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Preparations for revising global treaty enter final stage
Growing consensus around key issues
Geneva, 4 June 2012 – The formal mechanism for producing a
consolidated input towards a revision of the International Telecommunication
Regulations (ITRs) that shaped the ICT networks of today will see its final
meeting June 20-22. The Council Working Group to prepare for the World
Conference on International Telecommunications will meet for the last time, in
Geneva, to produce a report that will be considered at the conference in Dubai,
3-14 December.
Alongside this Council group, regional preparatory meetings, information
sessions, and open consultations are the means used by ITU to solicit input and
feedback from all its 193 Member States, its 700 private sector members –
including many of the largest technology companies in the world – and 40
academic members, as well as non-member stakeholders. The Council Working Group
has seen some 100 input documents submitted by ITU’s membership.
Dr Hamadoun Touré, Secretary-General, ITU: “According to its mandate, ITU is
convening this conference to update the only truly global treaty on
telecommunications, a treaty which laid the foundations for today’s connected
world. This is a unique opportunity for the world community to bring the
benefits of the information society to all the world’s citizens.”
During a recent open consultation in Geneva, held during the WSIS Forum 2012
on 16 May, a well-attended three-hour session heard opinions from stakeholder
groups including governments, private sector, academia, international
organizations and a wide range of representatives from civil society.
At an open consultation in Brussels in April (see previous
press
release) participants agreed that revisions to the treaty should facilitate
the benefits of Internet being brought to all the peoples of the world in
particular by encouraging broadband roll-out and investment and foster the right
conditions to allow markets to flourish within a long term vision backed by
sustainable business models.
The two-year long preparation process is now achieving a degree of
convergence on some of the high-level principles. Emerging themes for inclusion
in the revised ITRs include: the right to communicate; security in the use of
ICTs and the protection of national resources; taxation; international mobile
roaming; misuse and hijacking of international numbers; and interoperability.
Data volumes are increasing much faster than the infrastructure needed to carry
it, and there is a risk of a lack of investment in the development of the
infrastructure. This is also something that could be addressed at the WCIT.
In coming weeks briefing documents on all of these themes will be published
on the WCIT website.
A ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ paper will also detail the processes as well
participation rights and opportunities to comment.
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For more information, please contact: |
Sarah Parkes
Chief, Media Relations and Public Information, ITU
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