Kingdom Wins Chairmanship of the 25th Session of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development

The Kingdom won the chairmanship of the 25th session of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development, affiliated with the UN Economic and Social Council, represented by the Director General of International Affairs at the Communications and Information Technology Commission, Eng. Mansour Al-Qurashi, during its session held from 28 March to 1 April 2022 at United Nations Headquarters in Geneva.

The Kingdom's win reflects its active role in international organizations, and its accumulated expertise in dealing with international issues in this field, and its effective contribution to strengthening the digital infrastructure of developing countries by harnessing its resources for the international community, in addition to its leadership in the telecommunications and information technology sector at the regional level, and its advanced ranking among G20 countries in terms of market value.

During the session, held with the attendance of a large number of senior officials from governments, the private sector, civil society, academic institutions, and international and regional organizations, participants reviewed a number of topics, most notably the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and harnessing science, technology and innovation for sustainable civilizational development in the post-pandemic world, in addition to reviewing progress made in implementing the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society and following up on them at the regional and international levels.

It should be noted that the Commission - which has 43 member states - was established in 1992 with the aim of providing advice to the United Nations General Assembly as well as the Economic and Social Council on issues related to science and technology and their impact on development and advancing related policies in developing countries, and formulating recommendations and guidelines in this regard within the United Nations system, in addition to its responsibility for the periodic follow-up on the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society. The Kingdom's nomination to chair the Commission for the first time since its establishment in 1992 comes to strengthen the Kingdom's international and regional leadership position, and in recognition of its leadership in the Commission's field of work.