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As we begin 2010, we have learned of yet another,
devastating natural disaster: the severe earthquake
that struck Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, on
12 January. We do not yet know how many thousands
have died or been injured, but it is clear that
there has been massive damage to the city and millions
of people have been affected in a country with
comparatively little emergency infrastructure.
One of the first pieces of news was the fact that
— there was no news from the devastated area. All
telecommunication systems were down and neither
victims nor aid agencies could find out exactly what
had happened or summon help. This is a dramatic
example of the fundamental importance of communications
in the wake of disasters.
It is a challenge to which ITU has responded immediately.
From our ICT Development Fund, we
have allocated some USD 1 million to support disaster
relief efforts in Haiti. In addition, we have sent
40 satellite terminals to establish basic communications,
and a further 60 units with broadband capacity
have been dispatched (all previously donated by
Inmarsat, Iridium and Vizada). ITU will also set up a
Qualcomm Deployable Base Station. This is a complete
system that provides a high-speed mobile network
able to cope with data-rich applications such
as telemedicine, as well as voice calls. Experts are
now in Haiti to help set up all this equipment, and to
assess how telecommunication networks in Port-au-
Prince might be rehabilitated.
ITU regularly responds to natural disasters. Most
recently, equipment for satellite communications was
sent to Samoa and Tonga, following an earthquake
and tsunami in that region on 29 September 2009.
Just one day later, the first of two major earthquakes
caused great damage in Sumatra, Indonesia, and ITU
sent satellite terminals there too. There have been
many more instances of ITU’s assistance, including
support for relief efforts after Cyclone Nargis battered
Myanmar on 2 May 2008 and a deadly earthquake
struck Sichuan province, China, just ten days
later.
We provide this assistance in partnership with our
membership, whom I thank most wholeheartedly. It
is literally vital work, and I appeal to all potential partners,
among ICT companies and others, to contact
ITU and join us in helping to alleviate suffering that
most of us can scarcely imagine. The earthquake in
Haiti is said to be the worst in 200 years. In the words
of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, it
is a “major humanitarian emergency”. ITU will do all
it can to help.
The year ahead for ITU
Emergency communications was one of the areas
that I identified as a priority for ITU upon my election
as Secretary-General in 2006, alongside cybersecurity
and closing the digital divide. They are of even more
importance today. During 2010, ITU will continue to
work hard in these fields, as well as on the topic of
climate change that affects us all.
Progress on spreading not only basic telecommunications,
but also broadband access to the Internet,
will be reviewed in May at the WSIS Forum to be held
in Geneva. It will look at how the aims of the World
Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) are being
implemented, now that we are half way towards the
target date of achieving those goals by 2015.
This year, ITU will celebrate World Telecommunication
and Information Society Day, on 17 May, at
World Expo 2010 Shanghai, in China. The theme of
“Better city, better life with ICT” is in line with the
focus of the Expo on improving life in cities, where
half the world’s population now live.
Then, on 24 May, the World Telecommunication
Development Conference 2010 opens in India, lasting
until 4 June. As well as reviewing progress in this
field, the conference will decide the focus of ITU’s
future work. This is not simply an event for developing
countries. Other nations and the private sector
should also take up the opportunities presented in
partnerships to tackle the digital divide.
Mexico plays host to the other very significant
event for ITU in 2010: the Plenipotentiary Conference
on 4–22 October. It will see the election of ITU’s top
officials and it has tasks that are of fundamental importance
for the Union — reviewing aspects of ITU’s
Constitution and Convention, and deciding upon a
good Strategic Plan, backed by a strong Financial Plan.
I am very pleased to say that ITU’s finances are
stable, and I am confident that we can maintain the
membership’s contributions at the current level. Of
course, we will also strive to do better. We need to
look at making ITU’s funding mechanisms simpler and
more predictable, while keeping the voluntary nature
of contributions. Meanwhile, with our introduction
of new management tools — especially those based
on ICT — we should achieve greater transparency
and efficiency. The basic aim, as always, will be to
provide value for money for our membership.
The year ahead will bring opportunities for ITU to
refocus on its mission to connect the unconnected — be they in areas not yet served by modern communications,
or (like the population of Port-au-Prince) in
need of vital help following disasters. It is a mission
to which I, and all ITU staff, remain fully committed.
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