SHARM EL SHEIKH - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAG-Org) officially launched their partnership on November 16, at the fourth Internet Governance Forum (IGF), which was held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, November 15- 18, 2009, according to the UNESCO.
UNESCO and TAG-Org had already signed a partnership agreement in Paris on August 7, 2009. This partnership was officially celebrated in Sharm El Sheikh at a high profile event, which was attended by several hundred representatives of various organizations, dealing with Internet Governance issues, from around the world.
The launch of this partnership agreement was officiated by Abdul Waheed Khan, UNESCO’s assistant director-general for Communication and Information; Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, chairman of TAG-Org; and Nitin Desai, chairman of the IGF Multistakeholder Advisory Group, under the patronage of the Minister of Communication and Information of Egypt Tarek Kamel.
This new agreement marks yet another landmark in UNESCO's efforts to develop strategic partnerships with the private sector. It is unique because it is the first such partnership with one of the leading business conglomerates in the Arab region, which has more than 72 offices around the world.
UNESCO's partnership with TAG-Org principally focuses on fostering free, open, equitable and pluralistic knowledge societies in Arab countries.
The agreement covers the evaluation of knowledge societies in the region, building ICT capacity, developing Arabic content in cyberspace and other ICT related issues. It is part of UNESCO's mandate to foster knowledge societies in the developing world and is expected to make a great contribution to the UNESCO’s activities related to ICT in the Arab region.
