the conference agenda. The guidance program
participation teams. It's noteworthy that Sharik.ae platform stands of the Network of Women, both in a general sense and specifically
as the official digital participation platform for the UAE Govern- at the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-23), involves
ment. It is committed to aiding government entities in implement- providing support to direct and guide female participants, helping
ing participation across its three stages: digital information, digital them get nominated and actively participate in various committees
consultation, and digital decision-making. and teams. This is based on accomplishments of numerous par-
(December 20, 2023) www.tdra.gov.ae ticipants throughout the ITU’s history and its diverse conferences.
Prominent instances include the appointment of Her Excellency
The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Au- Doreen Bogdan as the Secretary-General of the ITU, being the first
thority (TDRA), in collaboration with the International Telecom- time a woman holds this position in the ITU’s history. Additionally,
munication Union (ITU), organized a ceremony to celebrate the Mrs. Carol Wilson assumed the role of the elected President of the
Network of Women in the Telecommunications Sector. The event Radiocommunication Assembly (RA-23). She is the first woman
was witnessed by hundreds of women from delegations of 193 to hold this position in history of the ITU. TDRA's involvement in
countries participating in the World Radiocommunication Confer- the Network of Women in the Telecommunications Sector (NOW)
ence 2023. This celebration is one of the international traditions event signifies its commitment to the UAE Government’s strategy
followed by the ITU in significant global events, including WRC-23 for the overall empowerment of women and TDRA’s strategy for
organized in Dubai from 20 November to 15 December 2023. The empowering women in the telecommunications and digital gov-
conference aims to review radio regulations and the international ernment sectors. This commitment is realized through the im-
treaties governing the use of radio frequency spectrum and satel- provement of policies and the implementation of initiatives that
lite orbits. The Network of Women in the Telecommunications Sec- prioritize gender equality. It is worth noting that the percentage of
tor is an initiative originating from the efforts of the International female employees at TDRA is 42% out of the total workforce.
Telecommunication Union. Its primary focus is to promote gender (December 13, 2023) www.tdra.gov.ae
95 DECEMBER 2023