By: Basel Khaled
Dr. Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, inaugurated the activities of the first Global Digital Infrastructure Summit, Global DPI Summit 2024, which is held under the auspices of the President of the Republic and hosted by Egypt, represented by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, in partnership with the United Nations Development Program, the International Telecommunication Union, and the World Bank, and organized by Co-Develop Foundation in the New Administrative Capital with the participation of an elite group of leaders from the public and private sectors, international organizations, and experts from various countries around the world.
Egypt is hosting the summit's activities as a leading country in adopting standards for establishing digital infrastructure; The summit aims to provide a platform for dialogue and exchange of knowledge and visions between those concerned and interested in digital infrastructure from the government, academic, industrial and civil society sectors in order to bring visions closer on the concept of digital infrastructure around the world, establish regional and international partnerships and enhance strategic cooperation between participating countries, donors and companies implementing digital transformation operations in order to advance digital infrastructure at the global level.
For his part, Dr. Amr Talaat stressed that the summit coincides with the unprecedented global interest in highlighting the role of technology in shaping a sustainable shared global future characterized by secure communication, comprehensive access for all, and recognizing the positive social role of technology in the economy; adding that for the first time in the history of multilateral global cooperation, the digital agenda is being placed at the forefront of the work of the United Nations General Assembly at the Future Summit, as discussions shifted from searching for an answer to the question of when and how will we adopt a global framework for technology governance? What can we do to accelerate the process of adopting and implementing the principles adopted by countries in the Charter for the Future, the Global Digital Compact, and the Declaration on Future Generations? Pointing out that the recommendations of the report of the United Nations Advisory Board on Artificial Intelligence on the management of artificial intelligence pave the way for moving forward towards a future that enhances the role of artificial intelligence in achieving more innovation and social and economic growth, and in which its risks are reduced and controlled.
Dr. Amr Talaat explained that Egypt's digital strategy represents the vision driving Egypt's efforts to digitize government services, build a digital economy, enhance innovation, and hone citizens' digital skills; pointing out that Egypt's digital platform for government services has been launched, which includes about 170 citizen-centered services, and work is underway to complete the digitization of services in multiple sectors, including the comprehensive health insurance system and the litigation system; adding that the Egyptian government has launched multiple national payment systems in order to expand the scope of financial inclusion; stressing the state's interest in investing in launching programs to develop digital skills for about half a million citizens annually. The growth rate of the communications and information technology sector in Egypt reached 16% annually, and the sector contributes about 6% to the gross domestic product; noting that Egypt's ranking in the "Digital Government Readiness Index" issued by the World Bank has advanced to become among the leading countries with classification A in 2022, up from classification C in 2018, and Egypt's ranking in the Artificial Intelligence Readiness Index has improved by 49 places over the past five years.
He added that Egypt seeks to harness the capabilities of digital infrastructure to meet current challenges such as bridging the digital divide, strengthening data security, enhancing financial inclusion, improving comprehensive governance, and digital sovereignty; calling for the need to deepen discussions related to developing a common understanding of digital infrastructure, based on a comprehensive framework for all segments of society, and based on the consensus on digital public infrastructure, adopted by the G20 in 2023, and the Global Digital Compact; indicating that the summit represents an ideal opportunity to work towards establishing a digital infrastructure capable of interoperability, sustainability and inclusiveness; Expressing his hope that the summit discussions will result in the issuance of a document clarifying executive procedures for work; stressing that the joint commitment to responsible management of communications and information technology will contribute to building a better digital future for future generations. In a related context, Dr. Amr Talaat inaugurated the exhibition held on the sidelines of the summit activities; where he made an inspection tour inside its halls; which included a pavilion to showcase Egyptian initiatives, success stories and the most prominent ongoing projects in the fields of digital transformation, digital infrastructure and capacity building, as well as initiatives of partners from international institutions and organizations in the fields of digital infrastructure.
The exhibition also included a pavilion for the Egyptian Post, as well as for the Applied Innovation Center, the University of Information Technology and the academic sector. Dr. Amr Talaat also inspected the pavilion of Egyptian startups incubated in the Government Innovation Lab under the auspices of the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), where entrepreneurs showcased the best digital applications and systems provided by these companies in the field of developing innovative digital technological solutions in the field of government services.
