The UAE Participates in WSIS Forum 2023

14/03/2023

Represented by a delegation headed by TDRA

Geneva 14 March 2023

 

• H.E. Eng. Majed Sultan Al Mesmar, in his opening speech: the challenges posed by the current situations are too great to deal with in silos. If the essence of the ICT sector is to build bridges of communication between people, then we should strengthen those bridges to understand the present and shape the future.

 

 

With the participation of the United Arab Emirates, the activities of the World Summit on the Information Society Forum 2023 kicked off today in Geneva under the slogan “WSIS Action Lines for building back better and accelerating the achievement of the SDGs”.

 

Organized by ITU, UNESCO, UNDP and UNCTAD, the WSIS Forum is the largest annual gathering of the ICT community for sustainable development, and aims to promote digital transformation and global partnerships and pursue global efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

 

The UAE’s speech at the forum was delivered by H.E. Eng. Majed Sultan Al Mesmar, Director General of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), in which he conveyed the country’s vision on the current phase, with its rapid technological developments and their global repercussions. He also highlighted the UAE’s achievements in the context of supporting the SDGs .

 

In his speech, H.E. Al Mesmar said: “The world is changing rapidly as new technologies emerge on a daily basis. Therefore, we must keep pace with these technologies using suitable means, in order to foresee their impact on our lives, maximize gains and minimize negative impact, and develop relevant laws and regulations. During the World Government Summit 2023, we announced the creation of the first ICT Sandbox for this purpose, and we have already started working on it.”

 

He added: “The challenges posed by the current situations are too great to deal with in silos. If the essence of the ICT sector is to build bridges of communication between people, then we should strengthen those bridges to understand the present and shape the future.

The UAE's keenness to sponsor and support this honorable forum over the past 15 years falls within this understanding. We believe in the global message that we share the world, the challenges and the destiny; and sustainable development requires an interdependent and integrated world.”

 

During its participation in this global event, TDRA highlighted the UAE’s accomplishments in telecommunications and digital government, which enabled government entities to provide services based on the advanced infrastructure of the telecommunications and digital government.

 

The forum’s current session focuses on the WSIS action map to better re-plan and achieve SDGs, coordinate activities between countries, create knowledge and exchange best practices, and continue to provide support for partnerships between multiple stakeholders and between the public and private sectors to advance SDGs, additionally, provide structured opportunities to network, learn and participate in multi-stakeholder discussions and consultations on implementing WSIS action lines.

 

The UAE delegation includes TDRA, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health, Emirates Health Services, Abu Dhabi Digital Authority, and the Cyber Security Council.

 

WSIS Forum is a high-level global platform that coordinates efforts between different countries in all matters related to ICT and digital content.