Within the Telecommunication Standardization Policy Department(TSPD), PTWD is responsible for the development of policy and technical reports related to new technologies in the field of ICT, developing programmes to bridge the  standardization gap, raising awareness on climate change issues & ICT and reviewing developments and trends of standardization in ICT world and assessing their implication for the ICT Sector. These involve preparing and reviewing options for ITU-T policy, using a market approach, and disseminating new emerging technologies to all over the world.

Bridging the Standardization Gap

The standardization development gap may be defined as disparities in the ability of representatives of developing countries, relative to developing ones, to access, implement, contribute to and influence international ICT standards, specifically ITU-T Recommendations. [more information]

Technology Watch

ITU-T’s Technology Watch function surveys the ICT environment, by identifying new/emerging technologies and assessing their likely impact on future standardization work and on developing countries. The Standardization Policy Division launched a series of Technology Watch reports, which are intended to provide an up-to-date assessment of promising new technologies in a language that is accessible to non-specialists. Further, the reports assess the impact of new technologies both on developed and developing countries, with a view to identify areas for new standards work in ITU-T. [more information]

CTO Meetings

The World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly, meeting in 2008 in Johannesburg, adopted Resolution 68, requesting the Director of the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau to organize meetings of high-level, private sector executives to discuss the standardization landscape, identifying and coordinating standards priorities and ways to best meet the needs of the private sector.

The inaugural CTO meeting was held on 6 October 2009 at ITU headquarters. The second CTO meeting was held in Paris, France on 29 October 2010 at the headquarters of France Telecom Orange [more information]

ICTs and Climate Change

It is estimated that ICTs contribute around 2 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
These percentages are likely to grow as ICTs become more widely available. At the same time, ICTs can be a major linchpin in efforts to combat climate change and serve as a potent cross-cutting tool to limit and ultimately reduce GHG emissions across economic and social sectors. [ITU-T and Climate Change]

Global Standards Symposium

The Global Standards Symposium (GSS) was held in Johannesburg on 20 October 2008, just ahead of WTSA-08. It brought together standards makers and other interested parties to discuss how developing countries can become better involved in the standards making process (bridging the standardization gap). Additionally the event examined global ICT standards challenges, such as accessibility, climate change and collaboration among standards development organisations. [more information]