Dear Sir/Madam,

This year’s World Telecommunication Day will be held on 17 May under the theme Mobile Communication.

Resolution 68 of the Minneapolis Plenipotentiary Conference invites Administrations to celebrate the day annually by organizing appropriate national programmes with a view to:

– stimulating reflection and exchange of ideas on the theme;

– debating the various aspects of the theme with all partners in society;

– formulating a report reflecting national discussions on the issues underlying the theme.

With this in mind, the ITU Council adopted this year’s theme to highlight the challenges and opportunities of mobile communication, and in particular cellular mobile, in a global information society.

In the context of national discussions some areas you may wish to cover are given in annex.

In accordance with Resolution 68, I would appreciate your sending the ITU your country’s report by 1 July 2000, representing the main conclusions of the discussions you will have organized at the national level to debate the theme.

A letter has also been sent to all ITU Sector members inviting them to contact you, should they wish to join forces in organizing workshops, round-table meetings or other events that would foster debates and discussions on the theme.

As far as promotional material is concerned, you will be automatically receiving a video cassette containing my message for World Telecommunication Day as well as a brochure providing two feature articles on the theme. They may be locally reproduced, as needed, for national dissemination. This material will be sent to you towards the end of March, early April. In the meantime, I invite you to find in annex the text of my message.

Yours faithfully,

Yoshio UTSUMI
Secretary-General