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ESCWA Launches Cyber Legislation Directives

05
April
2012
Beirut

Beirut, 4 May 2012 (ESCWA Communication and Information Unit)— During its coming 27th Ministerial Session, ESCWA will launch a series of directives on “Cyber Legislation” at 12:00 noon on Thursday, 10 May, 2012 at the U.N. House in Beirut to shed light on the results of the commission’s activities in the field of cyber laws. The importance of cyber legislation stems from its role in securing a regulatory and legal environment suitable for the flourishing of the Information and Communication technology (ICT) sector. Cyber legislation is required to build user trust whether as individuals or the public and private sectors while using ICT applications or electronic services (e-services). The enactment of national laws specific for the cyber space allows transactions among individuals and institutions built on trust and is an enabler for local, regional, and international investments as well as inter-Arab trade and e-commerce. In order to build the knowledge society and promote regional integration, ESCWA took a leadership role in this area by publishing the “ESCWA Cyber Legislation Directives” within the framework of its project entitled “Regional Harmonization of Cyber Legislation to Promote the Knowledge Society in the Arab World” and funded by the UN Development Account. The directives essentially aim at supporting Arab countries in the formulation and enactment of national cyber laws, promoting regional integration and facilitating electronic transactions among countries of the region. These directives will contribute to the enhancement of enabling environment for knowledge based economy in the Arab region and will contribute to the regional integration in this field. They will cover electronic communications and freedom of expression, processing personal data, cyber crime, electronic transactions and signatures, e-commerce and consumer protection, intellectual property in the fields of Information Technology and Cyberspace. High level officials and representatives of ESCWA member countries will participate in the launch of the cyber legislation directives and talk about the importance of coordinative cyber legislation in the Arab region. Participants will also discuss the development of cyber legislation in the Arab region and the importance of ESCWA’s directives for the development of legal and regulatory environment necessary to stimulate the knowledge society in the Arab region.