Latest news with #InternetExchangePoint
Qatar Tribune
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
Cabinet approves draft law on unified system for volunteering in GCC
QNA Doha The Cabinet has approved — in principle — a draft law issuing a unified system (law) for volunteering work in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and a draft of its executive regulations. The two drafts' preparation comes within the framework of the Ministry of Social Development and Family's strategy, which aims to enhance social responsibility, spread the culture of volunteering in society, organise volunteering work, ensure its practice with freedom and choice, preserve the rights of volunteers and volunteering organisations, and define the duties of each of them. The Cabinet, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs HE Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al Thani, took the decision at its regular meeting on Wednesday. The Cabinet also approved the draft Cabinet Decision to add a member to the Steering Committee of the Qatar Internet Exchange Point project, established by Decision No (24) of 2018. Prepared by the Communications Regulatory Authority, the draft aims to connect financial institutions subject to the supervision of the Qatar Central Bank to the Internet Exchange Point, in a way that ensures business continuity in the financial sector and supports its vital requirements. The Cabinet approved a draft agreement between the Government of the State of Qatar and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) regarding the establishment and financing of a regional office for UNITAR in the State of Qatar; a draft core contribution agreement between the Qatar Fund for Development of the State of Qatar and the United Nations World Food Programme for multilateral funding for the years 2025-2026; and a draft letter of intent between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar and the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation in the field of mediation and facilitation. The Cabinet also approved a draft memorandum of understanding in the field of Islamic jurisprudence and Islamic affairs between the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs of the State of Qatar and the International Islamic Fiqh Academy of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation; and a draft air services agreement between the Government of the State of Qatar and the Government of the Republic of Nauru. The Cabinet concluded the weekly meeting by reviewing a report on the outcomes of the participation of Qatar's delegation, headed by the Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, in the 16th International Economic Forum Russia-Islamic World: Kazan Forum (Republic of Tatarstan - May 2025), regarding which it took the appropriate decision.
Qatar Tribune
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
Cabinet approves draft law issuing unified system for volunteering work in GCC countries
DOHA: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs HE Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al Thani has chaired the Cabinet's regular meeting held at the Amiri Diwan. Following the meeting, Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs HE Ibrahim bin Ali Al Mohannadi stated the following: The Cabinet reviewed the topics on its agenda. It approved - in principle - a draft law issuing a unified system (law) for volunteering work in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and a draft of its executive regulations. The two drafts' preparation comes within the framework of the Ministry of Social Development and Family's strategy, which aims to enhance social responsibility, spread the culture of volunteering in society, organize volunteering work, ensure its practice with freedom and choice, preserve the rights of volunteers and volunteering organizations, and define the duties of each of them. The Cabinet also approved the draft Cabinet Decision to add a member to the Steering Committee of the Qatar Internet Exchange Point project, established by Decision No. (24) of 2018. Prepared by the Communications Regulatory Authority, this draft aims to connect financial institutions subject to the supervision of the Qatar Central Bank to the Internet Exchange Point, in a way that ensures business continuity in the financial sector and supports its vital requirements. The Cabinet approved a draft agreement between the Government of the State of Qatar and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) regarding the establishment and financing of a regional office for UNITAR in the State of Qatar; a draft core contribution agreement between the Qatar Fund for Development of the State of Qatar and the United Nations World Food Program for multilateral funding for the years 2025-2026; a draft letter of intent between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar and the Federal Departmentآ of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation in the field of mediation and facilitation; a draft memorandum of understanding in the field of Islamic jurisprudence and Islamic affairs between the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs of the State of Qatar and the International Islamic Fiqh Academy of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation; and a draft air services agreement between the Government of the State of Qatar and the Government of the Republic of Nauru. The Cabinet concluded the weekly meeting by reviewing a report on the outcomes of the participation of Qatar's delegation, headed by the Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, in the 16th International Economic Forum 'Russia-Islamic World: Kazan Forum'(Republic of Tatarstan - May 2025), regarding which it took the appropriate decision.
Zawya
04-03-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Internet Society Extends Multi-Year Partnership with Meta and Announces Connectivity Co-Funding Initiative
As leaders in mobile technology and connectivity gather in Barcelona for Mobile World Congress, the Internet Society ( global charitable organization championing an open, globally connected, and secure Internet—today announced the expansion of its partnership with Meta ( with the launch of a new Connectivity Co-Funding Initiative. The initiative aims to scale up efforts to expand affordable, reliable, and sustainable Internet access globally, with both the Internet Society and Internet Society Foundation committing a $30 million investment through 2030. Meta has joined as the first co-funding partner as the Internet Society calls for additional partners to support the vision of a more equitable, connected world. Across the globe, 2.6 billion people lack access to the Internet, excluding them from vital opportunities in education, healthcare, economic growth, and civic participation. Through the new Co-Funding Initiative, the Internet Society is leveraging its decades of expertise, global network, proven grant-making systems, and advocacy to help enable policies to address these issues. Meta is the first company to join the Co-Funding following a successful partnership ( with the Internet Society. Since 2018, the two organizations have collaborated to develop Internet Exchange Point (IXP) infrastructure, train technical communities, and measure Internet resilience in countries around the world. Specifically, the Co-Funding focuses on investing in community-centered infrastructure development, addressing market gaps and advocacy, and providing training to build technical capacity. It aims to: Increase Funding and Advocacy: Fund infrastructure deployment and empower communities to manage their networks. Address Market Gaps: Address market failures where commercial providers see no viable business case. Enhance Training: Scale training programs to build technical capacity, empower marginalized groups, and develop the next generation of Internet leaders. Improve Community-Centered Solutions: Build and strengthen last-mile community-centered solutions for people, businesses, schools and health facilities in underserved areas. Build Sustainable Networks: Support locally owned, scalable, and sustainable networks that create jobs and foster entrepreneurship, retain value within communities, and promote self-reliance. Mobilize Advocates: Increase global impact by working with the Internet Society's 130 local chapters and 133,000 members worldwide. 'Over the past several years, our partnership with Meta has resulted in 56 IXPs in 45 countries, giving millions of people faster, more affordable, and reliable Internet access,' said Sally Wentworth, President and CEO of the Internet Society. 'This new Connectivity Co-Funding initiative, supported by Meta, is a prime example of collective action that will help provide meaningful access to more than 2 billion people across the world with insufficient or no Internet. It is our hope that this fund plays a pivotal role in reducing this gap and creating a more equitable digital society.' "Meta is proud to extend our collaboration with the Internet Society, reinforcing our commitment to bridging the digital divide. Together, we aim to empower communities worldwide with sustainable and equitable Internet access, fostering innovation and connectivity for all, said Aaron Russell, Director of Edge Network Infrastructure. This partnership complements our existing infrastructure investments, including subsea cables, which help make the Internet ecosystem more reliable and lower the overall cost of providing access.' Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Internet Society. Press Contact: Allesandra deSantillana Internet Society desantillana@ Press@ About the Internet Society: Founded by Internet pioneers, the Internet Society (ISOC) is a global charitable organization dedicated to ensuring the open development, evolution, and use of the Internet. Through a global community of chapters and members, the Internet Society collaborates with a wide range of groups to promote the technologies that keep the Internet safe and secure and advocates for policies that enable universal access. The Internet Society is also the organizational home of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) About Meta: Meta is building the future of human connection and the technology that makes it possible. When Facebook launched in 2004, it changed the way people connect. Apps like Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp further empowered billions around the world. Now, Meta is moving beyond 2D screens toward immersive experiences like augmented and virtual reality to help build the next evolution in social technology.
