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WTIS 2014 - Agenda

Draft agenda

Download the agenda (pdf format)

Sunday, 23 November 2014
All day pre-event

Monday, 24 November 2014
08.00-09.00	Delegates registration
09.00-10.00	Opening ceremony H.E. Mr Irakli Garibashvili, Prime Minister, Georgia - [biography] Mr Houlin Zhao, Deputy Secretary-General, ITU - Speech (pdf) - [biography] H.E. Mr Giorgi Kvirikashvili, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Vice-Prime Minister, Georgia - [biography] Mr Brahima Sanou, Director, Telecommunication Development Bureau, ITU - Speech (pdf) - [biography] Mr Vakhtang Abashidze, Chairperson of the Commission, Georgian National Communication Commission - [biography] H.E. Mr Dimitry Kumsishvili, First Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Georgia and Chair of WTIS - [biography]
10.00-12.00	Ministerial roundtable: the post 2015 development agenda and future priorities for ICT for development (ICT4D) policy The pursuit of the MDGs since 2000 coincides with remarkable progress in the development and use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and there is growing evidence that ICTs have the potential to support all three pillars of sustainable development – economic growth, social inclusion and environmental sustainability. Despite the progress made, inequalities in access to ICT platforms, information, knowledge and technological progress remain vast. This panel discussed the role of ICTs in the post 2015 development agenda, identify key future ICT4D policies and related data requirements. The session addressed the following questions: What are the lessons learned from the process of defining the post 2015 development agenda which are of relevance to ICT4D? What are the priority areas the international community should focus on in a post 2015 era with respect to ICT4D? What is the role of different stakeholders in ensuring an inclusive information society? What data are required to identify gaps and enable effective policy making? Moderator: Cosmas Zavazava, Chief, Project Support and Knowledge Management Department, Telecommunication Development Bureau, ITU - [biography] Keynote: Richard Heeks, Director, Centre for Development Informatics, University of Manchester, United Kingdom - Presentation (pdf) - [biography] Panellists: H.E. Dr Azzam Sleit, Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Jordan - [biography] H.E. Mr Dimitry Kumsishvili, First Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Georgia - [biography] Hon. Stanley Simataa, Deputy Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Namibia - [biography] Dr Nagwa Ebrahim Elshenawy, Undersecretary for Information and Strategic Planning, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Egypt - [biography] Mr Pali Lehohla, Statistician General, South Africa - [biography] Dr Aida Opoku-Mensah, Special Advisor on Post 2015 Development Agenda, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa - [biography]
12.00-13.30	Lunch break
13.30-14.00	Launch of the Measuring the Information Society Report 2014 Moderator:Nisha Pillai, Journalist and Facilitator - [biography]
14.00-14.30	Press conference
14.30-16.00	Big Data for development and the future of ICT measurement In an increasingly digitized world, vast amounts of data have the potential to produce new and insightful information, and there is a growing debate on how the public and private sector can maximize the benefits of big data. One of the richest sources of big data is the data captured by the use of ICTs. ICT-related big data are helping to produce development insights of relevance to public policy, such as understanding socio-economic wellbeing and poverty, as well as improving the monitoring of the information society. This panel examined opportunities and challenges in using big data from the ICT industry to complement existing ICT indicators. It presented the new ITU Big Data Strategy and discussed the role of different players, including the ICT industry, governments, and international organisations. The session addressed the following questions: How can big data complement current information society measurements based on official statistics? What is the role of the ICT industry as key source of big data? How can the private and public sector cooperate to maximize the benefit of using big data? What should international organizations such as ITU do to encompass big data sources in their statistical work? Moderator: Nisha Pillai, Journalist and Facilitator - [biography] Keynote speaker: Reg Brennenraedts, Partner and Senior Consultant, Dialogic - Presentation (pdf) - [biography] Panellists: Ronald Jansen, Chief, Trade Statistics Branch, United Nations Statistics Division - Presentation (pdf) - [biography] Gerrit Wassink, Team manager, Culture, Tourism and Technology, Statistics Netherlands - Presentation (pdf) - Background document (pdf) - [biography] Mark Graham, Associate Professior and Senior Research Fellow, Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford - Presentation (pdf) - [biography] Nuria Oliver, Scientific Director, Telefonica Research - Presentation (pdf) - Background document (pdf) - [biography] Pat Wu, Internet.org Strategy & Planning Leader, Facebook - Presentation (pdf) - [biography]
16.00-16.30	Coffee break and group picture
16.30-18.00	Measuring competition, regulation and affordability of ICT services The price of ICT services constitutes a determining factor for ICT uptake, particularly among low-income groups in developing countries. When analysing the affordability of ICT prices, competition and regulation are the elements upon which telecommunication regulatory authorities may exert more direct control. Quantitative assessments of regulatory actions are helping to understand the impact that specific policies have on the price and affordability of ICT services, which could lead to an increase in their uptake and use. This panel addressed the role of competition and regulation in determining ICT prices, identify data needs to measure the impact of regulatory intervention and discussed the importance of market information. The panel presented the perspective of policy makers, academia and the ICT industry. In particular, the session addressed the following questions: What is the impact of competition and regulation in the ICT sector on the retail price of ICT services? How can regulatory authorities effectively implement policies that lead to affordable ICT services? Which data are required to monitor the cost and affordability of ICT services? What are key challenges faced by the ICT industry in a competitive market environment? How could the impact of competition and regulation be monitored in the context of convergence? Moderator: Aaron Boyd, Chief Strategy Officer, ABI Research - [biography] Panellists: Tommaso Valletti, Professor, Imperial College London - [biography] Sonia Jorge, Executive Director, Alliance for Affordable Internet - [biography] Juan M. Roldan, Senior Technical and Economic Advisor, Telecommunications Management Group - [biography] Elidier Moya, Manager, Networks in Telecommunications, Ministry of Science, Technology and Telecommunications, Costa Rica - [biography]
18.30	Welcome Cocktail for WTIS Participants

Tuesday, 25 November 2014
09.00-10.30	Current and future work on Telecommunication/ICT Indicators The Expert Group on Telecommunication/ICT Indicators (EGTI) has the mandate to review and revise the ITU supply-side indicators (data collected from administrative sources, mainly operators), as well as to discuss outstanding and emerging methodological issues and indicators. This session presented the outcomes of the work of the EGTI carried out during 2014, including in the area of fixed and mobile broadband metrics, bundled services, M2M, LTE and international Internet bandwidth. In addition, the measurement of m-banking services and new mobile phone data sources, such as call detail records, were discussed as topics of growing importance in developed and developing countries. Moderator:Rati Skhirtladze, Head of the Information and Analysis Department, National Communications Commission, Georgia - [biography] Speakers: Iñigo Herguera, EGTI Chair and Deputy Director, Statistics Division, National Markets and Competition Commission, Spain - Presentation (pdf) - Background document - [biography] Bogdan Vasilescu, Head, Statistical Data Unit, National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications, Romania - Presentation (pdf) - [biography] Wilfred Ojok, Market Industry Analyst, Uganda Communications Commission, Uganda - Presentaton (pdf) - [biography] Erki Saluveer, Chief Technology Officer, Positium - Presentation (pdf) - [biography]
10.30-11.00	Coffee break
11.00-12.30	Current and future work on ICT Household Indicators The Expert Group on ICT Household Indicators (EGH) has the mandate to review the indicators for measuring ICT access and use by households and individuals based on data collected through national household surveys. The objective of this session was to present the outcomes of the work of the EGH carried out during 2014, including discussions and proposed indicators in the area of Internet security, child and youth online protection, barriers to Internet use and mobile phone ownership. The session also discussed indicators to better monitor the uptake of mobile cellular services. Moderator: Alison Gillwald, Executive Director, Research ICT Africa - [biography] Speakers: Alexandre Barbosa, EGH Chair and Head, Center of Studies for Information and Communication Technologies, Brazil - Presentation (pdf) - Background document - [biography] Esperanza Magpantay, Senior Statistician, ICT Data and Statistics Division, ITU - Presentation (pdf) - [biography] and Joss Gillet, Senior Manager, GSMA Intelligence - Presentation (pdf) - [biography] Alvina Kwan, Senior Statistician, Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong, China - Presentation (pdf) - [biography] Carmelo Javier Muñoz Ruiz, Director, National Observatory for Telecommunications and the Information Society, Spain - Presentation (pdf) - [biography]
12.30-14.00	Lunch break
13.30-14.00	Side-event: ICT Access & Use by Households & Individuals Survey 2013 - Presentation (pdf)
14.00-15.30	Data quality, big data, open data The growing demand for ICT statistics, an increasing number of internationally defined and agreed ICT indicators, and growing recognition of the importance of ICT statistics for social and economic development are imposing new challenges for ICT data quality. Data quality issues are being discussed particularly in the context of the emerging debate on the potential of big data to complement official statistics and calls for open data systems in countries and international agencies. The objective of this session was to present the ITU data quality assurance framework and guidelines, to review national best practices, and discuss ways on how to maintain quality of official ICT statistics in the context of big and open data. The session addressed the following questions: What is data quality and how can it be assured at the national and international levels? What are the challenges and opportunities of adopting open data policies? What are new dimensions of data quality in the context of big data? Are open data and big data compatible? What needs to be done to ensure data confidentiality? Moderator: Ronald Jansen, Chief, Trade Statistics Branch, United Nations Statistics Division - [biography] Presentaton of ITU Data Quality Assurance Framework: Michael Colledge, Consultant to ITU - Presentation (pdf) - Background document - [biography] Speakers: Kiyoshi Mori, Director General for International Affairs, Global ICT Strategy Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan - Presentation (pdf) - [biography] Kaoru Kimura, ICT Policy Specialist, Transport and ICT, World Bank - Presentation (pdf) - [biography] Livia Turcanu, e-Government Center, Moldova - Presentation (pdf) - [biography]
15.30-16.00	Coffee break
16.00-17.30	International Coordination of ICT Measurement - 10^th Anniversary of the Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development The Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development is celebrating its 10^th anniversary this year. At this occasion, a special panel session was organized presenting key achievements of the Partnership as well as future topics that the international community should address to enhance ICT measurement. The debate took place within the context of two important and closely linked processes: first, the post-WSIS discussions on remaining challenges to create an inclusive information society and, second, the post 2015 development agenda, which needs to fully recognize the potential of ICTs to achieve broader development goals. Questions that were addressed include: What are the lessons learnt from 10 years of cooperation? What are the key future priorities that the Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development should address? How are ICT statistics used for evidence-based policy-making? How do we measure the impact of ICT on development, particularly in the context of the post 2015 agenda? What are the most pressing issues and challenges in creating an inclusive information society and what are some of the priority areas highlighted by the post-WSIS discussions which will require future monitoring? Moderator: David Souter, Managing Director, ict Development Associates - [biography] Speakers: Susan Teltscher, Head, ICT Data and Statistics Division, ITU - [biography] and Scarlett Fondeur Gil, Economic Affairs Officer, ICT Analysis Section, UNCTAD, on behalf of the Partnership Steering Committee - [biography] José Luis Cervera, Director, DevStat, Spain - [biography] Alison Gillwald, Executive Director, Research ICT Africa - [biography] Vladimir Minkin, Chairman, WSIS+10 Multistakeholder Preparatory Platform and ITU Council Working Group on WSIS - [biography] Gerardo Lopez, Director, Statistics on Science and Technology, Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía, Mexico - [biography] In recognition of the achievements of its work over the last ten years, the Partnership presented an overview of its work (pdf format) and prepare a special video.

Wednesday, 26 November 2014
09.00-10.30	Measuring the Information Society Report 2014 For the fifth consecutive year, ITU published the Measuring the Information Society Report. This report was launched in six locations across the globe. The report presents recent trends in ICT development worldwide, for a large number of key indicators. It features the latest ICT Development Index (IDI) and its analyses, covering the digital divide, least connected countries, and the relationship between IDI and MDG performance. The report also features an analysis of the impact of competition and regulation on ICT prices, looks at the affordability of ICT services in view of income inequalities, and provides a comprehensive assessment of big data from the telecommunication industry. This session presented the main findings of the report, followed by Q&A. Moderator: Alexandre Barbosa, EGH Chair and Head, Center of Studies for Information and Communication Technologies, Brazil - [biography] Keynote speaker: Pali Lehohla, Statistician General, South Africa - Keynote - [biography] Speakers: Susan Teltscher, Head, ICT Data and Statistics Division, ITU - Presentation - [biography] Esperanza Magpantay, Senior Statistician, ICT Data and Statistics Division, ITU - Presentation - [biography] Ivan Vallejo, Analyst, ICT Data and Statistics Division, ITU - Presentation - [biography] Vanessa Gray, Senior Analyst, ICT Data and Statistics Division, ITU - Presentation - [biography]
10.30-11.00	Coffee break
11.00-12.30	Panel discussion on the ITU ICT Development Index (IDI) The ICT Development Index (IDI) is one of the most used international benchmarks for countries’ ICT development performance. It captures, and ranks, the level of ICT in around 160 economies worldwide and compares progress made during the last year. This panel session presented IDI success stories from developed and developing regions, as well as highlighted challenges in terms of closing the digital divides. Moderator: Cosmas Zavazava, Chief, Project Support and Knowledge Management Department, Telecommunication Development Bureau, ITU - [biography] Panelists: Mr Esben Emborg, Head of Mission of the Danish Consulate in Georgia, Denmark - [Biography] H. E. Dr Azzam Sleit, Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Jordan - [biography] H.E. Mr Dimitry Kumsishvili, First Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Georgia - [biography] Dr Nagwa Ebrahim Elshenawy, Undersecretary for Information and Strategic Planning, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Egypt - [biography] Dr. Kim Seung Keon, Director General, Korea Association for ICT Promotion, Republic of Korea - [biography]
12.30-14.00	Lunch break
13.30-14.00	Side-event: ICT in Public Access Center Survey 2013 - Presentation (pdf)
14.00-14.30	Presentation of Chair’s summary and conclusions In the final session of WTIS, the Chair, H.E. Mr Dimitry Kumsishvili, First Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Georgia, presented his final conclusions and recommendations of the meeting. Download the DRAFT conclusions and recommendations (Word format)
14.30-14.45	Award ceremony
14.45-15.00	Announcement of WTIS 2015 Kiyoshi Mori, Director-General for International Affairs, Global ICT Strategy Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication, Japan - [biography]
15.00-15.30	Closing ceremony Dimitry Kumsishvili, First Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Georgia - [biography] Brahima Sanou, Director, Telecommunication Development Bureau, ITU - [biography] Vakhtang Abashidze, Chairperson of the Commission, Georgian Communications Commission - [biography] Tengiz Tsekvava, Deputy Executive Director, National Statistics Office, Georgia - [biography]
16.00-18.00	Excursion to the Public Service Hall, Tbilisi
19.00	Gala dinner hosted by the Government of Georgia