Key events included informal and formal meetings with the Arab IGF community, High-Level Meetings and a special session with the Office of the United Nations Secretary-General's Envoy on Technology. Through a series of online meetings and workshops, the Arab IGF has facilitated consultations on the GDC. As part of the National and Regional Initiatives (NRIs), the Arab IGF plays a crucial role in the GDC consultation process by promoting a more inclusive and culturally sensitive approach to Internet governance. The Arab Internet Governance Forum (Arab IGF) has been working diligently to gather input from various stakeholders, including governments, the private sector, the technical community, academia and civil society, to address the future of Internet governance and digital cooperation. If successful, they believe that they can effectively contribute to the Global Digital Compact and ensure that the region's unique needs and aspirations are considered.Īt the first informal consultation with member states on the GDC on 30 January 2023, China and the Group of 77, including many Arab countries confirmed their commitment to actively engaging in this important intergovernmental process and to reaching a concise, action-oriented outcome through intergovernmental negotiations. Recognising the importance of a collaborative approach, Arab governments are searching for a unified position on the GDC and its potential outcomes. Substantively, LAS suggests that the GDC should avoid debating already contested topics and instead focus on bridging the digital divide, increasing investment in infrastructure, combating misinformation, ending digital monopoly, avoiding unilateral measures and strengthening collaboration on governments’ regulatory frameworks. Procedurally, the Arab Group requests more time for substantive talks between delegations and a more transparent liaison between the GDC and other relevant platforms, such as WSIS and the IGF. The League of Arab States’ (LAS) Permanent Delegation to the United Nations has expressed concern about the ongoing consultations on the Global Digital Compact, emphasising procedural and substantive aspects. These diverse perspectives within the Arab world stem from differing political, social and economic contexts. While some nations actively participate in multistakeholder consultations and support the initiative, others have raised concerns. However, the Arab world is not a monolithic entity, and as such, various positions on the GDC have emerged among Arab countries. These submissions demonstrate the region's commitment to contributing to the Internet governance debate and to making its voice heard on important issues for today’s Internet. Last month - before the 30 April deadline - the Lebanon IGF, where I serve as a Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG) member, and the Arab IGF, where I am a task force member working on the GDC submission, submitted their contributions to the GDC process. Given their unique cultural, historical and political backgrounds, Arab governments and stakeholder groups use different strategies to ensure that the concerns and aspirations of their communities are considered in crafting an inclusive, equitable digital future. As the UN prepares for the World Summit on the Future in 2024 and progresses towards adopting the Global Digital Compact (GDC), engagement with diverse stakeholders, including those from Arab countries, is crucial.
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