The World Telecommunication Development Conference (Valletta, 1998),

considering

1. that a key role for ITU-D will be the sharing and dissemination of information;
2. Recommendation 2 of the African Regional Telecommunication Development Conference (AF-RTDC-96) which requested BDT to continue to survey countries, to prepare reports on an annual basis and to establish appropriate mechanisms and modalities by which countries can access the information;
3. Resolutions 3, 6, 7 and 8 and Recommendations 3 and 4 of the Regional Telecommunication Development Conference for the Arab States (AR-RTDC-96);
4. the importance of the existing BDT databases, in particular the indicators database and the regulatory database;
5. the usefulness of reports such as the World Telecommunication Development Report and the draft Report on Trends in Telecommunication Restructuring;
6. the work done to produce the Blue Book for the Americas, the African Green Paper and the Arab Book,

considering further

1. that the telecommunication sector is reforming at an incredible pace;
2. that policy approaches vary and countries can benefit from the experiences of others,

recognizing

1. that by acting as a clearing house for the exchange of information, ITU/BDT will be able to assist Member States in making informed national policy choices;
2. that the countries must actively participate in this endeavour in order to make it successful,

recognizing further

that this kind of information is extremely useful to the work of the study groups and assisting the ITU to assess the telecommunication landscape,

requests the Director of BDT

1. to support this activity by providing adequate resources;
2. to continue to survey countries and produce world and regional reports which highlight country lessons and experiences, in particular on:
   • trends in telecommunication sector reform;
   • world telecommunication development;
   • trends on tariff policies in collaboration with the relevant bodies of ITU-T;
   • implementation of the General Agreement on Trade in Services;
3. to provide indicator and regulatory information on the ITU Web site and to establish appropriate mechanisms and modalities for countries which do not have electronic access to obtain this information;
4. to provide technical assistance to regulatory authorities for the development of national telecommunication databases containing statistical and policy and regulatory information, including support for making information available electronically and training of personnel in skills related to the process,

invites Member States and Sector Members

to participate actively in this endeavour by providing the information solicited,

encourages

donor agencies, as well as ITU non-members, to cooperate in providing relevant information on their activities.