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Plenipotentiary Conferences

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Plenipotentiary Conference (Geneva, 1959)

14 October - 21 December 1959 - Geneva, Switzerland

The Plenipotentiary Conference of 1959 completed the process of integrating ITU into the United Nations system by assimilating the Union into the common system of working conditions, salaries, pensions, etc. It also decided that the Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary-General should henceforth be elected directly by the Plenipotentiary Conference and not, as before, by the Administrative Council.

The Conference adopted Resolution No. 25 instructing the Union to provide, on request, technical assistance in the telecommunication field to developing countries. A provision was added to the Convnetion that included the development of telecommunications in developing countries as one of the basic purposes of the Union (Article 4). In connection with this decision, a Department of Technical Cooperation was created in 1960 within the ITU General Secretariat under the direct authority of the Secretary-General.
Plenipotentiary Conference (Geneva, 1959)
    • International Telecommunication Convention (Geneva, 1959)
      (English)
    • Convention internationale des télécommunications (Genève, 1959)
      (Français)
    • Convenio internacional de telecomunicaciones (Ginebra, 1959)
      (Español)
    • International Telecommunication Convention (Geneva, 1959)
      (Chinese)
    • Documents of the Plenipotentiary Conference (Geneva, 1959) - Final List of Documents
      (English)
    • Documents of the Plenipotentiary Conference (Geneva, 1959) - Document No. 1-100
      (English)
    • Documents of the Plenipotentiary Conference (Geneva, 1959) - Document No. 101-200
      (English)
    • Documents of the Plenipotentiary Conference (Geneva, 1959) - Document No. 201-300
      (English)
    • Documents of the Plenipotentiary Conference (Geneva, 1959) - Document No. 301-400
      (English)
    • Documents of the Plenipotentiary Conference (Geneva, 1959) - Document No. 401-458
      (English)
    • Documents of the Plenipotentiary Conference (Geneva, 1959) - Document DT No. 1-140
      (English)
    • Documents de la Conférence de plénipotentiaires (Genève, 1959) - Liste finale des documents
      (Français)
    • Documents de la Conférence de plénipotentiaires (Genève, 1959) - Document No. 1-100
      (Français)
    • Documents de la Conférence de plénipotentiaires (Genève, 1959) - Document No. 101-200
      (Français)
    • Documents de la Conférence de plénipotentiaires (Genève, 1959) - Document No. 201-300
      (Français)
    • Documents de la Conférence de plénipotentiaires (Genève, 1959) - Document No. 301-400
      (Français)
    • Documents de la Conférence de plénipotentiaires (Genève, 1959) - Document No. 401-458
      (Français)
    • Documents de la Conférence de plénipotentiaires (Genève, 1959) - Document DT No. 1-140
      (Français)
    • Documentos de la Conferencia Plenipotenciaria (Ginebra, 1959) - Lista de Documentos
      (Español)
    • Documentos de la Conferencia de Plenipotenciarios (Ginebra, 1959) - Documentos No. 1-100
      (Español)
    • Documentos de la Conferencia de Plenipotenciarios (Ginebra, 1959) - Documentos No. 101-200
      (Español)
    • Documentos de la Conferencia de Plenipotenciarios (Ginebra, 1959) - Documentos No. 201-300
      (Español)
    • Documentos de la Conferencia de Plenipotenciarios (Ginebra, 1959) - Documentos No. 301-400
      (Español)
    • Documentos de la Conferencia de Plenipotenciarios (Ginebra, 1959) - Documentos No. 401-458
      (Español)
    • Documentos de la Conferencia de Plenipotenciarios (Ginebra, 1959) - Documentos DT No. 1-140
      (Español)

Chairman

Mr. J.D.H Van der Toorn (Netherlands)

Countries participating

84

    List of participants

Further Reading

  • "Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunication Union (Geneva, 1959)." Telecommunication Journal, vol. 26 (no. 11), 1959. pp 232-237
    (English)
  • "The achievements of the Geneva Conferences: first assessment." Telecommunication Journal, vol. 26 (no. 12), 1959. pp 256-258.
    (English)
  • "The technical assistance problem at the Plenipotentiary Conference." Telecommunication Journal, vol. 26 (no. 12), 1959. pp 263-265.
    (English)
  • "Some reflections on the major decisions of the Plenipotentiary Conference, Geneva, 1959." Telecommunication Journal, vol. 27 (no. 5), 1960. pp 98-104.
    (English)

Library Catalogue

  • Link to the ITU Library Catalogue (Geneva, 1959)
    (Multilingual)

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