Egypt, represented by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), participated in the 16th annual Internet Governance Forum (IGF) meeting, which is hosted by the Government of Poland in Katowice, on December 6-10, under the overarching theme: Internet United.
IGF serves to bring people together from various stakeholder groups as equals, in discussions on public policy issues relating to the Internet. The Forum facilitates a common understanding of how to maximize Internet opportunities and address risks and challenges that arise.
During the session "Child Protection Online - How to legislate?,” the Head of the Central Department for Digital Community Development at MCIT gave a presentation on the digital citizenship initiative and its role in raising awareness of the basic digital skills that enable citizens to access and use information effectively, benefit from developed digital government services and feel confident when in cyberspace.
The initiative involves raising the awareness of individuals, especially children, of the rights and responsibilities in cyberspace, building the capacity to create and manage digital identity online, and preparing a generation aware of its digital responsibilities and rights. This will enable citizens to access and use information safely and effectively, possess the necessary tools for protecting children online, and manage and prevent the risks associated with cyberspace.
The Head of the Central Department for Digital Community Development stressed the need to be familiar with digital practices and legislation, especially with e-commerce and digital economy, adding that this will help improve the quality of life using ICT and upskill citizens in line with Digital Egypt strategy.
The digital citizenship initiative is carried out based on the policies and strategies that MCIT is adopting to build Digital Egypt in cooperation with different state sectors.
The aim is to implement several initiatives and projects to build an integrated and secure digital system to facilitate citizens’ access to digital services. This is achieved through constantly upgrading the telecommunication infrastructure, achieving digital transformation, maintaining cyber security, and building people’s capacity to keep up with technological advancements.
