Your Excellency, Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,
Distinguished Members of Parliaments,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Welcome to the Parliamentary Track of the IGF 2024.
In an increasingly digital world, this 5th edition of the IGF Parliamentary Track remains focused on bringing parliamentarians together with stakeholders to develop policy and regulatory frameworks for an open, accessible, inclusive, and secure Internet.
With the IGF 2024 overarching theme, "Building our Multistakeholder Digital Future”, this year’s parliamentary track emphasizes digital cooperation.
Indeed, the need for collaboration across borders, industries, and sectors has never been more important.
From cybersecurity and privacy, to misinformation and ensuring the ethical use of AI, the digital landscape is full of pressing issues that affect us all.
It is our responsibility to collaborate in addressing these challenges in ways that are thoughtful, trustworthy, enabling, and inclusive.
This will align our ongoing digital transformation journey with the needs and aspirations of people worldwide, ensuring a more inclusive and sustainable development progress.
As Parliamentarians, you have the power to shape the digital future.
By enacting sound legislation, overseeing digital policies, and fostering international cooperation, your actions and initiatives can build an inclusive digital space that is safer, more secure, and trustworthy.
You can also help shape a digital landscape that fosters economic growth through innovation, while upholding human rights.
Distinguished Members of Parliaments,
While the Global IGF is a unique opportunity for parliamentarians and other stakeholders from around the world to come together, it is equally important to continue the discussions at regional and national levels.
In responding to a general call for increased integration of legislators in digital public policy discussions, we have since extended our dedicated parliamentary activities to local IGFs.
Many of you present today also participated this year in Central Asian, Latin American and the Caribbean and African forums, and we are eager to hear the parliamentary outcomes and priorities from your respective countries and regions.
I invite you to further strengthen your engagement with the IGF. You can cooperate meaningfully at National and Regional forums with all stakeholders and leverage those insights to inform your parliamentary work.
Together, we can create a common digital future where technology serves as a force for good and global stability.
I wish you a successful Parliamentary Track, with productive meetings and fruitful exchanges.
Thank you.