Arab IGF
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| Industry: | Internet Governance |
| Founded: | 2012 |
| Website: | IGFArab.org |
| Twitter: |  Arab @IGF Arab
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The Arab Internet Governance Forum, or Arab IGF was established in 2012, following a resolution issued in 2005 at [[WSIS|World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)]. It follows the model of IGF and encompasses all the main players in the field of internet golicy, including government organizations, the private sector, civil society, technical communities, and the like.[1]
Arab IGF was established under the joint umbrella of the League of Arab States (LAS), and ESCWA, and both organizations play key roles in the Arab IGF, by working with its Technical Secretariat and hosting entities to organize preparatory and annual meetings. They also pay special attention to issues related to the formation of the AMAG, or Arab Multi-Stakeholder Advisory Group, by selecting the hosting entities of the Arab IGF.[1]
Arab IGF tackles a wide spectrum of issues of regulatory and policy nature within the sphere of Internet industry and Internet usage, including but not limited to: accelerating broadband penetration, development of its applications, promoting local content, user rights, policies for critical Internet resources, cybersecurity, protecting privacy, youth and the Internet, and innovation enabling Internet policies.[2]
Forum Aims
- Discuss all issues of public policies related to Internet governance, especially the issues raised at the IGF, with the aim of achieving and promoting the Internet access, security, stability and development.
- Facilitate the exchange of information and best practices among political, technical, and academic leaders, and publish discussions and agreed-upon recommendations and proposals.
- Converge the viewpoints and stances to attain a unified Arab position on the priorities of Internet governance and response mechanisms to the special needs of Arab countries.
- Discuss issues of emerging technologies as well as operational management operations of the Internet, and the develop of the related recommendations as needed.
- Contribute to capacity building and development in the field of Internet governance in the Arab countries, and promote participation of all stakeholders.
- Develop and convey the Arab perspective to the global arena level, in order to support the Arab role in policy-making for internet governance.
- Communicate with the regional and international forums of Internet governance in order to facilitate the exchange of expertise and transfer of knowledge.
Meetings
- AIGF-IV: Beirut, 2015[1]
- Hosted by Ogero Telecom and under the joint patronage of the Lebanese Ministry of Telecommunications, at the Movenpick Hotel in Beirut, during 17-18 December 2015.
- AIGF-III: Beirut, 2014
- AIGF-II: Algiers, 2013
- Under the auspices of His Excellency Mr. Abdelaziz Bouteflika, President of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, the Second Annual Meeting of the ArabIGF was held under the overall theme: "Partners for Development" in the Nations Palace in the capital city of Algeria in the period from 1 to 3 October 2013
- AIGF-I: Kuwait, 2012
- Under the patronage of His Highness the Kuwait Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Subah, the Kuwait Information Technology Society hosted the First Annual Meeting of the ArabIGF in the State of Kuwait in the period from 9 to 11 October 2012.