An agenda of change
by Yoshio Utsumi
Secretary-General
International Telecommunication Union

Today, there is widespread acknowledgement of the urgent need for reform in the face of a rapidly evolving and increasingly changing telecommunications sector. To respond to this need, ITU has started to rethink its role, its relevance and ways to deliver better value for money.

Since the first concrete steps towards defining a new ITU were taken by the 1992 Geneva Additional Plenipotentiary Conference, we have seen the pace of reform gradually accelerate, with the establishment of ITU-2000 and the Working Group on Reform (WGR). The convening, in 1999, of a top-level Reform Advisory Panel comprising prominent industry CEOs and senior government representatives from around the world was another important step on the road to reform.

While no one expects ITU reform to match the breakneck speed of the changes currently transforming the global telecommunications sector, we must go further. ITU's future success clearly lies in our ability to create a responsive, customer focused organization that combines a high degree of flexibility to directly address the evolving needs of each of its constituencies.

Most encouragingly, resistance to reform is giving way to a broad consensus on the need for change and these first steps have begun to yield solid results. Since the last Plenipotentiary Conference, we have substantially overhauled and simplified many internal processes including the holding of "virtual" electronic meetings and a new fast-track approval procedure for technical standards by which it can take as little as two months for approval. We have implemented cost-recovery measures in satellite filings and cost-reduction measures in the areas of publication production, methods of work, and increased productivity in document production.

Despite growing demands, these multi-million dollar cost-saving measures, together with zero nominal growth biennial budgets in the past six years, have ensured stable member contributions.

We have also successfully refocused ITU as a policy-oriented organization with initiatives such as the World Telecommunication Policy Forum and the New initiatives Programme which brings experts from industry and government together to develop policy positions in emerging or rapidly evolving fields, such as IP Telephony, licensing policy on third generation mobile or fixed-mobile interconnection. Our in-house research capabilities have been substantially strengthened to support new areas of international policy. In the past four years, ITU has assumed a stronger role in international regulatory affairs through the instigation of regulatory workshops, in-depth country case study research, and our annual Global Symposium for Regulators.

The private sector has also been more directly involved in planning and governance through a stronger role for the Sector Advisory groups where Member States and Sector Members participate on an equal footing, are given the right to approve study group work programmes and to adopt standards along with Member States as well as the ability to gain leadership positions in Study Groups management. Today, most of the Study Groups are actually chaired by private sector representatives. We have also introduced a new category of participants in ITU work to encourage smaller companies, institutions and organizations with highly focused areas of activity to bring their knowledge and expertise to the work of a particular Study Group within their Sector of choice while having the opportunity to shape the issues of the day.

Despite these major strides, there is still much work to be done. We need to further improve our processes, making them even leaner and more transparent. We must also strive towards a true partnership among all ITU stakeholders. To this end, the private sector must be given a greater voice in ITU affairs commensurate with its considerable contribution to the Union's technical work. We must overhaul the way the spectrum is shared and satellites are filed to better serve the satellite industry. We must be able to secure adequate funding for our activities around agreed core competencies, recognizing that not everything can be done at the same time.

We also need to ensure that ITU work in standards-setting focuses on areas where it has a leadership position while still adding value to work undertaken at national or regional level.

Finally, the Union's financial base needs to be strengthened through a broadening of our membership base as well as a sustained war on inefficiencies in order to retain our relevance to the industry and to keep competing organizations at bay.

But with the organization firmly moving forward under a new spirit of cooperation for the many exciting opportunities ahead, I have no doubt that the Member States at Marrakesh will embrace not only all of the recommendations put forward by the ITU Reform Group, but also other proactive reform proposals tabled by Member States. This is essential if ITU is to be able to shape this increasingly crucial industry and help build a better, brighter, information-rich society for future generations.n