Family Online Safety Institute

4th Internet Governance Forum, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

On 18th November 2009, at the 4th Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, FOSI signed a ground-breaking Memorandum of Understanding with the Egyptian Government. Signed in the presence of Her Excellency Suzanne Mubarak, the First Lady of Egypt, the MoU commits the Suzanne Mubarak Women’s International Peace Movement, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) of the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) to a two year program of joint initiatives and knowledge exchange in the field on family online safety. For more information on the IGF go to http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/

Over 1,500 participants from around the world gathered at the IGF, reflecting the tremendous progress Egypt has made in the promotion of information and communication technologies (ICT). With more than 50% of its 80 million citizens under 25 years of age, online safety is a key component of its strategy. The agreement will commit both parties to work together to promote digital citizenship in Egypt, the Arab World and wider international community. An important further development to the existing activities of the Cyber Peace Initiative. It will include cooperation in a number of online safety initiatives and the convening of a workshop in Egypt to explore current protection tools and identify trends in family online safety. This will enable Egypt and the region to take into account best practices and inform future strategy.

As part of the agreement, David Miles, FOSI’s Director of Europe, Middle East and Africa, will represent FOSI on the Cyber Peace Initiatives International Executive Board. FOSI also demonstrates its continued commitment to the Middle East region with its involvement in a number of high profile events in the region. David Miles is speaking at the Doha International Institute for Family Studies and Development (part of the Qatar Foundation) conference, entitled  "Empowerment of the Family in the Modern World: Challenges and Promises Ahead" on the 27-28 of January, 2010. FOSI is also partnering with the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the Kingdom of Bahrain in a Gulf region conference on 26-28 April 2010.

Main Photo: Dr Tarek Kamel, the Egyptian Minister of Communications and Information Technology (3rd from left), H.E. Suzanne Mubarak (4th from left), David Miles, FOSI Director of Europe, Middle East and Africa (third from the right) and Dr. Hoda Baraka, First Deputy to the Minister of Communications and Information Technology (far right).

Watch: This Honorary Session video includes the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between FOSI and Egyptian Government: http://www.un.org/webcast/igf/ondemand.asp