Page 9 - SAMENA Trends - Gitex Special 2023

FEATURED SAMENA TRENDS

“The Partner2Connect Digital Coali-
tion is a game-changing opportunity The Partner2Connect Digital Coalition is a multistakeholder
alliance launched by ITU in close cooperation with the Office of
to take a holistic approach, catalyze the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology, the UN Office of the
new partnerships, and mobilize the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked
Developing Countries and Small Islands Developing States
resources needed to connect those (UNOHRLLS), and in line with the UN Secretary-General’s Roadmap
who are still offline. P2C will open for Digital Cooperation. The Partner2Connect Digital Coalition
fosters meaningful connectivity and digital transformation globally,
new avenues for stakeholders who with a focus on but not limited to hardest- to-connect communities
understand that collaboration is in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing
the only way through which we will Countries (LLDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
ever tackle a challenge of this scale needs and partner pledges under the P2C Digital Coalition. The aim will
and magnitude. I am calling on all be together with partners, to operationalize these pledges and implement
players and partners to join P2C and impactful projects across the Arab Region. New pledges could also be
announced on this occasion.
work together so we can achieve
our goal of meaningfully connecting RFD-ARB will also feature a dedicated session for the Network of Women
those 2.6 billion people who are still (NoW) in the Arab Region to showcase the progress and the strategy of the
NoW Arab Regional group as well as its future plans.
offline.“
Doreen Bogdan-Martin Following the RDF-ARB, the “Digital Regulation Workshop" will be organized
on 8 November at the same venue, with the kind support of the Kingdom
Secretary-General, ITU of Saudi Arabia. The workshop will only be available as in-person training.

Role of ITU Regional Office Participation in RDF-ARB
As part of the RDF-ARB, the ITU Regional Office for the Arab Regional Development Forums are open to all stakeholders
States has launched a Regional Consultation that presents an involved in digital development and digital transformation with an
opportunity for ITU Member States to highlight their priority needs interest in forging multistakeholder partnerships. Key participants
over and above the regional priorities as expressed in the Regional include telecommunication/ICT policymakers, regulators,
Initiatives, and other stakeholders based on the Partner2Connect industry, academia, United Nations Agencies, regional and
Coalition pledges to express their commitments to contribute and international developmental agencies, and banks.
support the implementation of projects and activities.

The Arab Regional Initiatives adopted for the period 2023-2025 are as follows:

Regional Initiative 1: Sustainable digital economy through digital transformation
Regional Initiative 2: Enhancing confidence, security and privacy in the use of telecommunications/information and communication
technologies in the era of new and emerging digital technologies
Regional Initiative 3: Developing digital infrastructure for smart sustainable cities and communities
Regional Initiative 4: Building capacities and encouraging digital innovation, entrepreneurship and future foresight
Regional Initiative 5: Developing means of digital regulation

9 GITEX SPECIAL 2023