Arab Republic of Egypt WSIS+10 OVERALL REVIEW OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WSIS OUTCOMES WSIS+10 Overall Review of the Implementation of the WSIS Outcomes Profiles of Progress For more information on Egypt’s initiatives and programs, please refer to Profiles of Progress, which you will find on the accompanying USB flash drive, or scan the QR code to access the online version. 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS A Decade of Achievement 4 84 106 Egypt and the WSIS: Achieving WSIS Targets: Meeting the Challenges 10 Years On Indicators of ICT for Development: Funding Mechanisms 6 81 109 111 Reporting on the 11 WSIS Action Lines: The Way Forward and A Brief Look at the the Vision Beyond 2015 National ICT Strategy for WSIS Action Line C1: 6 WSIS Action Line C6: 34 2014-2021 The Role of Governance Enabling Environment Authorities and All WSIS Action Line C7: 42 Stakeholders in the Promotion ICT Applications: Benefits in of ICTs for Development All Aspects of Life WSIS Action Line C2: 10 WSIS Action Line C8: 60 Information and Cultural Diversity and Communication Infrastructure Identity, Linguistic Diversity WSIS Action Line C3: 18 and Local Content Access to Information and WSIS Action Line C9: 66 Knowledge Media WSIS Action Line C4: 22 WSIS Action Line C10: 72 Capacity Building Ethical Dimensions of the 112 115 Information Society WSIS Action Line C5: 28 Building Confidence and WSIS Action Line C11: 76 Annex I: Abbreviations Annex II: References Security in the Use of ICTs nternational and Regional Cooperation 2 3 A Decade of Achievement Egypt’s belief in and commitment to the WSIS outcomes is reflected in a long line of national strategies, from the pre-WSIS National Communications Strategy of 2000, through the Information Society Strategy of 2003, the Outsourcing Strategy of 2006, the ICT National Strategy of 2007, the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Strategy of 2010, and the Broadband Strategy of 2011, to the Digital Society Strategy for 2014-18, which addresses the 11 Action Lines through hundreds of projects. Echoing the multistakeholder nature of the WSIS process through the forging of public-private partnerships, implementation of the WSIS Action Lines in Egypt has involved the major players in the ICT and other relevant sectors. Our focus during the past 10 years has been on the main pillars of ICT sector development – policy, infrastructure, industry development, improving citizens’ quality of life, and innovation and entrepreneurship. In the area of policy, for example, we set legislation and regulations to foster an enabling and fair environment for business. For infrastructure, we opened the way for the large-scale rollout of broadband, while for citizens across Egypt we sought to make personal computers available at affordable prices. Recognizing the importance of the investment environment, we established the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) as the executive IT arm of MCIT, charged with spearheading the process of developing the IT sector and engaging the private sector. Capacity building, meanwhile, has been a cross-cutting theme, providing technical training to undergraduates and postgraduates as well as supporting creativity. A number of our efforts have received international recognition at the highest level. Egypt was awarded the 2008 UNESCO Prize for the Use of ICTs in Education; the UN’s World Summit Award for its ICT for Illiteracy Eradication project in 2009; the 2010 Arab Gulf Program for Development (AGFUND) International Prize for Pioneering Human Development Projects for the integrated program to develop Siwa oasis using Egypt and the WSIS: 10 Years On ICTs; the No. 4 ranking in the A.T. Kearney Global Services Location Index for 2011; and first prize in the social network category at the Seventh Arab e-Content Awards, in 2011, for the Kenana Online community A Message from the Minister development web portal. Today we can confidently say that we have democratized the sector. ICTs now play a part in most citizens’ daily lives, be that for communication, work, business, access to public services such as education, health and e-government, or entertainment. At the same time, the Egyptian population and local NGOs are It is my pleasure to present Egypt’s WSIS+10 report, which highlights the achievements Egypt has made in driving growth in the ICT sector, pushing for continued reform of its legal ecosystem and sharing in the building an information society over the last decade, and in particular since the launch of the second phase making of key decisions through open consultations. of the World Summit on the Information Society. As we move forward, our target is to make greater use of ICTs, drawing on their wide popular appeal, For the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), the WSIS represents more than a to hasten the development of Egypt’s information society and the achievement of the Millennium global process. The WSIS preparatory process and follow-up phases echoed to a large extent the establishment, Development Goals. development and consolidation of MCIT, which was established just four years earlier, in 1999. This review provides a record of our efforts to build a digital society over the 10 years of the WSIS process. The WSIS has been and remains a reference point for us in choosing our direction and forming our agenda. An additional document, Profiles of Progress, showcases Egypt’s main ICT-related initiatives, programs and WSIS debates have contributed to shaping our policies, informed our decision-makers, and helped us revisit projects over this period. our mandates and develop our strategies and priorities. Today, when we look at the different action lines of the WSIS outcomes, we note with pride a significant Atef Helmy improvement in our indicators as we have moved steadily towards the achievement of WSIS targets – as the contents of this document testify. Minister of Communications and Information Technology By way of example, indicators relating to Egypt’s internet sector have risen dramatically over the last decade as a result of government policies to reduce internet access prices and to promote broadband, USB modems and mobile internet. The impact of political change in the country has also drawn large numbers of Egyptians to social media platforms, while the National Broadband Strategy will further increase internet /atfHlmyAtefHelmy @atef_helmy_ /EgyptICTMinister usage. 4 5 A Decade of Achievement In Egypt, the impact of ICTs has come to be felt in all spheres of life, and the ICT sector is now a principal component of the national economy, a catalyst for greater efficiency and performance across all sectors, and a key driver of development. A major factor in this progress has been the government’s desire to involve all stakeholders in the formulation and implementation of ICT-related policy, strategies and initiatives. This approach aims to ensure the successful implementation of projects and initiatives in all fields and to develop the information society at the national and international levels. On the global level, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), established in 2000 by the United Nations Millennium Declaration, seek to promote development leading to the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, and to achieve various targets relating to health, education and environmental sustainability. Goal 8, which calls on stakeholders to develop a global partnership for development, requests that governments “in cooperation with the private sector, make available benefits of new technologies, especially information and WSIS Action Line C1 communications.” The Role of Governance Authorities and All Stakeholders in the Promotion of ICTs for Development The Egyptian government recognizes that ICTs promote development, facilitate the provision of government, education and healthcare services to individuals, and ensure that relevant support reaches those in need. In line with national efforts related to the achievement of the MDGs, MCIT endeavours to support the attainment of MDG targets through its various strategies and initiatives. Since its establishment in 1999, MCIT has taken a holistic and inclusive approach to its work, which requires broad cooperation and partnership with relevant stakeholders, including through open consultations and public-private partnerships (PPPs). In this context, MCIT relies on multistakeholder committees – which it has established to address issues including ICT strategy, legislation, digital society, green ICT, open standards, e-content and cloud computing – to ensure that strategies and programs are formulated based on relevant expertise, target actual needs, and utilize available resources, be they public or private, in the most effective manner. 7 A Decade of Achievement high-speed internet across all sectors of society. The financing and deploying ICT-related innovation, as growth, create jobs and strengthen the role of ICT in Millennium Declaration calls for good governance well as human resource development and capacity governance. and requires governments to ensure the right of the building. This supports national efforts to enhance the public to have access to information. These strategies competitiveness of Egypt’s exports and attract foreign The Egyptian government takes seriously its role supported good governance, connecting government direct investment (FDI). It also aims to improve the as a driver and focal point of multistakeholder authorities with citizens and enhancing public service international