INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION
Strategic Plan for the Union 1999-2003
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Introduction *
II. Environmental analysis *
A. Trends and developments in the telecommunication environment *
B. Impact on ITU *
III. General goals, strategies and priorities *
C. Strategic orientations *
D. Goals and priorities *
D.1 Goal 1 Strengthen the multilateral foundations
of international telecommunications *
D.2 Goal 2 In addition to development of access to
basic telecommunication and information services, promote global connectivity to the
global information infrastructure (GII) and global participation in the global information
society (GIS) *
D.3 Goal 3 Coordinate international action to
manage scarce telecommunication resources *
D.4 Goal 4 Encourage and enable Member States,
especially developing countries, to draw maximum benefit from technical, financial and
regulatory changes in the telecommunication environment *
D.5 Goal 5 Improve the efficiency and
effectiveness of Union structures, activities and processes *
IV. Goals, strategies and priorities for the Sectors *
E. Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) *
E.1 The Radiocommunication Sector mission *
E.2 The Radiocommunication Sector environment *
E.3 The Radiocommunication Sector strategic objectives *
E.4 Priorities of the Radiocommunication Sector *
F. Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) *
F.1 The Telecommunication Standardization Sector mission *
F.2 The Telecommunication Standardization Sector
environment *
F.3 The Telecommunication Standardization Sector
objectives *
F.4 Priorities of the Telecommunication Standardization
Sector *
G. Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D) *
G.1 The Telecommunication Development Sector mission *
G.2 The Telecommunication Development Sector environment *
G.3 The Telecommunication Development Sector strategy *
G.4 Priorities of the Telecommunication Development
Sector *
INTERNATIONAL
TELECOMMUNICATION UNION
Strategic Plan for
the Union 1999-2003
I. Introduction
The purposes of the Union are set out in Article 1 of the Constitution (Geneva, 1992).
Essentially, they are to provide a forum in which the Union's membership can cooperate for
the improvement and rational use of telecommunications of all kinds in the following
domains:
- a technical domain to promote the development, efficient operation, usefulness
and general availability of telecommunication facilities and services;
- a development domain to promote the development of telecommunications in
developing countries and the extension of the benefits of telecommunications to people
everywhere;
- a policy domain to promote the adoption of a broader approach to
telecommunication issues in the global information economy and society.
- The objective of the strategic plan for the Union for 1999-2003 is to indicate how these
purposes will be achieved in this period of time by identifying key issues, goals,
strategies and priorities for the Union as a whole, for each of the Sectors, and for the
secretariat.
- The ITU strategic plan for 1995-1999 was based on an ambitious goal to establish
the Union as the international focal point for all matters relating to telecommunications
in the global information economy and society. This goal was to be achieved through the
following overall strategies:
- to strengthen the foundations of the Union by enhancing the participation of
Sector Members and increasing synergy between the activities of the Sectors;
- to broaden the Union's activities by creating the world telecommunication policy
forum and using ITU resources and information systems more effectively;
- to increase the Union's leverage in international affairs by establishing
strategic alliances with other concerned international and regional organizations, and
communicating more effectively with the public.
- The report of the Council to the Plenipotentiary Conference (Minneapolis, 1998) on the
activities of the Union since the Plenipotentiary Conference (Kyoto, 1994) provides a
detailed assessment of the results of the 1995-1999 strategic plan. Each of these
strategies has been successful, to a greater or lesser degree. However, the overall goal
as referred to in paragraph 3 above has not been entirely realized, largely because of
developments outside the control of the Union and its membership.
- The telecommunication environment has evolved in ways that were not completely foreseen
when the 1995-1999 strategic plan was being crafted. In particular, the forces of
liberalization, competition and globalization have been stronger than anticipated. They
have resulted in a shift in the way telecommunications is viewed by policy-makers
and regulators, by customers, and by the industry itself. These forces will be further
strengthened by the implementation in 1998 of agreements liberalizing trade in
telecommunications at the international and regional levels.
- In this new environment, it is no longer realistic to believe that the Union can be the
focal point for all matters relating to telecommunications in the global information
economy and society. The world is now too complex and telecommunications too pervasive for
a single organization to be the focus of all issues of concern to the international
community. New goals must be set and new strategies devised. That is the purpose of this
document, which is organized as follows:
- Part II identifies key trends and developments in the telecommunication environment and
assesses their implications for ITU;
- Part III proposes general strategic orientations, goals and priorities for achieving the
purposes of the Union in the new environment in the 1999-2003 time-frame;
- Part IV presents goals, strategies and priorities for the Sectors;
- The financial plan for the Union for 2000-2003 estimates the cost of ITU activities,
identifies revenue options and establishes expenditure priorities on the basis of the
provisions of the draft strategic plan.
II. Environmental analysis
A. Trends and developments in the telecommunication environment
The global market for telecommunications is expanding rapidly. It is not a question of
"demand pull" or "supply push". Both are happening. The interaction of
these two forces has made telecommunications one of the leading growth sectors in the
world economy. It has also made telecommunications one of the most important components of
social, cultural and political activity.
- On the demand side, growth is pulled by an increasing reliance on telecommunications and
information technology in every area of human life in all sectors of economic and
social activity; in government, in the provision of public services, and in the management
of public infrastructures; in the pursuit of knowledge and the expression of culture; in
the control of the environment; and in response to emergencies, whether natural or
man-made.
- On the supply side, growth is pushed by rapid technological developments which
continuously improve the efficiency of existing products, systems and services, and
provide the foundation for a continuing stream of innovations in each of these areas.
Particularly noteworthy is the convergence of telecommunication, information, broadcasting
and publishing technologies, which has greatly enriched the communication choices
available to consumers.
- The effect of the fundamental forces driving demand and supply has been amplified by the
worldwide trend to liberalize markets for telecommunication and information technology
goods and services. As a result of this trend, the majority of telecommunication networks
are now privately owned and operated. Significant developments have also taken place to
introduce competition at the national, regional and international levels. Of particular
importance is the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreement to liberalize trade in basic
telecommunication services which was concluded in February 1997 by 69 countries which
together account for more than 90% of global telecommunication revenues. The agreement
entered into force on 5 February 1998.
- The new framework developed by WTO to govern trade and regulation of telecommunication
services will facilitate further globalization of the telecommunication equipment and
services industries, as well as the closely-related information technology industry.
- In the 1995-1999 planning period, "globalization" was more a slogan than a
reality, since it referred mainly to alliances between major operators to provide
end-to-end services to multinational enterprises. Public networks and residential
customers were relatively unaffected by this kind of globalization, although various forms
of "alternative calling procedures" provided consumers in countries which
allowed such practices a "poor-man's version" of the benefits enjoyed by big
business users.
- In the 1999-2003 planning period, globalization is likely to become much more of a
reality. The WTO agreement will make it possible for foreign operators to have direct
access through interconnection and interoperability to public networks in most of the
world's major telecommunication markets, as well as to make direct investments in the
development of those networks.
- Five years ago, few would have predicted that the Internet would emerge so rapidly as a
serious competitive force in telecommunications. However, today's Internet is only a
precursor to the new competitive forces that are likely to emerge in the next five to ten
years in the new "communications and information sector" which will result from
technological convergence.
- The essential lesson to be learned from the Internet phenomenon is that competition is
no longer a public policy tool which can be introduced in a completely controlled fashion
and regulated within the confines of the traditional telecommunication sector. Competition
in telecommunications is rapidly becoming a true market force whose evolution cannot be
planned by policy-makers, a force which increasingly is seen as best regulated on the
basis of principles that are not specific to telecommunications, but derived from a
broader economic, social and cultural perspective.
- Although far from universally accepted, the sweeping changes in telecommunications
described above have broad support among many countries, including a number of developing
countries who see it as the best way forward in developing their telecommunication
networks and services to the benefit of their overall economic and social development.
- The liberalization of telecommunications does not mean an end to regulation but
it has changed both the role of government and the nature of telecommunication regulation:
- In the past, most administrations of ITU Member States tended to be
"all-purpose" creatures policy-makers and operators which both provided
and regulated telecommunications on the basis of a "public utility" model.
- The liberalization of telecommunications has been accompanied by a separation of these
functions. The trend now is for administrations of ITU Member States to be policy-makers,
nested within a general department of government (e.g. industry and trade); for
telecommunications to be operated by corporations whether public, private or mixed;
and for "the public interest" in telecommunications to be protected by an
independent regulatory authority.
- In countries that have introduced partial or full competition, the model for regulating
telecommunications is changing. Principles derived from competition law are taking their
place alongside the classical precepts of public utility regulation. In some
jurisdictions, sector-specific telecommunication regulation has been abandoned.
- Again, the WTO agreement will amplify these regulatory trends. More than
60 signatories accounting for more than 90% of global telecommunication revenues have
made commitments to apply in whole or in part a set of regulatory principles including
interconnection, transparency and anti-competitive safeguards. These regulatory
commitments, and indeed all other commitments, are subject to the WTO dispute resolution
mechanism. They are therefore more than a voluntary code of conduct. They are binding
commitments which are enforceable under the WTO dispute resolution mechanism.
- In the 1999-2003 planning period, it is likely that the trends noted above with respect
to liberalization, competition and globalization will begin to combine in new ways that
may ultimately change the way the telecommunication industry sees itself and is seen by
its regulator(s) and customers.
- Countries that began permitting competition in telecommunications 10 or 20 years
ago generally introduced it in a planned and orderly manner: first in terminal equipment;
then in value-added services; then in the long-distance service; and finally in local and
international services. In addition, competition was generally permitted among different
service providers using the same infrastructure before being allowed between different
infrastructure providers. Even today, most countries that permit competition do so on a
highly regulated basis.
- In this environment, the regulator must implement competitive safeguards, nurture
competition, ensure interconnection/interoperability and ensure broad and affordable
access to necessary services.
- As a result of technological progress, convergence and market liberalization, countries
only now beginning to introduce competition are less likely to be in a position to plan an
evolution of this kind.
- Even in those countries that have experience with competition, service providers and
regulators that have based their respective plans on an orderly evolution of this kind are
finding that the "rules of the game" are suddenly changing, that competition is
coming from unforeseen directions, and that it cannot be regulated as it was in the past.
- More than any other phenomenon, the Internet symbolizes the changing nature of
telecommunications. It is based on different technologies, network architectures,
standardization and addressing schemes. Its economic foundations and charging principles
are diametrically opposed to those of public telecommunication operators. It has
experienced phenomenal growth and it has largely been outside government regulation. Yet
it is emerging as a serious alternative to the traditional services provided by the
telecommunication industry in every market segment, from intra-corporate communications to
public voice.
- From one point of view, encouraging progress has been made in the 1995-1999 period in
certain countries and some regions in forging the "missing link" identified by
the Maitland Commission. Overall, the gap between developed and developing countries in
access to basic telecommunication services is closing. However, from other points of view,
new gaps are beginning to appear:
- In general, the majority of the least developed countries (LDCs) have made little
progress in the past five years in closing the gap in access to basic telecommunication
services. In some cases, teledensity (the number of telephone lines per 100 people) has
fallen, as population growth has outstripped telecommunication growth. New technologies
such as global mobile personal communications by satellite (GMPCS) may help close the
"telecommunication gap". This will only be possible, however, if their services
are affordable to inhabitants of the LDCs.
- There is currently an enormous gap between developed and developing countries in access
to the Internet. Even as the telecommunication gap which has preoccupied the Union for so
many years is beginning to close, an "information gap" of even greater
proportions is opening up.
- A difference in regulatory practices is emerging between countries which have decided to
liberalize their telecommunication markets under the WTO agreements, and those that have
not. If competition brings the first group of countries the anticipated benefits in terms
of investment, technology transfer, innovative services and lower prices, these regulatory
differences may become a new development gap. In this regard, it is important to recall
that although the 119 ITU Member States that are not yet part of the WTO basic
telecommunications agreement generate less than 10% of global telecommunication revenues,
they include more than 45% of the world's people.
- On the eve of the 21st century, the Union thus finds itself in a dynamic situation. On
the one hand, the goal established by the Maitland Commission of achieving universal
access to basic telecommunications will be technically achieved, and the overall gap
between developed and developing countries is steadily narrowing. However, at the same
time, new differences are developing, for example within the developing world, between the
LDCs and other developing countries, between liberalized and non-liberalized countries
which may be either developed or developing, and between countries that are moving rapidly
towards competition and those moving at a slower pace.
- This raises important questions in relation to the vision of the global information
society (GIS). This vision was the subject of considerable discussion during the
1995 - 1999 period, initially in the G-7 group of advanced industrial economies,
then in the broader international community. Today, the basic ideas behind the concept of
the GIS have been broadly accepted and indeed endorsed. In this vision, all forms of
economic, social, cultural and political activity will increasingly depend on access to
the telecommunication and information services provided by the global information
infrastructure (GII). The rapid development of electronic commerce on the Internet is one
tangible example of how the GIS is becoming a reality. The challenge facing the
international community is to find ways to ensure that the GIS is truly global, and that
people everywhere are able to share in its benefits.
B. Impact on ITU
As a result of these trends and developments, demand for the products and services
provided by ITU has risen in the 1995-1999 period and is expected to continue to rise in
the 1999-2003 time-frame. This is the case for the services provided to the ITU membership
(e.g. meetings, recommendations, assistance in applying regulations, frequency and number
registrations, technical and development assistance) as well as those provided to the
international telecommunication community as a whole (e.g. exhibitions, forums,
development indicators, trend reports, information services).
One of the most important strategic issues facing ITU in the 1999-2003 period is how to
respond to these rising demands:
- The Union functions within the framework of the United Nations common system. Since the
ITU budget has been based on "zero growth" for a number of years, it has only
been possible to respond to increased demand for products and services through
productivity improvements. Further improvements can and will continue to be made.
- The 1995-1999 strategic plan noted that assessed contributions from Member States had
"reached a plateau; income from these sources appears unlikely to grow dramatically
and may begin to decline". Four years later, it is clear that this was an accurate
assessment. This is the financial reality the membership faces in preparing a strategic
and financial plan for 1999-2003.
- While unquestioned, the intergovernmental nature of ITU is acknowledged by Member States
and Sector Members alike as placing certain limits on enhancing Sector Members' rights and
obligations. It does limit the role of Sector Members in decision-making, and although
Sector Member rights have been somewhat enhanced, the intergovernmental nature of ITU
might limit Sector Members' willingness to make increased financial contributions which
they cannot control. Implementation of recommendations deriving from Resolution 15
(Kyoto, 1994) and Resolution 39 (Kyoto, 1994) can lessen these constraints and
facilitate cooperation between Member States and Sector Members.
- The solution to strengthening the Union lies in treating the Sector Members more as
partners in appropriate work of the Union. The Union will have to see itself as seeking to
satisfy the needs of its customers by providing products and services of superior value in
a competitive environment. Many Sector Members have had to transform their organizational
cultures in this fashion, and it is natural that they will expect to see similar changes
in the Union.
- Another factor affecting the future effectiveness of the Union is the process of
decision-making. Even as ITU has supported some improvements during 1995 - 1999,
including the use of web technology, advanced electronic communication and document
exchange facilities, the number of ITU meetings, meeting days, participants and pages of
documents produced per meeting has continued to grow. That the membership has turned to
ITU to satisfy their diverse needs should be seen as an indication of the value that can
be provided by the Union. Therefore, appropriate changes in the working methods are
required, along with financial responsibility based on a transparent budget process and
generally accepted accounting principles.
- There are clearly major challenges facing the Union as it seeks to respond to rising
demand for its products and services. However, each of these challenges has a positive
side which provides an opportunity to build on ITU's "core competencies":
- The Union is an acknowledged leader in the movement to reform international
organizations by enhancing the participation of non-government players, increasing
efficiency, and adopting innovative approaches to achieving its purposes.
- The Union has a comprehensive membership and "high approval rating" among the
members of the international telecommunication community. The vast majority of the Union's
Member States freely choose to contribute more than they would if they were assessed under
some measure such as GDP or teledensity. And during the 19951999 period, Sector
membership almost doubled as new players on the international telecommunication scene and
companies from convergent industries were added to the ranks of established players.
- Member States, Sector Members and the international community have shown a continuing
willingness to pay for many ITU products and services. Demand has remained strong for
established publications and TELECOM events. In addition, customers have responded well to
the innovative range of ITU information products and services which have been introduced
in the past four years.
- In every major test of its decision-making ability in the 1995-1999 period, the Union
has been able to respond with activities that have led to beneficial results for all
concerned.
- The strategic challenge facing the Union in the 1999-2003 time-frame is to remain a
pre-eminent international forum where Member States and Sector Members work together to
enable the development of telecommunication networks and to facilitate universal access to
communication and information services, so that people everywhere can participate in and
benefit from the global information economy and society.
III. General goals, strategies and priorities
- The purposes of the Union are achieved through the activities of its three Sectors,
through the Sector conferences and assemblies, and through general-purpose activities such
as the Plenipotentiary Conference, the world conference on international
telecommunications and the Council, as well as the world telecommunication policy forum
and TELECOM exhibitions and forums.
- The ITU is a federal organization. Although financial resources are centrally
controlled, each Sector has its own "governance structure" which defines the
goals, strategies and activities necessary to achieve its mission in a given period of
time. However, just as the purposes of the Union set out in Article 1 of the Constitution
apply to all Sectors, so they share a number of strategic orientations and goals.
C.
Strategic orientations
- "Strategic orientations" are principles intended to provide coherence, focus
and direction to all of the activities undertaken by the Union. It is impossible to
forecast the future completely in the rapidly changing telecommunication environment and
to plan for every contingency. Strategic orientations therefore help to ensure consistency
of purpose and action in the face of inevitable uncertainty.
- The following strategic orientations are proposed for the 1999-2003 strategic plan. They
build on the experience of the 1995-1999 period, particularly the results of
implementation of Resolution 15 (Kyoto, 1994) and Resolution 39 (Kyoto, 1994),
and they seek to apply that experience to the anticipated requirements of the new
environment analysed in part II of this document, in addition to encouraging
development of access to basic telecommunication and information services:
- improve customer service
by identifying the specific needs of the Union's
membership and other customers, establishing priorities, and providing the highest quality
of service possible with available resources;
- innovate
by continuing to develop new activities, products and services
under the supervision of the Member States and Sector Members and in accordance with their
agreed needs;
- strengthen the Union's financial foundations
by determining and applying
appropriate funding mechanisms for ITU activities, products and services
(e.g. assessed contribution based on free choice of contributory unit, voluntary
contribution, partial or full cost recovery, revenue generation), together with
transparent budgetary measures;
- enhance participation by Sector Members
by implementing the
recommendations deriving from Resolution 15 (Kyoto, 1994) and Resolution 39
(Kyoto, 1994) as quickly and fully as possible, and by actively marketing ITU membership
to all entities and organizations with a potential interest in participating actively in
the work of the Union;
- establish partnerships
by concluding a range of formal and informal
cooperation agreements with other intergovernmental organizations and with other
organizations at the national and regional levels, including non-governmental
organizations (NGOs), in cases where such cooperation would further the purposes of the
Union based upon the identification of specific subjects for cooperation;
- maintain solidarity
between the ITU's Member States and Sector Members in
partnership in pursuit of the purposes of the Union;
- inform
by sharing and disseminating information related to the
development of economically efficient public telecommunications;
- promote the principle and implementation of a competitive telecommunication environment
by encouraging flexible regulatory systems that provide for a variety of
telecommunication services;
- produce Recommendations in timely response to market demand
by
streamlining development and approval procedures by each Sector, as appropriate.
D. Goals and priorities
- In addition to these strategic orientations, the Sectors of the Union share a number of
goals for the 1999-2003 period, and will undertake priority actions to achieve these
goals.
D.1 Goal 1 Strengthen the multilateral foundations of
international telecommunications
- The trends and developments analysed in part II of this document illustrate the
multilateral nature of key ITU activities. Since the most basic purpose of the Union is to
maintain and extend international cooperation between all its members for the improvement
and rational use of telecommunications, the central goal of the Union's strategy must be
to take this into account and strengthen multilateral cooperation in areas where its
effectiveness may be in question. To this end, the following priority actions are
proposed:
ITU-R
- Considering the implications of the large increase in workload for preparation of,
participation in and follow-up work of WRCs, and taking appropriate action.
- Further enhancing the structure of ITU-R through clarification of the roles of the RAG,
RA and WRC, and in particular establishing clearer linkages between advisory,
decision-making and budgetary responsibilities.
ITU-T
- Producing high-quality Recommendations quickly in response to market demands.
- Broadening participation and enhancing involvement by non-administration entities in the
Sector's standardization process.
- Developing Recommendations to achieve accounting rate reform and proposing means to
encourage their implementation.
ITU-D
- Developing new approaches to the provision of multilateral telecommunication assistance,
inter alia by building partnerships for telecommunication development in priority
areas, with special emphasis on telecommunication sector restructuring, regulatory reform,
finance and resource mobilization, technology applications and human resources
development.
General activities
- Developing the world telecommunication policy forum (WTPF) as a forum convened on an
ad hoc basis for developing a non-binding shared vision on cross-Sectoral policy
issues.
- Where agreed by the membership, developing innovative mechanisms for international
cooperation outside the formal structures defined in the Constitution and Convention (e.g.
MoUs).
- Deciding on the need to revise the International Telecommunication Regulations (ITR) to
take account of developments in the telecommunication environment, particularly the WTO
agreements.
- Extending cooperative participation to an increasing number of administrations and
organizations, by encouraging the participation of Member States not currently active in
ITU activities, encouraging and facilitating the participation of additional entities and
organizations, including small or narrowly-focused entities, and increasing coordination
and cooperation with other relevant international and regional organizations.
D.2 Goal 2 In addition to development of access to basic
telecommunication and information services, promote global connectivity to the global
information infrastructure (GII) and global participation in the global information
society (GIS)
- The vision of the GIS will become a reality
only if the networks and services of the converging telecommunication and information
industries are able to interconnect and interoperate seamlessly, and if they are
accessible to people everywhere at affordable rates. Facilitating development of the GII
and promoting universal access to basic telecommunication and information services is a
goal that unites all ITU Sectors. Priority actions proposed for 19992003 include:
ITU-R
- Accommodating the global and regional spectrum requirements of innovative telecommunication and
information services.
ITU-T
- Developing Recommendations for new technologies and applications such as appropriate
aspects of the GII and global multimedia and mobility.
ITU-D
- Promoting the development, expansion and operation of telecommunication networks and
services, particularly in developing countries, taking into account the activities of
other relevant bodies, with universal access as the objective.
- Developing and/or sponsoring projects designed to connect developing countries to the
GII (e.g. Africa ONE, Internet access).
- Promoting the development of technology applications (e.g. tele-health, tele-education,
electronic commerce, environmental protection, disaster relief) in cooperation with other
international and regional organizations and NGOs.
General activities
- Connecting ITU Member States, Sector Members and other members of the international
telecommunity to the Union's information resources and to each other through an
"ITU-II" (ITU information infrastructure), to help them develop the GII in their
own areas of responsibility.
- Pursuing implementation of the United Nations system-wide project on universal access to
basic communication and information services the "right to communicate".
- Facilitate access to telecommunications through the promotion of cost-effective
technologies and low-price services to end users, that comply with standards and quality
requirements.
D.3 Goal 3 Coordinate international action to manage scarce
telecommunication resources
Although we are living in an era of
technological abundance, some communication resources remain scarce. The coordination of
international action to manage resources such as the radio-frequency spectrum, satellite
orbital positions and telecommunication numbers is a well-established and core role of
ITU, as the pre-eminent competent international body to deal with these issues. In
addition, human resources and information are becoming recognized as scarce resources of a
different kind that are critical to developing countries in the new environment. The
following priority actions are therefore proposed for 1999-2003:
ITU-R
- Improving the frequency coordination and planning framework for satellite networks.
ITU-T
- Developing and implementing administrative procedures for numbering plans for
international networks and services.
ITU-D
- Contributing to and coordinating actions between Member States and Sector Members aimed
at developing human resources, especially in the associated regulatory and economic
domains.
General activities
- Serving as the depositary of cooperative international arrangements consistent with the
purposes of ITU.
D.4 Goal 4 Encourage and
enable Member States, especially developing countries, to draw maximum benefit from
technical, financial and regulatory changes in the telecommunication environment
As indicated in part II, the current
telecommunication environment is a dynamic one, characterized by rapid technological
progress but also by emerging differences, for example within the developing countries,
between liberalized and non-liberalized countries, and between countries that are moving
more rapidly towards competition and those moving at a slower pace. Countries will be
assisted in adapting to this environment if they have available good information not only
on the global environment but also on the issues and options they face. Each ITU Sector,
and ITU as a whole, has a role to play in providing this information. The following
priority actions are therefore proposed for 1999-2003:
ITU-R
- Providing assistance to all Member States, and especially the developing countries,
through the dissemination of information and know-how, in particular on spectrum
management.
ITU-T
- Producing Recommendations responding to technological developments, in accordance with
the priorities shown in paragraph 41 below.
- Working with BDT with special attention to telecommunication development in developing
countries, and cooperating with the other Sectors in the organization of information
meetings, seminars and workshops, and in the development of case studies, guidelines and
handbooks.
ITU-D
- Continuing to develop the telecommunication indicators and regulatory databases, and to
add value to the information they contain through partnerships with other Sectors and
organizations.
- Assisting developing countries in addressing policy and regulatory issues arising from
the liberalization, convergence and globalization of telecommunications, while taking
account of the GATS principles inherent in the WTO basic telecommunication agreement and
Reference Paper (e.g. through studies, workshops, missions and cooperative
mechanisms).
- Providing information about mechanisms for financing telecommunication development and
assisting developing countries with the mobilization of resources for telecommunication
investment.
- Disseminating information about ITU-R and ITU-T activities that are of particular
importance for developing countries.
General activities
- Providing opportunities for the sharing of information and experience regarding relevant
issues, such as convergence, globalization, regulatory principles and universal service,
and regarding benefits to the public interest, investors and the national economy.
- Assisting countries most in need to draw maximum benefit from technical, financial and
regulatory changes in the telecommunication environment.
D.5 Goal 5 Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Union
structures, activities and processes
To remain a pre-eminent international and
market-relevant focal point for matters related to the rapidly changing telecommunication
environment, ITU must regularly review and, as appropriate, update its structure,
activities and processes, ensuring that they are effective and efficient in the light of
the current needs of its membership. To this end, the following items are proposed for
1999-2003:
ITU-R
- Fostering the cost-effective processing of information received from administrations in
the application of the provisions of the Radio Regulations, the orderly recording and
registration of frequency assignments and orbital positions and the development of
Recommendations, handbooks and other relevant outputs in a rapidly changing environment,
while continuing to evaluate Sector structure, activities and processes with a view to
remaining effective and efficient.
ITU-T
- Continuing to improve the working methods of the Sector, including the accelerated
development of Recommendations, the fostering of cooperative relationships with other
relevant standardization organizations and the increased use both of electronic document
handling (EDH) and project teams (see § 41 below).
- Assisting in developing, for the Telecommunication Standardization Sector, an open and
transparent "bottom-up" budget proposal that incorporates financial management
principles and techniques, including cost recovery as appropriate.
ITU-D
- Strengthening BDT's advisory capabilities through redistribution of its resources, to
respond to requests in priority areas such as international agreements and national
regulation, tariffs and finance, new and convergent technologies and the feasibility stage
of negotiations.
- Developing its catalytic role in encouraging all actors, including global, regional and
national organizations, to work together in assisting developing countries in their
development and reform process as well as in their adaptation to the liberalized market.
- Strengthening regional presence by increasing the decentralization of functions and
authority to field offices and by strengthening the coordination functions of
headquarters.
General activities
- Increasing the use of modern methods of telecommunication, including electronic handling
of submissions to ITU such as frequency and orbit notifications/registrations, and
providing information to its customers.
- Streamlining the development, approval and publication processes for Recommendations in
each Sector, as appropriate.
- Increasing the use of task-oriented activities using the working methods agreed to in
each Sector, such as rapporteur, focus and correspondence groups, while ensuring
transparency.
- Developing a clear, transparent budget, encouraging each Sector and the General
Secretariat to develop "bottom-up" budgets, and working to implement cost
recovery, as appropriate.
- Improving the financial accountability of activities within ITU by more clearly linking
costs with the related activity through annual Sector operational and financial plans
consistent with the biennial budget.
IV. Goals,
strategies and priorities for the Sectors
E. Radiocommunication Sector
(ITU-R)
E.1 The Radiocommunication Sector
mission
- Under the provisions of the Constitution and Convention (Geneva, 1992), the mission of
the ITU Radiocommunication Sector is, inter alia, to ensure rational,
equitable, efficient and economical use of the radio-frequency spectrum by all
radiocommunication services, including those using satellite orbits, and to carry out
studies and adopt Recommendations on radiocommunication matters.
E.2 The Radiocommunication Sector environment
- This mission is to be undertaken in an environment that is characterized by:
- Growing recognition of the economic value of frequency spectrum and the application of
economic principles in the management of that resource, recognizing the rapid
market-driven and user-oriented technological development.
- The ever increasing demand for the limited radio-frequency spectrum for space and
terrestrial radiocommunication systems.
- The growing role of regional organizations and private-sector activities in a
liberalized environment.
- The limited financial resources available to support the Sector's activities.
- Growing convergence among many radio services, integration with wired telecommunication
services and converging terrestrial and satellite applications.
- Increased interest, in particular on the part of the developing countries, in:
- access to the radio-frequency spectrum and the geostationary-satellite and
non-geostationary satellite orbits in support of their national requirements;
- worldwide radiocommunication system standards to achieve overall system economy;
- handbooks;
- the rapid technological development and widespread application of digital techniques to
most space and terrestrial systems, including mobile communications and new television and
sound broadcasting systems.
E.3 The Radiocommunication Sector strategic objectives
- Within its overall mission, the strategic objectives of ITU-R are to carry out the
functions laid down in the Constitution and Convention, and specifically, in the period
1999-2003:
- to maintain and enhance the relevance of ITU-R in the efficient management of the usable
radio-frequency spectrum, free from harmful interference, and to ensure that the Radio
Regulations and the rights of Member States are respected;
- to continue developing enhanced criteria for frequency sharing and coordination of new
and existing systems in both space and terrestrial environments, with a view to increasing
the efficiency of use of the usable frequency spectrum;
- to continue improving the working methods and cost-effective operation of ITU-R in a
flexible organizational structure; to aim at more efficient and more clearly defined roles
of the RAG, radiocommunication assemblies and radiocommunication conferences to ensure
clear linkages between advisory, decision-making and budgetary responsibilities as new and
more efficient working methods evolve; and to further develop the Sector's quality of
service and enhance its use of electronic document handling;
- to ensure that the Radio Regulations Board carries out its functions, particularly those
concerning the application of the Radio Regulations, in a manner which maintains the
confidence of Member States;
- to undertake, in project teams, the study of approved Questions limited in scope and
time, as appropriate; and urgent studies decided by WRCs, in preparation for future WRCs;
- in close collaboration with ITU-D and ITU-T, as appropriate, to assist developing
countries in spectrum management and disseminate information and know-how through
information meetings, seminars, handbooks and the provision of tools for automated
spectrum management;
- to provide information on widely accepted spectrum management concepts and related
regulatory frameworks, particularly with a view to assisting developing countries, and to
assist in the application of relevant ITU-R Recommendations providing guidance on the most
economical and timely implementation of radiocommunication systems;
- to issue Recommendations on, inter alia, the characteristics and performance of
radio systems;
- to implement efficient measures to promote broader participation by Member States,
particularly developing countries, and Sector Members in all ITU-R activities.
E.4 Priorities of the Radiocommunication Sector
- The priorities of the Radiocommunication Sector for 1999-2003, in addition to those that
may be identified by future conferences, are:
- to review the world radiocommunication conference process to ensure that it is effective
and efficient, that the agendas developed do not unduly burden Member States and Sector
Members and consequently burden secretariat resources, and that the intervals between
conferences are appropriate;
- to accommodate the global and regional spectrum requirements of innovative services that
will provide communication and information services "any time, any place"
(e.g. GMPCS, IMT-2000 and high altitude platform stations, all of which include
innovative terrestrial and space applications), by the appropriate consideration of such
matters at WRCs and by issuing appropriate Recommendations to facilitate their development
and implementation;
- to study and apply, as appropriate, improved international spectrum management
techniques;
- to facilitate timely coordination between new and existing active and passive systems in
both space and terrestrial environments and to develop spectrum regulation initiatives to
better harmonize frequency allocations and the use of satellite orbits, while continuing
work to improve the frequency coordination and planning process for satellite networks;
- to expand the assistance offered to Member States in coordinating and registering
frequency assignments and in applying the Radio Regulations, with special attention to
developing countries and Member States that have recently joined the Union;
- to collaborate as needed with ITU-T and ITU-D and the General Secretariat to ensure that
studies are appropriately coordinated and that no duplication of work occurs;
- to provide assistance to the Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) for the
introduction of modern radio systems in developing countries, particularly in rural areas,
conduct information meetings and world and regional seminars and give assistance to Member
States, with special attention to developing countries, e.g. through the development of
handbooks;
- in improving the working methods of the Sector, to strive for:
- greater use of user-friendly document exchange capabilities;
- the accelerated development of Recommendations and improvement in publication mechanisms
(reduction of unit cost and time taken to publish, wider distribution and greater
electronic availability);
- increased use of information technology for the notification and processing of frequency
assignments;
- a flexible organizational structure in the Radiocommunication Bureau (BR), with special
attention to the training and development of the Bureau's staff;
- periodic study group reviews of work programmes to re-establish priorities and improve
effectiveness;
- to encourage greater participation by Member States, Sector Members and other
organizations in ITU-R activities, inter alia by concluding formal and informal
task-oriented cooperation arrangements.
F. Telecommunication
Standardization Sector (ITU-T)
F.1 The Telecommunication
Standardization Sector mission
Under the provisions of the Constitution and Convention (Geneva, 1992), the mission of
the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector is to fulfil the purposes of the Union
relating to telecommunication standardization by studying technical, operating and tariff
questions and adopting Recommendations on them with a view to standardizing
telecommunications on a worldwide basis.
Taking account of rapid change in the telecommunication environment, the mission of the
Telecommunication Standardization Sector for the period of 1999-2003 will include:
- maintaining and strengthening its pre-eminence in international telecommunication
standardization by developing Recommendations rapidly, for example through increased
Sector Member participation and use in appropriate cases of a faster alternative approval
process;
- developing Recommendations that acknowledge market- and trade-related considerations;
- playing a leading role in the promotion of cooperation among international and regional
standardization organizations and forums and consortia concerned with telecommunications;
- addressing important issues related to changes due to competition, tariff principles and
accounting practices; and
- developing Recommendations for new technologies and applications such as appropriate
aspects of the GII and global multimedia and mobility.
F.2 The Telecommunication Standardization Sector environment
The mission is to be undertaken in an environment characterized by:
- rapid technological change and shortened innovation cycles, development and convergence
of telecommunication, broadcasting, computer and information technology, and the growth of
new products and services;
- a worldwide trend towards a "market-driven" approach to standardization, with
an emphasis on rapid implementation of high-quality Recommendations;
- an era of explosive growth in worldwide information transfer;
- the changing role of governments, and the increased involvement of Sector Members, in
the standardization process;
- the strong influence of relevant regional standardization organizations and forums and
consortia;
- an increased number of network operators and service providers due to deregulation
and/or privatization;
- increasing privatization and heightened competition between and among network operators,
service providers and equipment suppliers;
- increasing number of global telecommunication operators, systems and alliances;
- greatly increasing demand of developing countries for infrastructure development;
- potential changes to the financial resources available to support Sector activities.
F.3 The Telecommunication Standardization Sector objectives
The overall mission of the Telecommunication Standardization Sector can be realized by
targeting the following strategic objectives in ITU-T activities:
- to produce high-quality Recommendations quickly in response to market demands;
- to broaden participation and enhance involvement by non-administration entities in the
Sector's standardization process;
- to enhance Sector Member participation in the standardization process, including their
involvement in appropriate decision-making;
- to continue to improve the working methods of ITU-T, including the improved and
accelerated development and approval of Recommendations;
- to develop appropriate arrangements and cooperative relationships with regional and
national standardization organizations and forums and consortia;
- to respond to the impacts of increased privatization and competition in network
operation and service provision, and to the reforms in the accounting rate system;
- to encourage the participation of developing countries in telecommunication
standardization activities;
- to encourage cooperation with the Telecommunication Development Sector through timely
responses to relevant requests;
- to actively involve TSAG in financial aspects of the Telecommunication Standardization
Sector.
F.4 Priorities of the Telecommunication Standardization Sector
The priorities of the Telecommunication Standardization Sector for 1999-2003, in
addition to those that may be identified by future conferences, are:
- to produce Recommendations responding to technological developments, including
Recommendations:
- covering the implementation of the GII, including the definition of an integrated global
framework reference model with network-network and network-user interfaces;
- covering Internet Protocol (IP) related aspects as well as the interoperability and
convergence of IP-based networks, the Internet, and existing network infrastructures;
- covering the multimedia applications arising from the convergence of telecommunication,
broadcasting, computer and information technology;
- covering the further evolution of network infrastructures, for example in the areas of
network access, signalling and control, interfaces, security and optical networking;
- facilitating the interworking of global personal radiocommunication systems with public
telecommunication networks;
- facilitating the integration of existing and new transmission media in public networks,
in cooperation with ITU-R for radio transmission aspects;
- to continue to improve the working methods of the Sector through the:
- accelerated development of Recommendations to keep pace with rapid technical progress
and market demand;
- fostering of cooperative relationships with other relevant standardization organizations
and with forums and consortia to avoid duplication of work, identify gaps in work
programmes and encourage work sharing where possible;
- increased use of EDH techniques to increase efficiency and productivity;
- greater use of project teams for the study of urgent issues in a relatively short
time-frame;
- to develop Recommendations to achieve accounting rate reform and to propose means to
encourage their implementation;
- to work with BDT with special attention to telecommunication development in developing
countries, and to cooperate with the other Sectors in the organization of information
meetings, seminars and workshops and in the development of case studies, guidelines and
handbooks;
- to assist in developing for ITU-T an open and transparent "bottom-up" budget
proposal that incorporates financial management principles and techniques, including cost
recovery as appropriate.
G. Telecommunication Development
Sector (ITU-D)
G.1 The Telecommunication
Development Sector mission
The mission of the Telecommunication Development Sector, as set out in the Constitution
and the Convention, encompasses the Unions dual responsibility as a United Nations
specialized agency and executing agency for implementing projects under the United Nations
development system or other funding arrangements, so as to facilitate and enhance
telecommunication development by offering, organizing and coordinating technical
cooperation and assistance activities.
The work of ITU-D will reflect the various resolutions of the world telecommunication
development conference. It will place emphasis on gender balance in its programmes and
will reflect the needs of other aspects of global society such as youth and the needs of
indigenous peoples. Emergency telecommunications is another area where renewed efforts are
required. Collaboration with the private sector should be more clearly defined and
expanded so as to reflect the changing roles of public and private entities in the
telecommunication sector. The "Year 2000" problem should be urgently addressed.
ITU-D should also use the mechanisms for advancing Sector goals included in Opinion B
of the World Telecommunication Policy Forum (Geneva, 1998) and the opportunities provided
by the ITU programme funded by the surplus funds from TELECOM exhibitions.
In fulfilling its mission, ITU-D will cover the five major areas of telecommunication
development: telecommunication sector reform, technologies, management, finance and
human resources. It is supported by the four main modes of action by which
the Sector carries out its work: direct assistance (including project execution),
resource development and mobilization, partnerships and information sharing, which
are reflected in the organizational structure of BDT.
G.2 The Telecommunication Development Sector environment
The telecommunication development environment is characterized by the following
features:
- The restructuring and liberalization of the telecommunication sector at the national and
international level, and the three agreements on basic telecommunications services,
financial services and information technology products concluded through the World Trade
Organization, have increasing consequences for the provision of international and national
telecommunication services. Competition is rapidly becoming the rule rather than the
exception.
- The above factors are straining the accounting rate system beyond its limits, calling
for a rapid revision of accounting rates and causing major changes in traditional income
flows which are of critical importance to certain countries.
- While the development gap has narrowed slightly in terms of access to basic telephone
services, it is widening at a fast rate for advanced telecommunication services and access
to information.
- However, the emergence of a global information society is creating new opportunities to
close the gap. Political, technical and cultural factors are combining to promote these
opportunities.
- The rapid development of telecommunications in some countries is associated with general
economic growth, particularly where some form of restructuring, liberalization and
competition is introduced; however, other countries witness modest and uneven progress.
- Many different players, including non-governmental organizations (NGOs), are invited to
play a more important role.
- Business practices, including development activities, are being revolutionized by
information and communication technologies. This can be expected to have a significant
impact on telecommunication development activities such as planning and training.
- Technology-based convergence of telecommunications, informatics and mass media offers
new opportunities for cooperation between the formerly different parts of the
telecommunication sector.
- Due to increased emphasis on policy and regulatory frameworks that create open markets
and encourage private investment, both domestic and foreign, development programmes rely
less on technical assistance and more on partnerships and trade agreements. Private
capital flows in several countries now exceed official development aid resources, but in
others concessional finance is required to meet development needs.
- Limited funds available to ITU, as compared with developing country needs, require ITU
to play a catalytic development role. This envisioned catalytic role of ITU is developed
further below.
G.3 The Telecommunication
Development Sector strategy
The following points define a strategy for the Telecommunication Development Sector that
is consistent with its mission and the changing telecommunication environment. ITU-D will:
- pay special attention to the requirements of the developing countries, with particular
emphasis on the least developed among them, and the need for well-differentiated and
tailored responses to situations arising in transition economies, countries affected by
conflicts or natural disasters, etc.;
- work with governments to assist them in establishing appropriate telecommunication
policies and regulatory structures. Strategies for the development of telecommunications
may be fostered by liberalization, private investment and competition in appropriate
circumstances. The goal of these policies and structures should be to:
- create a stable and transparent environment to attract investment and guarantee the
rights of users, operators and investors;
- facilitate access of service providers to the telecommunication network within a
framework that promotes fair competition while protecting network integrity;
- ensure the provision of universal access and universal service, promoting innovation and
the introduction of new services and technologies to unserved and under-served users;
- promote partnerships and cooperation between telecommunication entities in developing
and developed countries, and with appropriate international institutions, consistent with
their respective interests;
- play a creative catalytic role in identifying and providing resource support, in the new
telecommunication environment, to help meet the requirements of developing countries in
close collaboration with global, regional and national organizations and agencies, and
with the private sector;
- maintain close cooperation with ITU-R and ITU-T reflecting the significant role played
by those two Sectors in telecommunication development;
- include matters pertaining to information technology and broadcasting in its activities,
as key factors in promoting economic, social and cultural development;
- promote training in human resources development (HRD) and human resources management
(HRM) in order to meet the challenges of the rapidly changing telecommunication
environment;
- seek innovative ways to rationalize its internal costs, optimize its resources and
improve efficiency.
G.4 Priorities of the Telecommunication Development Sector
The experience of four successful years has given the Telecommunication Development
Sector a solid basis from which to forecast the following priorities for 1999-2003:
- respond effectively, rapidly and in a flexible way to requests for direct assistance
from developing countries, including through the use of a significant part of TELECOM
surplus funds, primarily for LDCs;
- develop and mobilize resources for telecommunication development, including human and
financial resources, technology, HRD/HRM tools and systems, information and expertise;
- create partnership arrangements that benefit all parties, avoiding purely commercial
approaches and concentrating on long-term benefits (as opposed to short-term gains):
- by establishing strategic alliances and cooperation agreements with other concerned
international and regional organizations;
- by taking the initiative to acquaint ministries responsible for agriculture, health,
education, transport, industry, human settlement, trade and transfer of information with
the role of telecommunications for social welfare and general economic and social
progress, and in particular the work of the Union in rural and remote areas;
- by inviting relevant bilateral development and donor agencies to join the activities of
ITU in order to cooperate within the Sector to maximize synergistic efforts toward
sustainable universal access to telecommunication services;
- promote partnership arrangements in and between the public and private sectors in both
developed and developing countries;
- strengthen the ITU regional presence and enhance collaboration with regional and
subregional telecommunication organizations, including broadcasting organizations;
- collaborate with the private sector in implementing the Valletta Action Plan, including
partnerships with related entities in developing countries;
- improve the working methods of the Sector, to strive for:
- greater use of user-friendly document exchange capabilities;
- greater participation by Sector Members and other organizations in ITU-D activities;
- the accelerated development of outputs and improvement of publication mechanisms, in
particular through the wider use of information technology;
- a flexible organizational structure in the Bureau, with special attention to the
training and development of BDT staff.
- During the period 1999-2003, the strategic processes of the Telecommunication
Development Sector will incorporate all resolutions and recommendations adopted by
WTDC-98, as well as all other relevant resolutions and recommendations of ITU conferences.
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