The Driving Development with ICTs and the Internet Conference Concludes in Dubai
18 Oct 2007DUBAI--- October 18, 2007--- The Driving Development with [Information and Communication Technologies] (ICTs) and the Internet Conference concluded on Wednesday, October 17, 2007 with an emphasis on utilizing more tools to achieve economic development.
The one-day Conference, inaugurated by H.E Sheikha Lubna Al-Qasimi, Minister of Economy, United Arab Emirates, was organized by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), E-Business, IT and Telecoms (EBITT) Commission, Business Action to Support the Information Society (BASIS), the Talal Abu-Ghazaleh & Co. International (TAGI), the Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Information Technology International (TAGITI) and the Union of Arab Chambers of Commerce.
Al-Qasimi, in her speech, emphasized on the efforts of business and government, working together, to address Internet and ICT related issues.
"Business plays a huge role as an innovator, investor and developer, it also contributes to shaping policy," she highlighted.
In addition, Al-Qasimi underscored the government's vital responsibility in creating and improving the digital economy by implementing technologies in order to provide improved citizen-centric services and administrative processes.
Meanwhile, Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, BASIS Founding Chair and Chair of ICC’s Commission on E-Business, IT and Telecoms (EBITT), delivered the opening remarks of the Conference where he praised efforts exerted by H.E Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum andH.E Sheikha Lubna Al-Qasimi in ICTand Internet sector.
"Here in the UAE, we see of course, the highest internet penetration rates in the Arab world. The policies
of leaders like H.E. Sheikha Lubna, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum have led to Dubai and the UAE to rank among the most well-known and popular destinations in the world, and to move it beyond the classification of a developing country."
"While we see clear success stories in the Arab world, and across the developing world, the results are uneven. There are still many nations that have not yet achieved comparable levels of success, whether due to adverse circumstances or bad policy choices. I believe that is the most important contribution BASIS is making in offering that range of tools to support government policy makers in developing the enabling framework for success," he added.
" For those nations that make that commitment and yet face remaining challenges whether related to education, finance or otherwise, I think it is safe to say that for any nation today, where there is a will, there will be a way, and we can find the right network of partners to facilitate faster uptake of ICT innovations," Abu-Ghazaleh elaborated.
Members of BASIS and ICC’s EBITT Commission actively participated in the conference as panelists and moderators in discussions on a range of issues, from security and information protection, to creating regulatory and policy frameworks to spur investment in ICTs, to delivering the benefits of the Internet to more people.
Vice President Global Public Policy and Chief Privacy Officer Oracle Corporation, USA, Joseph Alhadeff moderated a panel on security and privacy.
“Frameworks based on flexible principles increase user confidence while considering the decentralized, global nature of the Internet as well as varying cultural and legal regimes across countries and the economic benefits achieved through free flows of data across borders,” he stated.
Panelists tackled various issues among which are enabling environment for innovation, investment, competition, and entrepreneurship. In this respect, moderator Peter Hellmonds, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Nokia Siemens Networks, Germany, highlighted the need for forward-looking policies.
"In order to support economic development, such policies should not micromanage, but should adapt to the speed of innovation, accommodating new business models and allowing disruptive technologies to show their benefits," he said.
Other high-level participants included ICC Secretary General Guy Sebban; ICANN President Paul Twomey; and Executive Coordinator of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Secretariat Markus Kummer via videoconference from Geneva.
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