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Egypt to host ITU’s 2016 Global Symposium for
Regulators
Geneva, 14 January 2016 – ITU and the National Telecom
Regulatory Authority of Egypt (NTRA) have signed the Host Country Agreement for
the 2016 Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR), which will take place in Sharm
el-Sheikh, Egypt, from 11 to 14 May 2016. The agreement, which covers all
logistical requirements of the symposium was signed onsite in Sharm el-Sheikh on
9 January.
Organized by ITU and hosted by the Government of Egypt, the event will
welcome world-class speakers with a dynamic programme focused around the hot
topics challenging today’s ICT regulators.
“ITU’s Global Symposium for Regulators has quickly grown into the world’s
pre-eminent gathering of the global ICT regulatory community,” said ITU
Secretary-General Houlin Zhao. “A transparent, best-practice regulatory
framework is indispensable to the growth of new ICT markets and services. The
GSR offers a unique opportunity for regulators to engage in a dialogue around
priorities and concerns directly with industry leaders, to showcase their
successes, and to learn from the experiences of other policy-makers tackling
similar challenges. This is what makes GSR a must-attend event for the global
ICT policy-making community.”
The Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau, Brahima Sanou,
expressed his thanks to the Government of Egypt and to the National
Telecommunication Authority of Egypt (NTRA) for having offered to host GSR-16.
“I am impressed with the event venue and the facilities, as well as the
dedication of the host country team who are doing their utmost to stage a
successful GSR and ensure a memorable and safe visit for all GSR-16
participants,” he said.
“This Host Agreement is a confirmation of the good cooperation and long
relationship between the NTRA and ITU,” said Mustafa Abdul Wahid, acting
Chairman of the NTRA, signing the agreement on behalf of the Government of
Egypt. “The NTRA looks forward to implementing more projects with ITU.”
A series of GSR pre-events will take place on 11 May, including a Thematic
Pre-Conference ‘Global Dialogue on Digital Financial Inclusion’ held with the
support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and in collaboration with other
partners.
A Regional Regulatory Associations Meeting and a private-sector Chief
Regulatory Officers Meeting will also be held on 11 May.
The theme for GSR-16 is Be Empowered, Be Included: Building Blocks for
Smart Societies in a Connected World.
May 12 and 13 will host the sessions of the Global Regulators-Industry
Dialogue (GRID), which are open to regulators, policy makers and members of
ITU’s Development Sector. On 14 May, there will be two parallel tracks, a
Regulators’ track, open only to regulators and policy makers, and an Industry
track, open to ITU-D sector members. The final closing ceremony will be open to
all participants.
GSR-16 allows regulators, policy makers, industry leaders and other key ICT
stakeholders to share their views, engage in interactive discussions and
identify best practices moving forward, not only in the ICT/telecommunications
sector, but also in terms of how ICT/telecommunications interacts with other
regulation in today’s increasingly interconnected and collaborative ICT-based
environment.
For more information, please contact:
Sarah Parkes
Chief, Media Relations and Public Information, ITU
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Monica Albertini
Communication Officer
Telecommunication Development Bureau
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