Memorandum of Cooperation with Jordan in the Digital Field

On July 18, Mr. Taro Kono, Minister for Digital Transformation, visited the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. During his visit, he had a meeting with Mr. Ahmed Al-Hanandeh, Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship (MoDEE), where they signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) in the digital field.

Minister Kono shared the outcomes of the G7 Digital and Tech Ministers’ Meeting in Takasaki, Gunma and exchanged views with leaders in the digital sector on issues such as e-payments and healthcare. During the meeting, he received endorsement and expectations from Jordan side to promote DFFT and the IAP (Institutional Arrangement for Partnership), which is the result of the G7 Digital and Tech Ministers’ Meeting.

The Digital Agency will continue to operationalize DFFT with a view to promote, among others, the public-private collaboration and to enhance cooperation between the two countries in the digital field.

Overview of MoC

Minister Al-Hanandeh welcomed Minister Kono to MoDEE and expressed his gratitude for Japan's efforts in promoting government digitalization and related initiatives. He also expressed his intention to cooperate closely to further advance the digitalization and digital transformation of the Government of Jordan.

Minister Kono responded by saying that as the G7 Presidency in 2023, Japan successfully secured an agreement to establish the IAP to operationalize DFFT, which effectively communicated the importance of utilizing data in wider scale. He also mentioned that he would like to cooperate with Jordan, a country with a long history in the Arab world and share knowledge on digital transformation in government and build partnership to provide better government services and enable citizens and businesses to maximize the benefits of digital technologies.

After the meeting, the signing ceremony for the MoC was held between the Digital Agency of Japan and the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship of Jordan.

Details of Cooperation

Objective

To establish collaboration in the digital field between the Digital Agency of Japan and the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Areas of Cooperation

The main areas of cooperation:

1. Cooperation and sharing of best practices in the areas of Digital Government with special emphasis on:
   • New digital technologies including AI, IoT, Blockchain, cloud and robotics
   • Data (Governance, Usage, Privacy)
   • E-payment
   • Digital ID
   • Green IT
   • Smart Cities including the Vision for a Digital Garden City Nation
2. Cooperation in building capacities and trainings in the above-mentioned areas.
3. Exchange of information, experiences and lessons learned in the fields of digital government transformation and reforming traditional approaches to technology adoption.
4. Cooperation in the area of e-Governance and e-Public Services Delivery through sharing of best practices, participation in conferences, study visits and exchange of experts.
5. Cooperation with a view to materializing the concept of the Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT).
6. Exchange of experience, expertise and knowledge in new digital technologies including AI, IoT, cloud, Block chain and robotics.
7. Collaboration in the fields of the digital economy, startup ecosystems, as well as innovative solutions.

Duration

This MoC shall take effect on the date of signature and shall remain in effect for a period of three years from the date of signature, subject to renewal by mutual written agreement.

Signatories

Signed at the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship located at Aman, Jordan on July 18, 2023

Signed by:

• Mr. Taro Kono, Minister for Digital Transformation (Japan side）
• Mr. Ahmed Al-Hanandeh, the Minister of Digital Economy and Entepreneurship（Jordan side）

Appendix

• MoC between the Digital Agency of Japan and the Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship of Jordan in the area of digital government (PDF/266KB)

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