Launch of The Arab Working Group on Internet Governance

During the United Nations Information and Communication Technologies Task Force (UN ICT TF) Arab Regional Network (ARN) Meeting, which was held in Abu Dhabi on April 14, 2005, under the patronage of HE Sheikha Lubna Al-Qasimi, UAE Minister of Economy & Planning, the Arab Knowledge and Management Society (AKMS) decided to launch "The Arab Forum on Internet Governance (AFIG)."

AKMS felt the need to engage all stakeholders in the Arab Information Society in the debate aiming at formulating global policies for internet governance. That’s why it decided to launch the AFIG complying with AKMS’s mission statement which reads “The Knowledge Society teaches, communicates, innovates, generates wealth, governs, does business, and progresses in all walks of life through the use of digital technology."

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), first phase, held in Geneva in November 2003, mandated the United Nations (UN) Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Annan, to establish a Working Group on Internet Governance (UN WGIG). That group is now in place working on the development of policies and mechanisms in accordance with WSIS declaration of principles and plan of action.

The AFIG will adhere to the UN world summit declaration and plan of action on internet governance. It shall provide a regional Arab forum for input from an Arab perspective, including the drive for the arabization of the internet domain names system (IDNS), Arabic content, and regional perspectives regarding all governmental, business, cultural, ethical, consumer, and social concerns.

AKMS president, Mr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, will host a founders’ committee as an AKMS task force for the purpose of defining criteria for membership of the forum and the development of an action plan.

AKMS shall host AFIG secretariat and shall provide the necessary organizational support, including domicile, website, and initial funding.

Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh proposed to initially invite the following countries and organizations to be founding members: Egypt, Dubai Internet City, Dubai Government, Palestine, Oman, Jordan, UNDP, WHO, UNESCO, IQTIDAR, and MINC. The three members of UN WGIG from the Arab region will also be invited to join as founding members of AFIG in order to provide synergy and to better address Arab concerns.

This initiative will be launched in full transparency with the prime objective of contributing to the global process from an Arab perspective and for Arab objectives.

The internet is a unique global asset which functions beyond borders in a highly decentralized and dynamic environment that should be maintained. Its owners are the present and future members of the world information society, including governments, businesses, and civil society from the developed and developing societies equally. Such a complex structure requires complex disciplines driven by governments together with all stakeholders in harmony, synergy, coordination, and interoperability.

Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property (AGIP) Regional Office Executive Director, and an AKMS member, Mr. Charles Sha’ban, was nominated by the UN Secretary General as one of the three members of the UN WGIG from the Arab Region.