EGYPT: AMBASSADOR GROSS DISCUSSES ICT

UNCLAS CAIRO 003247 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR NEA/ELA AND EB/CIP/BA COMMERCE FOR OBERG, USPTO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECPS ECON ETRD PHUM PGOV EG SUBJECT: EGYPT: AMBASSADOR GROSS DISCUSSES ICT DEVELOPMENTS, INFORMATION FREEDOM Sensitive but unclassified, please protect accordingly. ¶1. (U) Summary: In his November 3 ) 6 visit to Cairo, Ambassador David Gross, U.S. Coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy, congratulated Egyptian information and communications technology (ICT) officials and business leaders on the progress in the Egyptian ICT market and gave a keynote address on Internet governance at a conference of international ICT industry representatives and policy-makers. Ambassador Gross encouraged Egyptian ICT leaders publicly and privately to ensure the free flow of information via the Internet to Egyptian citizens per the Secretary of State's Global Internet Freedom Taskforce SIPDIS (GIFT),and explained USG support for protecting Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). The Egyptian National Council for Human Rights requested a GIFT policy paper to support an upcoming Arab-African human rights conference. End summary. WITSA Global Public Policy Conference -------------- ¶2. (U) Ambassador David Gross, U.S. Coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy, visited Cairo November 3 - 6 to give a keynote address on Internet governance in the Global Public Policy Conference (GPPC) of the World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA). Ambassador Gross emphasized the U.S. commitment to maintaining the stability of the Internet in his November 5 keynote, and in side conversations discussed preparations for the UN Internet Governance Forum, planned for November 11 ) 14 in Brazil. Egyptian ICT with Government and Business Leaders -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Ambassador Gross congratulated Egyptian Minister of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) Tarek Kamel in a November 3 dinner on recently awarding a submarine landing cable license to Orascom, thus further liberalizing Egypt's ICT international connectivity market. Minister Kamel noted Egypt's aim of becoming a center for business process and knowledge process outsourcing and gave an update on Egypt's commitments to ICT development in Sub-Saharan Africa. Discussing the upcoming OECD Ministerial, Kamel expressed his concern for Internet crime as well as the technical aspects of cyber security, noting that many aspects are beginning to be addressed by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). Ambassador Gross mentioned the tentative possibility of a 2008 conference to help develop a new Palestinian state's ICT market, to help make that prospective country economically viable. ¶4. (U) Speaking to about 25 American Chamber of Commerce ICT Committee members on November 6, Ambassador Gross discussed how the Internet has eased communication and information flow, noted USG commitment to the stability and viability of the Internet, and emphasized that the free flow of information is essential for political and economic development. Ambassador Gross explained that "more information trumps bad information" in general, but that local considerations must be respected, as long as countries make decisions on restricting information through a democratic process. Questioned on the social impact of ICT and restricting the free flow of information, Ambassador Gross said that ICT diminishes the rich/poor gap - the fact that half of the world has a cell phone is evidence of this. Ambassador Gross made similar points in a November 6 meeting with Shafik Gabr, CEO of Artoc and Chairman of the Arab Business Council. Public Outreach -------------- ¶5. (U) On November 4, Ambassador Gross spoke to approximately 100 computer science faculty and students at Ain Shams University, also on GIFT and ensuring a stable and open Internet. Questions revolved around how to ensure IPR and U.S. policy toward outsourcing and the development of new, advanced technologies in Egypt. Ambassador Gross said that IPR protection requires not only a legal framework but also enforcement and education. Additionally, businesses need to devise new ways to address consumer needs given the simplicity of IPR violations for technologies. He affirmed that, although outsourcing is often a controversial issue in U.S. domestic politics, the administration sees outsourcing as a win-win scenario for both the U.S. and foreign partners, and that the U.S. welcomes new technologies no matter where they are developed. Ambassador Gross also met with the president of Ain Shams and dean of the Information and Computing faculty. ¶6. (U) Also on November 4, Ambassador Gross conducted a press round-table with Egyptian ICT reporters. Local papers reported that Ambassador Gross praised Egypt's capacity to attract international ICT companies and the development of Egypt's private sector. Additionally, they reported that Ambassador Gross praised Egypt's role in formulating Internet policy on the world stage, while at the same time appealing to Egyptian officials to more stringently enforce IPR protection to further attract international ICT investment. Human Rights Council and Information Freedom -------------- ¶7. (SBU) In a November 6 meeting with Ambassador Mokhles Qotb of the Egyptian National Council for Human Rights (NCHR), Ambassador Gross emphasized GIFT principles, inquired as to the NCHR's activities in this field, and asked how the USG can support Egypt. Qotb mentioned several areas for potential support: consulting on new legislation regarding free speech on the Internet; training for the Ministry of Interior on appropriately policing the Internet to include appropriate policies and technology; and providing examples of other developing countries that are attempting to address this issue. The NCHR is working with youth centers across Egypt to instill human rights values and wants to work with the UNDP or USAID to install computers and give youth access to information on the Internet, Qotb said, but noted that U.S. assistance can be problematic due to public opinion that sees it as interference in internal Egyptian affairs. Qotb requested that the USG prepare a concept paper to use during a December 3 - 5 African/Arab conference on human rights to bolster momentum on protecting the free flow of information, which Ambassador Gross said his office would provide. Qotb also suggested that the USG send an "expert" to Egypt in the spring to meet with the GOE and NGO's on these topics. Ambassador Gross agreed, and offered that the U.S. Telecommunications Training Institute (USTTI) might be best suited to help. ¶8. (U) Ambassador Gross has cleared this cable. RICCIARDONE