Mr. Taro Kono, Minister for Digital Transformation visited Jordan, Palestine and Israel
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Published on July 26, 2023
From July 17 to 22, Minister Kono visited the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Palestinian Territories, and the State of Israel for ministerial meetings and to visit and exchange views with digital-related companies.
During the meetings, Minister Kono explained the structure of the Institutional Arrangement for Partnership (IAP), the international framework to operationalizing Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT), which was agreed at the G7 Digital and Tech Ministers' Meeting and the G7 Hiroshima Summit, as well as the priority projects and cooperation for key use cases. In order to cooperate with like-minded countries beyond the G7, Minister Kono discussed and exchanged views with Middle Eastern countries on our initiatives and goals. He was able to gain their understanding and support.
Our goal is to maintain the momentum for DFFT on a global scale while leading the way for its operationalization.
Middle Eastern countries are implementing initiatives to attract IT investment by investing in digital talent and enhancing startup development. They are also effectively utilizing medical data while ensuring privacy and promoting cashless transactions, which has inspired us to facilitate projects of DFFT.
1. Visit to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
On July 19, Minister Kono visited the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
Please click on the following link to view the contents of the Memorandum of Cooperation signed with Jordan in the digital field.
Memorandum of Cooperation exchanged between Japan and Jordan.
2. Visit to the Palestinian Territories
On July 19, Minister Kono visited the Palestinian Territories.
1. Meeting with Dr. Ishaq Sadr, The Palestinian Minister of Telecommunication and Information Technology
Minister Sadr expressed his gratitude for the visit and explained that the private sector is leading the development of a new digital technology hub city in Rawabi, in the West Bank, where an ecosystem is being built, including a school for digital talent. Minister Kono explained the concept of DFFT and the IAP, which is an outcome of the G7. After receiving the endorsement of Minister Sadr, the two ministers exchanged views on the future cooperation.
2. Meeting with Dr. Muhammad Shtayyeh, Prime Minister of the State of Palestine
Minister Kono and Prime Minister Shtayyeh exchanged views on a wide range of national digital initiatives, including administrative services, human resource development and policies in priority areas, and discussed mutual collaboration.
3. Visit to the State of Israel
On July 19 and 20, Minister Kono visited the State of Israel.
1. Meeting with Mr. Moshe Arbel, Minister of Interior and Minister of Health
Minister Kono explained the concept of DFFT and the IAP, which is an outcome of the G7, and introduced various Japanese initiatives in the digital field. Minister Arbel confirmed his support and cooperation with Japan's DFFT initiatives. The ministers discussed the benefits and challenges of the implementation of the National Identification Number and its use for administrative services, which Israel has developed since its establishment, and confirmed their future cooperation.
2. Meeting with Mr. Nir Barkat, Minister of Economy and Industry of Israel
Minister Kono explained that Japan is overcoming challenges revealed during the COVID-19 pandemic and enhancing its initiatives for digitalization. He also emphasized that Japan is engaged in DFFT to lead the world.
Minister Barkat showed deep interest in the concept of DFFT and explained the cooperation between the public and private sectors in Israel and the differences between the two, with the example of data conversion in the medical and environmental fields. The ministers also exchanged views on future cooperation.
3. Visit to the National Digital of Israel
Minister Kono visited the National Digital of Israel and was briefed on the country's main digital focus areas, including technology, services, digitalization, cyber, and data. In Israel, the government is providing a full range of administrative services for the digital ID. However, there are still some issues that need to be addressed to ensure that the differences in administrative services offered by each local government are resolved. We found many similarities with Japan's Digital Agency, such as its role as a Cloud Center of Excellence (CCoE) and its promotion of government cloud computing. We confirmed our commitment to collaborate and share knowledge in the future.
