RIYADH — Deputy Emir of Riyadh Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman emphasized Saudi Arabia's utmost keenness on everything that would support human prosperity and growth. He made the remarks while inaugurating the 4th annual Global Cybersecurity Forum (GCF) in Riyadh on Wednesday. Prince Mohammed noted that Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman announced the launch of the first-ever Child Protection in Cyberspace Global Summit with its goals aimed at unifying international efforts and enhancing the global response to the threats facing children in cyberspace. "At a time when the need to enhance international efforts and harmonize them towards a safe and reliable cyberspace that enables growth and prosperity for all peoples of the world is growing, this forum and its participants with their specialized international expertise make us confident that the outcomes will live up to the world's aspirations towards this vital and promising sector," Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman said. The two-day GCF, with the theme of "Advancing Collective Action in Cyberspace," is being held under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman. The National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) is organizing the GCF, in cooperation with the Saudi Information Technology Company (SITE), the technical arm of the authority, with the aim to enhance international cooperation in addressing pressing issues in cyberspace. An elite group of decision-makers and CEOs from several international organizations, representing various governmental and academic sectors and major global companies from 120 countries are attending the forum. In his speech, NCA Governor Eng. Majed Al-Mazyed emphasized the close connection of cyberspace today with the growth of economies, the prosperity of societies, the security of individuals and the stability of countries. He pointed to the Kingdom's efforts to build platforms with an international dimension, and launch of pioneering global initiatives in various fields related to the sector. The GCF hosted the first-ever Child Protection in Cyberspace (CPC) Global Summit, organized by the NCA and the GCF Foundation, in collaboration with the UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and various stakeholders from the private sector, non-profit organizations, and academic institutions worldwide. The CPC summit is addressing key topics around child protection in Cyberspace. The summit aims to spur initiatives that will unify efforts in order to achieve maximum impact, thereby addressing a challenge that has become more pressing in the context of the increasing use of modern technologies by children. The CPC Global Summit aligns with the goals of the global initiative by Crown Prince to safeguard children in cyberspace by raising global awareness among decision-makers about the growing threats children face in the digital realm. This year's GCF continues to build on the foundations and objectives set by previous editions, bringing together several high-level international officials. The GCF features a series of panel discussions focusing on the following themes: Overcoming cyber disparities by building trust to enhance prospects for international cyber cooperation; cyber behavior and the social fabric in cyberspace to promote inclusion; making cyberspace a catalyst for development and bridging the social gap among communities, organizations, and countries; thriving cyber economy, which aims to discuss the contribution of the cyber economy to development by advancing markets in this vital and promising sector; new cyber horizons, which will explore mechanisms for leveraging emerging technologies to drive progress and innovation.
