The Kingdom of Morocco invites next Plenipotentiary Conference

Minneapolis, 21 October 1998 — The Moroccan Secretary of State of Posts and Information technologies, H.E. Mr Larbi Ajjoul, addressing the Plenipotentiary Conference today, extended an invitation to hold the next Plenipotentiary Conference in Morocco. The venue for the conference would likely be Marrakes.

Mr Ajjoul, speaking as head of the delegation of Morocco, recalled in a general policy statement that this conference was the last of this century and was to take far-reaching decisions that will impact on the emerging information society.

"It is important that our Union reposition itself and reinforce its world leadership to remain a focal point for strategic decisions in its domains of activity" he said. "It is also important that the ITU be more involved in finding concrete solutions to problems inherent to the information society, including the privacy, protection of intellectual property and security of electronic transactions", Mr Ajjoul said. He also pleaded in favour of a more open, democratic and responsive organization where the private sector would have the rights it is expecting.

The meeting, planned for 2002, would be the first ITU Plenipotentiary Conference to be held in the new millenium and the first in Africa since 1982. In the past 20 years, ITU Plenipotentiary conferences have been held in Europe, Asia and the Americas. "In Morocco, by virtue of the country's dual African and Arab heritage, the international telecommunication community will be welcomed as guests of both the African continent and the Arab world." concluded Mr Ajjoul.