The Arab ICT Organization, in collaboration with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and the Internet Society, organized a workshop on Building Trust in Digital Public Services, during the period 11-12 September 2023, at the United Nations House in Beirut and virtually via the Internet.
This workshop witnessed the distinguished participation of many high-level officials and experts from ministries and public institutions in the field of digital government, cybersecurity, and public administration development, in addition to a number of experts from the United Nations, international and regional organizations, non-governmental organizations, and academia.
The inaugural session of the first day featured paramount addresses from H.E. Eng. Mohamed Ben Amor, Director-General of the Arab ICT Organization, H.E. Dr. Rola Dashti, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCWA, and H.E. Dr. Najla El Riachi, Minister of Administrative Development in Lebanon.
During his address, H.E. Eng. Ben Amor emphasized the imperative of harnessing the full potential of technological services in the wake of these significant transformations and further developing and integrating cybersecurity into society. He considers cybersecurity to be a priority in the action plan, as the safety and security of information are fundamental pillars in the digital transformation journey. Ultimately, there must be a balance between the privacy of personal data and the services that governments can offer.
He further added that three basic principles should be dedicated to this context: awareness trust, information exchange, and strong cooperation among various sectors. He emphasized the importance of harnessing technological advancements and ensuring digital safety and security in the services provided by the government to Arab citizens.
This event served as a platform for the discussion of prospects and challenges inherent in emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and big data, and their contributions to the advancement of digital government services. It underscored mainly the importance of building trust through the usage of different legal and technical tools.
This workshop also featured a training course on encryption for government experts, aimed at providing a comprehensive understanding of how this powerful tool enhances data protection and ensures the security of digital government operations and services.