Resolution 11 of Antalya, 2006 Plenipotentiary Conference resolved that "a significant part of any surplus income over expenditure derived from TELECOM activities should be used as extrabudgetary income for the Telecommunication Development Bureau, for specific telecommunication development projects, primarily in the least developed countries".

The ICT-DF Programme is a special development initiative launched in 1997 to seed money to attract funds from the public and private sectors and recipient countries themselves for a wide range of national and regional development projects.

The following selection criteria are applied to the Programme projects:

• Potential of projects to attract funding from external sources.

• Potential long-term sustainable impact.

• Facilitation of multi-national cooperation.

• Enabling role in respect of other projects.

• Potential to attract participation of partners in funding and execution.

• Potential to become self-sufficient in the short to medium term.

Development projects have been implemented by the BDT in partnership with other organizations. Interested partners are invited to contact the Programme Administrator for more detailed information.

• Seeking partners

• Ongoing funded projects

ICT Development Fund (ICT-DF) Programme

Projects funded through the Programme are broadly grouped into four key areas:

• Human resource development

• Infrastructure development

• Assistance to countries in special needs

• Application of new technologies

The European Commission (EC) and the ITU (Telecom Surplus) have allocated Euro 3 million and US$ 676’400 respectively to an important project embracing several aspects of their common vision of ICT.

The Telecom Surplus Programme continues to represent an important source of funding for ITU Centres of Excellence

Other important human resource-related activities funded by the Telecom Surplus Programme include the Internet Training Centre Initiative, which aims to strengthen Internet and “new economy” skills in developing countries.

The Steering Committee on 29th April 2004 approved four new TELECOM Surplus Funds projects:

• Strengthening African capacity for cost-effective access to the Internet

• Emergency Communications/Inmarsat

• ICT Infrastructure for Rural communities in Bhutan

• Assistance for the Establishment of Sector Governance in Telecommunications Timor Leste