The Qatar National Vision 2030 is aimed at outlining country’s plans to transform into a knowledge-based economy, using information and communications technology as a platform for innovation and prosperity. To achieve this goal, the country has made great efforts to enhance its information technology infrastructures. Along with this, remarkable efforts were also taken to combat cybercrimes and protect businesses and general public.
While realizing the importance of cyber security aspect for the proper use of Information Technology (IT) to achieve prosperity for all, but the interest in this area grew further following the cyber attack on the website of Qatar News Agency late at night on May 23, 2017. This shows that cybercrimes are a global threat that requires global responses and co-operation to protect IT systems.
As cyber threats across the world evolve at a fast pace, protecting Qatar’s critical Information Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure and systems has become a top priority for the State of Qatar, which affirmed its commitment to continue working with the international community to combat digital piracy due to its seriousness and dire effects.
To face these challenges, Qatar has ramped up its cyber security efforts while working with partners across the globe to ensure an open and secure cyberspace. At same time Qatar has warned that the cybercrimes and piracy constitute a large percentage of the crimes that threaten international peace and security, and called for strengthening cyber security and providing a safe electronic environment.
In this context, Second Secretary at the Permanent Delegation of the State of Qatar to the United Nations, H E Ahmed bin Saif Al Kuwari said that the State of Qatar was exposed to a cyber piracy crime in 2017, which was starting point for imposing an unjust blockade and illegal measures, and presented a flagrant violation of human rights and international law. Al Kuwari was addressing the Economic and Financial Committee (2nd Committee) of the UN General Assembly at its 75th session, on Item 17 entitled “Information and Communications Technologies for Development”.
The State of Qatar attaches great importance to promoting the positive aspect of using innovative technology in a way that achieves a human-centered and inclusive society, praising the success since the beginning of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, in providing distance education to the students without any interruption, when the pandemic imposed inevitability of distance education he added. The envoy noted that Qatar has made great strides in building and developing the information and communication technology sector and the digital transformations system.
