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Yoshio Utsumi |
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 |