INA - BAGHDAD

Minister of Communications - MOC, Hiyam Al-Yasiri, announced that Iraq has won membership in the Executive Office of the Council of Arab Cybersecurity Ministers on Monday.

The first founding session of the Council of Arab Cybersecurity Ministers emerged based on the decisions of the Arab League, held in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, as Iraq was represented by Minister Al-Yasiri as a founding member of the council," said MOC in a statement - received by the Iraqi News Agency - INA.

Al-Yasiri stressed in her speech - which she delivered during the first session - the importance of "concerted Arab efforts and enhancing cooperation to confront the major challenges and accelerating risks in the cybersecurity file, which require special efforts from governments to protect cyberspace with the wide openness in the digital world on the Internet networks. That made it more vulnerable to increasing cyber-attacks," indicating that "joint Arab action will be the most important source of this challenge."

"Iraq today has taken on the various burdens of digital work at the legislative and executive levels, completed the electronic signature project, formed high committees for digital transformation and artificial intelligence headed by PM Muhammed S. Al-Sudani, and is working to establish the National Center for Cybersecurity and legislate the Anti-Cybercrime Law," she added.

MOC included that "the minister's presence comes to represent Iraq and clarify its vision and interest in the field of cybersecurity, which targets individuals, institutions and governments alike, according to basic standards and principles in light of the rapid developments witnessed by the world."

The statement pointed out that "the Arab Cybersecurity Ministers Council is the first specialized ministerial council to adopt unified policies to raise the level of protection for the digital infrastructure of Arab countries and enhance international cooperation in combating cybercrimes," noting that "the Cybersecurity Ministers Council has decided today to choose Iraq as a member of the Executive Office of the Council."