Ms Noha Fathy is an independent Internet governance consultant. Her professional and educational backgrounds are orientated towards development areas with a special focus on human development, governance, and public policies. Noha has led several projects to improve Internet governance processes in the Middle East and North Africa and has conducted research on Internet policy thematic issues in the region. She also provides regular updates on Internet governance developments from Middle East and North Africa for GIP Digital Watch observatory. With a Master’s in Governance and Politics from the University of Manchester and a Bachelor’s of Political Science from Cairo University, Noha’s academic research focuses on the role of ICTs in building knowledge-based societies as well as developing a conceptual framework that exposes modalities and indicators to examine how Internet-related policies safeguard the right to freedom of expression on the Internet.