Qatar is keeping up with digital age advancements. Qatar has always underlined that it attaches special importance to benefiting from and investing in the enormous potential of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and considers it as an essential element for moving towards sustainable development.
At a time when cellphones, hand-held devices and PCs have become the order of the day and an inseparable part of our lives, it was deemed necessary for authorities to ensure cyber safety for users. To this end, the Ministry of Transport and Communications has kept itself up with international developments to make its residents safe in digital space. Qatar has followed policies in various fields to develop the ICT sector and enhance its role, Ahmed Seif Al Kuwari, third secretary in the Permanent Delegation of Qatar to the United Nations, said in a statement before the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) of the United Nations General Assembly at its 73rd session on item 17 “ICT for Development”, recently.
Qatar has promoted the use of technology in implementing most of its economic, social, and environmental development programs aimed at improving the quality of life, and the establishment of sustainable societies where no one is marginalised, and significant steps have been taken in building the ICT sector that benefits all sectors of society, he added.
The advancement of digital technologies has opened up new vistas of innovation. Qatar is adapting and integrating cutting-edge technologies to help achieve outstanding results and innovation for its people. Smart technology drives sustainable growth across different sectors of the economy. However, it is vital to ensure that the Qatari society and businesses are empowered with the skills, knowledge and understanding they need to utilise ICT effectively to transform Qatar into a truly information-based economy.
The crimes of cyber security and piracy constitute a large percentage of the crimes that threaten international peace and security. Al Kuwari noted that Qatar has been subjected to cybercrime about a year-and-a-half ago, which has been used as an excuse to impose illegal unilateral measures to achieve political goals that violate the principles of international law, international relations and human rights. This phenomenon must be dealt with in a manner commensurate with its gravity, by resorting to measures not only to prohibit and punish those involved in piracy for political or personal gain, but to deal with them as a major source of threat to international peace and security, he added.
The Sustainable Development Plan for 2030 had recognised the importance of promoting the use of enabling technologies, particularly information and communication technologies, the role of technology and innovation in achieving sustainable development goals and stimulating economic growth, Al Kuwari noted and stressed the importance of further efforts to create an environment conducive to the promotion of science and innovation, the diffusion of technologies and the promotion of access to and use of ICT services by all segments of society, especially women, youth and children.
The efforts of government shows that Qatar is at the forefront in adopting new digital technologies and has become a role model for other countries in e-governance.
