It will focus on measurement and evaluation of e-government projects and initiatives and simplifying government processes in the Arab region.
The forum is part of the initiative for 'Good Governance for Development in Arab countries', held by Dubai School of Government in cooperation with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Sponsored by CISCO, the National Bank of Dubai (NBD), and SAS, the convention brings together high level officials and government leaders from 16 Arab countries to build a regional knowledge base that will streamline Arab government procedures and implement e-Government strategies to meet the needs of the global economy.
Dr. Tarik Yousef, Dean of The Dubai School of Government said: 'The third in its series, the seminar aims to build on the achievements of the annual initiative launched in 2005 to discuss simplifying government processes and adopting e-Government practices.
'Through the development of effective electronic governance, nations can improve their public services by making them accessible, more effective, less costly, and transparent. We recommend that all Arab countries, striving to improve their governmental processes, implement the ideas presented at the forum.'
The opening session will be addressed by Moosa Al Hashimi, Head of Delivery Unit at the Executive Office, Dr. Chang-Kil Lee, e-Government Policy Advisor to the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs, Korea; Christian Vergez, Head of Division, Innovation and Integrity, Public Governance and Territorial Development Directorate; Martin Forst, Forum Coordinator, and Tarik Yousef, The Dean of the Dubai School of Government.
Yasar Jarrar, Executive Dean of the School of Government, said: 'The forum will highlight the experience of creating a methodology to evaluate the efficacy of e-government projects.
'The Dubai School of Government has successfully initiated dialogue on the development of e-government through the launch of new research initiatives and partnerships with international organisations.'
The Dubai School of Government recently signed a MoU with Microsoft and UNDP for ownership of the first e-Government portal in the Middle East that will contribute to the development of sustainable public sector policies in the region.
Tariq Al Gurg, Divisional Head of Corporate Banking, the National Bank of Dubai (NBD), said: 'Sponsoring the event for the second time underlines our conviction that developing government performance and introducing effective tools such as e-government will contribute largely to the economic development of the Arab World, encourage investments and help establish a solid foundation for growth.'
Mazen Jabri, General Manager of Cisco UAE said: "Citizens demand the same level of service from their government as they get from private companies. It is time that local and regional governments embrace technology as a proven solution adopted by the private sector to improve collaboration among departments, increase public safety and network security, and better the service.'
"We are excited to be part of this event as it provides an opportunity to openly discuss such topics with the major players in this field from across the region."
Basel Tutunji, Regional Manager of the Middle East SAS Institute said: 'As a leading player in the e-government and Business Intelligence solutions space, we are pleased to play a proactive role in the future of e-Government in the region. This initiative also underscores the vision of the Dubai government, while providing the SAS Institute with an opportunity to give something back to the community through the exchange of views and best practices across countries.'
Autor(en)/Author(s): Lara Lynn Golden
Quelle/Source: AME Info, 12.03.2007
