Minister of Communications and Information Technology Dr. Tarek Kamel is scheduled to lead a high-level official delegation to participate in the "Ministerial Meeting on the Future of the Internet Economy" due in Seoul, Korea from 16–18 June, 2008.
The Egyptian participation in the meeting, organized by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), attempts to reinforce Egypt’s status in the OECD. Egypt had recently acquired the position of a Regular Observer in OECD’s Committee for Information, Computer and Communications Policy (ICCP).
Minister Kamel had earlier been invited by his Korean counterpart and the OECD Secretary General to take part in the international event.
During the meeting, Egypt will announce its adoption of the Seoul Declaration on the Future of the Internet Economy. On its part, OECD will officially declare Egypt as a Regular Observer in the ICCP.
OECD represents a platform for Egypt to engage in a policy level dialogue with the international ICT community.
On the sidelines of the event, Dr. Kamel is expected to hold a number of meetings with his counterparts from countries like France, Australia and India as well as heads of international ICT companies. He will also be visiting the premises of mega Korean ICT companies.
In October 2007, the Egyptian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology participated for the first time in the ICCP's 53rd session and in the WPISP 23rd meeting, in Ottawa, Canada. OECD delegates visited MCIT in November 2007. In December 2007 Egypt contributed to the meetings of WPCISP and WPIE in Paris, France.
In March and April 2008, Egypt took part in the ICCP 54th session, the WPISP 24th meeting and the WPIIS meeting respectively.
Ministers and stakeholders meeting in Seoul will consider social, economic and technological trends shaping the development of the Internet Economy. They will forge broad principles that are likely to provide an enabling policy environment for the Internet Economy.
The OECD Ministerial Meeting provides an opportunity to address the role of the Internet in the 21st century and the direction of the Internet economy.
About 1,500 participants including ministers and high-level officials from communications, economy, industry and trade portfolios in 47 countries as well as leaders from all stakeholder communities are expected to contribute to the event.
The meeting will be preceded by the Stakeholder Forums where leaders from the business, Internet technical community, civil society and organized labor will gather and exchange ideas on major policy issues for the growth of the Internet economy.
Moreover, various forums and seminars will take place in relation to the meeting bringing together government officials, civic group leaders and academic experts.
Participants will also be able to gain hands-on experience of the future of Internet economy through various events such as the World IT Show 2008 and the OECD Ministerial theme pavilion.
In 1998, as the Internet was emerging as a mainstream activity, OECD convened a Ministerial Conference on e-Commerce in Ottawa, Canada. The Conference established policies in areas like privacy, security, taxation and consumer policy that are instrumental in nurturing online activity.
For more than 40 years, OECD has been one of the world's largest and most reliable sources of comparable statistics and economic and social data.
The organization’s mission has always been to help its member states achieve sustainable economic growth rates and raise the standard of living in these countries while maintaining financial stability in order to contribute to the development of the world economy.
OECD also exchanges expertise and views with more than 100 other countries and economies, from Brazil, China and Russia to the least developed countries in Africa.
Meanwhile, Minister Kamel and his accompanying delegation are scheduled to pay a one-day visit to the Republic of Singapore. Dr. Kamel is expected to meet with Singapore’s Minister Information, Communications and the Arts Dr. Lee Bong Yang and other senior ICT officials and heads of companies like those of Crimson, Logic, PSA and SingTel.
