ISLAMABAD: Pakistan welcomed the announcement of the Global Initiative on Data Security by China, and underscored the need for dialogue and international cooperation to ensure open, secure, peaceful, and inclusive environment in cyber space.

Welcoming the announcement of the Global Initiative on Data Security by China on 8th September 2020, the Foreign Office spokesperson, Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, said that against the backdrop of rapid developments in the field of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and increasing reliance of economies on digitised information, data and information networks, an equitable and reliable ICT regime was essential to ensure socio-economic progress, including the SDGs.

He said that the Global Initiative on Data Security was, therefore, both relevant and timely.

He said that the Global Initiative advocated a comprehensive approach towards data security and addressed several key issues, which were being extensively deliberated at the United Nations and other multilateral fora, and on which the norm-building process was currently underway.

"Pakistan underscores the need for dialogue and international cooperation to ensure open, secure, peaceful, and inclusive environment in cyber space and ICTs and a balanced approach to technological progress, economic development and national security interests," he asserted.

With a population of over 200 million people, and a flourishing digital landscape marked by growing number of online users, he added that Pakistan attached immense importance to leveraging digital technologies for enabling socio-economic development and facilitating more effective and efficient governance and public service delivery.

"Pakistan is committed to promoting international cooperation in ICTs and cyber security as a means of bridging the digital divide," the spokesperson said, adding that all countries were equal stakeholders in the development of rules governing digital economy and security of cyberspace and the ICT.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020