On February 23, the National Cyber Security Center of Jordan (NCSC) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, in partnership with Observer Research Foundation America (ORF America) and the Information and Communications Technology Association of Jordan (Int@j) hosted the virtual Global Cyber Policy Dialogues: Middle East and North Africa meeting. The meeting focused on three interrelated topics: norms of state behavior in cyberspace, cybersecurity and critical infrastructure, and digital development and transformation. In each of these areas, aspects of implementation of national policies, regional cooperation, and capacity building were examined as well as their interlinkages.
The meeting kicked off with opening remarks from Ahmad Milhim, Head of the National Cyber Security Center of Jordan and Nathalie Jaarsma, Ambassador-at-Large for Security Policy and Cyber of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. A panel of experts spoke on both national and regional dynamics around a wide range of topics including the importance of a coordinated approach to addressing cyber challenges, the links between digital development and cybersecurity, the role of training and awareness-raising in achieving cyber resilience, and the challenge of terrorist use of ICTs to the MENA region.
A meeting summary can be found here, and recordings are available in English and Arabic.
Featured Speakers:
Ahmad Milhim, Head, National Cyber Security Center of Jordan
Nathalie Jaarsma, Ambassador-at-Large, Security Policy and Cyber, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands
Omar Nahar, Ambassador, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Jordan
Nada Khater, Head, Digital Policies, Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship of Jordan
Mohammed Aldoub, Cyber Security Consultant and Trainer
Ahmad Elayyan, Manager, FinCERT Unit, Central Bank of Jordan
Yusuf Rousan, Director, Cyber Policies and Compliance, National Cyber Security Center of Jordan
Nidal Bitar, CEO, Information and Communications Technology Association of Jordan
Bruce W. McConnell, Distinguished Fellow, Observer Research Foundation America
Global Cyber Policy Dialogues: Middle East and North Africa (English) Video
Global Cyber Policy Dialogues: Middle East and North Africa (Arabic) Video