| Introduction |
Estimates vary, but most agree that there are as many as five hundred forums dealing
with the development of standards for Information and Communication Technologies
(ICT).
An initiative of the current director of the Telecommunication Standardization
Bureau (TSB – the secretariat for ITU-T), Houlin Zhao brings some of these forums
together to foster more efficient cooperation between the bodies that between
them make the standards that ensure that ICT works.
The Informal Forum Summit concept provides a place for the heads of many such
forums to get together to agree on proposals for better collaboration.
Following a fruitful first summit in 2001, a second summit hopes to build on
that success by establishing a regular meeting-ground for improving awareness
of the activities of the various different forums and establishing common-ground
as a basis for improved collaboration.
ITU-T seeks to encourage the work of independent forums, and dialogue between
them and itself to avoid duplication of work and benefit from the pooling
of resources. There are a number of informal and formal ways for forums to
establish contact with ITU-T. Recommendations A.4-A.7 layout the formal
procedures for establishing communication between ITU-T and other forums and
Standards Development Organizations (SDOs).
Over thirty such organizations have already established a formal relationship
with ITU-T.
|
|
|
San Francisco, USA, 24-25 July 2003
|
|
Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Standardization Bureau (TSB), Houlin Zhao
has convened a second meeting of the heads of the forums and Standards
Development Organizations (SDOs) with which ITU-T has an informal or
formal relationship. The meeting was held in San Francisco, 24-25 July.
|
|
