Arab Internet Governance Forum
Addressing priority internet governance issues for the Arab region
2012 – Ongoing
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Background
Digital development is revolutionizing all sectors of the economy by promoting inclusiveness, empowerment, innovation and job creation. Digital transformation enables Arab countries to remain competitive at the global, regional and national levels to fully reap the advantages of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and emerging technologies, while reducing their risks, and to accelerate progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To that end, the Arab region should abandon its business-as-usual practices in the areas of ICT for development and shift towards more sufficient and sustainable processes.
Our approach
Since 2017, ESCWA has launched several initiatives on ICT for development and regional integration to align the action lines of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) with the SDGs.
ESCWA conducts national and regional digital development reviews to assist member States in monitoring the development of their information societies and their digital development agendas. It has created, for this purpose, a comprehensive conceptual framework for digital development structured in five clusters:
- National, regional and international strategic frameworks;
- Infrastructure, governance and legal environment;
- Digital economy, employment and trade;
- Digital transformation and social inclusion;
- Culture and media.
ESCWA has also co-led the development of a comprehensive Arab Digital Agenda (ADA), in collaboration with the League of Arab States and other key actors. This flagship agenda was developed as part of the project "Advancing Digital Cooperation and Development - Arab States Action Programme" (ADCD-ASAP), which was launched in 2020 with the aim of encouraging dialogue and collaboration among various stakeholders and experts on critical issues pertaining to digital development and digital cooperation.
Our partners
ESCWA is collaborating with a number of regional Arab and United Nations organizations active in the field of ICT for development in the Arab region. These include:
Arab organizations:
- League of Arab States
- Arab Information and Communication Technologies Organization (AICTO)
- Arab Federation for Digital Economy (AFDE)
- Arab Administrative Development Organization (ARADO)
- Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG)
- Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in Egypt (MCIT)
- Arab Academy for Science and Technology Regional Informatics Centre
United Nations organizations:
- International Telecommunication Union - Arab Regional Office
- United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization – Arab Regional Office ( UNESCO - ARO )
- United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA)
- United Nations Development Programme – Regional Bureau for Arab States (UNDP - RBAS)
- Regional Hub – UNDP in the Arab States
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - Regional Office for Near East and North Africa
- World Health Organization - Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (WHO - EMRO)
Our activities
ESCWA has conducted National Digital Development Reviews (NDDRs), which focus on assisting member States in assessing, reviewing and analysing their digital development. NDDRs provide a tool for the regular monitoring, progress and development of evidence-based policies, strategies and action plans.
ESCWA has also developed the Arab Digital Development Report (ADDR) to assess progress in digital development. The report provides an integrated methodology for reviewing the development and application of digital technologies in the Arab region, while also identifying digital technology strengths and areas for further development.
ESCWA continues to provide technical guidance to member States on the challenges they might face and ways to overcome them, by developing targeted National Digital Development Agendas (NDDAs) based on the NDDRs/ADDR updated framework and guiding manual.
National Profiles of the Information Society 2003-2011
| Kingdom of Bahrain | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 |
| Arab Republic of Egypt | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 |
| Republic of Iraq | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 |
| Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 |
| State of Kuwait | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 | 2011(A) | 2013 |
| Republic of Lebanon | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 |
| Kingdom of Morocco | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2013 |
| Sultanate of Oman | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 |
| Palestinian Authority | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 | 2011(A) | 2013 |
| State of Qatar | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 | 2011 | -- |
| Kingdom of Saudi Arabia | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 | 2011(A) | 2013 |
| Republic of Sudan | -- | -- | -- | 2009 | 2011(A) | 2013 |
| Syrian Arab Republic | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 | 2011(A) | 2013 |
| Republic of Tunisia | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2013 |
| United Arab Emirates | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 |
| Republic of Yemen | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 | 2011(A) | 2013 |
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