Press Release Regarding the Appointment of the first Afghan as the Member of IGF Advisory Group

Press Release

Date: April 19, 2016

H.E. Deputy Minister Muhammad Aimal Marjan and Zmarialai Wafa Advisor Cybersecurity Discuss Key Internet Issues with the IGF MAG Member, Omar Ansari

For the First Time Representative from Afghanistan Has Been Appointed to the IGF- Internet Governance Forum’s Multistakeholder Advisory Group, a Top Global Forum on Public Policy Issues Related to the Internet Governance

MCIT/ Kabul (19/04/2016):

Deputy Minister IT of Ministry of Communications and IT (MCIT), Muhammad Aimal Marjan, received Omar Mansoor Ansari, a senior entrepreneur in Afghanistan’s ICT Sector, who has recently been appointed, by the UN Secretary General, as a member of the Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG) of the Global Internet Governance Forum (IGF). The advisor Information/Cyber Security and head of PKI Management Authority, Mr. Zmarialai Wafa was also in the meeting. The three discussed key Internet issues and challenges. IGF is a multistakeholder platform that enables the discussion of public policy issues pertaining to the Internet.

H.E. Marjan congratulated Omar Ansari on his appointment at the IGF MAG and ensured MCIT’s full support towards his and the IGF activities on local and regional levels. “It [Ansari’s appointment] is big milestone for Afghanistan, thanks to you for your efforts, your networking, patience, constancy to voice Afghanistan and the developing world on global platforms. We are glad that Afghanistan’s name is being mentioned on the global Internet Governance discussions.” Said Mr. Marjan.

H.E. Marjan and Mr. Ansari shared opinion and discussed plans for a year. These included formation of a National IGF, and a Regional Central Asian IGF, working with various stakeholders in private, civil society, academia and government sectors on various Internet Governance and policy and regulatory issues. H.E. Marjan instructed Zmarialai Wafa to work on activity calendar with Mr. Ansari for the next twelve months to enable Afghanistan become an active partner of the global IG discussions.

About IGF:

Established by the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in 2006, the IGF has become the leading global multi-stakeholder forum on public policy issues related to Internet governance. Its UN mandate gives it convening power and the authority to serve as a neutral space for all actors on an equal footing. As a space for dialogue it can identify issues to be addressed by the international community and shape decisions that will be taken in other forums. The IGF can thereby be useful in shaping the international agenda and in preparing the ground for negotiations and decision-making in other institutions. For the IGF mdandate and other information on IGF:

 http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/aboutigf.