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| INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION |  |
Press Conference
World Telecommunication Day
Alabama Room, City
Hall
15 May 1997, Geneva
Speech of
Dr Pekka Tarjanne,
Secretary-General
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen members of the press,
I thank you for your attendance today at this press conference which is held to highlight an important day for the International Telecommunication Union, and an important theme for all the world’s people.
The 17th of May is an important day for the ITU because it is our birthday. Our Union was founded on this day 132 years ago, making us the world’s oldest international organization. Originally established to streamline the flow of telegraph traffic across Europe, the ITU today is involved in the development and operation of all kinds of communications equipment, from the simplest radio transmitters to the most complex new satellite systems which are now being established to offer worldwide mobile telephony.
The theme chosen by the ITU for this year’s World Telecommunication Day celebrations – Telecommunications and Humanitarian Assistance – is important for all the world’s people because it touches on our vulnerability as a species, and on our power to help one another when disaster or hardship strikes. None of us, no matter where we might live, can feel complacent about our situation when it comes to a natural or man-made disaster. We are all potential victims of a war, a sudden epidemic, a large scale industrial accident, and even, though most of us living here in Europe probably rarely think of it, the vagaries of mother nature.
Fortunately, there are organizations devoted to helping the victims of a disaster; organizations which are staffed by dedicated people who have found a vocation in working to help alleviate the suffering of those unfortunate enough to be caught up in such an event. I speak of course of organizations such as the United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs, the Red Cross movement and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
I don’t intend to talk about the work of such organizations – Mr Martin Griffiths or Mr Cornelio Sommaruga are much better placed to do that than I am. Instead, I would like to explain the link between telecommunications and humanitarian assistance, and draw your attention to new developments which I think could make a real difference to the management and success of relief operations in the future.
It probably goes without saying that communications equipment is vital to any large scale operation. Unfortunately, for relief workers based out in the field, reliable communications have been something of a luxury. The nature of their work means that they are frequently stationed in remote areas, which may have few telephone lines, and poor quality ones at that. And because they are frequently dealing with disasters of one sort or another, what communications infrastructure did exist has all too frequently been destroyed. Workers are faced with the daunting task of trying to mobilize equipment, staff, and large numbers of people, using patched-together networks of radio transmitters, and, if they are lucky, a few walkie-talkies and satellite telephones.
Under such difficult conditions, these teams do an astonishing job. Tried and tested communications technologies such as VHF radio are still holding their own remarkably well in field operations, and will continue to be used well into the future. There are, however, two developments on the horizon which I believe should greatly alleviate the problems associated with communications in the field and streamline the work of the world’s agencies. The first is a technical development involving new types of satellite systems known at the ITU as GMPCS. Some of you may have heard these systems under the name ‘Big and Little LEO’. These systems, some of which are already being deployed, promise clear, glitch-free telecommunications, fax and data communications from and to any points on the surface of the globe. The enormous advantage these systems will offer international aid workers will be the ability to exchange information, in a variety of forms, to anyone, anywhere, regardless of the type of local telephone system, or indeed the presence of a local telephone system. Using temporary portable gateways or satellite-to-satellite communications, GMPCS systems will be able to operate even when all other communications have been knocked out, for example after a cyclone or earthquake. And their ability to carry all kinds of information, even eventually multimedia traffic such as images of the disaster zone, should prove an enormous boon to aid workers, and should greatly improve their ability to quickly deliver the right type of aid where it is needed most.
The second development which I mentioned is a political one. I am sure that most of you here would be surprised to learn that international aid organizations are frequently prevented from using their own telecommunications equipment in international rescue and relief operations because of bureaucratic regulations governing the import and licensing of this type of equipment.
Yet this is often the reality today. Sometimes the red tape can extend to ludicrous lengths where, for example, international aid teams involved in a search and rescue operation following an earthquake are not allowed to bring in their walkie-talkies, but are told they have to apply for equipment permits from the very people they are en route to rescue!
Clearly, there is little point in promoting the use of telecommunications in the field of humanitarian assistance if telecommunications equipment does not find its way to those sites that need it most. It is for this reason that the ITU has joined forces with a number of other agencies, notably the United Nations Department of Humanitarian Assistance, to develop a new Convention covering the trans-border use of communications equipment in emergency situations.
Known as the Convention on the Provision of Telecommunications Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations, this document, if implemented, should greatly streamline customs regulations and licensing requirements for emergency telecoms equipment, and be of enormous help to aid workers and victims alike.
This Convention is due to be ratified before an international conference next year, and I urge all members of the press here today to do what they can to publicise it and to bring its importance to the attention of people and governments around the world.
All this said, it only remains for me to thank you for your presence once more, and to hand over to my distinguished colleague Mr Griffiths, who will give you perhaps a more vivid account that I ever could of the importance of telecommunications to the work of his organization.
Thank you.