Beirut-Amman, 23 February 2025--Under the theme of Our Vision… Our World… Our Future," the second edition of the Digital Cooperation and Development Forum (DCDF2.0) kicked off this morning, gathering political leaders, digital experts and decision makers from across the Arab region and beyond.
Organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), the League of Arab States (LAS) and partner organizations, and in cooperation with the Jordanian government represented by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship (MODEE), the forum highlights the critical role of digital transformation in driving sustainable development in the region.
The forum was inaugurated by Jordanian Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship in Jordan Sami Smeirat, LAS Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, ESCWA Executive Secretary Rola Dashti, and UN Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies Amandeep Singh Gill.
"The forum reflects the ambitious vision adopted by ESCWA and LAS to bolster digital cooperation and enable society of optimizing technology and innovation for the sake of economic and social sustainable development," Smeirat underscored. "Jordan has been working closely with ESCWA to develop the innovation environment and digital policies, and to build national capacities that allow individuals and enterprises to take advantage of the digital revolution," he added.
For his part, Aboul Gheit urged Arab Governments to work on preparing the infrastructure and legislative framework to ensure data protection and adopt policies that support investment and business entrepreneurs. "Investing more funds on enhancing technological spending would bring in more internal and external investments to the Arab region and would not only allow the region to move from being a tech consumer to a producer and developer, but would also contribute to closing the digital gap," he stressed.
The forum brings together high-level policymakers, government officials, technical experts, academics, private sector representatives, and civil society actors, alongside international organizations working on advancing digital cooperation and promoting sustainable development in the region.
In her remarks, Dashti confirmed that the Arab Digital Agenda provided a clear roadmap to make technology a tool for economic strength and social advancement. "However, it all depends on translating policies into tangible outcomes, to achieve sustainable benefits from investments, and not to leave any part of society behind on the track of digital transformation," she emphasized, adding that merging the World Summit on the Information Society and the Arab Internet Governance Forum highlighted the need for digital transformation governance be inclusive and transparent.
"Artificial intelligence (AI) is going to transform our economies, and each country has to be engaged," Amandeep Singh Gill pointed out, highlighting the importance of holding dialogue on AI governance with an inclusive setting. "There is a lot of untapped potential in the Arab region in terms of digital technology," he said, calling for establishing a common digital market, working closely between the private and public sectors, and talent pooling.
The forum spans four days and includes a variety of key events. On the first day, the first High-level Partners Conference on the Arab Digital Agenda 2023-2033 will be held, aiming to set the digital priorities of Arab countries for the next decade. It will be followed by the Fourth Arab High-Level Forum on the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, along with the Seventh Arab Internet Governance Forum.
Additionally, the forum will feature specialized sessions, high-level dialogues, interactive workshops, and side events designed to foster collaboration among the public and private sectors, academia, the technical community, civil society, youth, and global institutions.
This forum marks a significant milestone in advancing digital cooperation within and beyond the Arab region. Aligned with the Global Digital Compact and the resolutions of the Council of Arab Ministers of Communications and Information, it serves as a vital platform for shaping the digital development priorities, setting standards for the next decade, and building regional consensus on digital issues within global and regional frameworks.
