​​​Terms of Reference​

The main objectives of ITU-T Study Group 3 Regional Group for Africa (SG3RG-AFR) are as follows:
  
A.        To encourage the active participation of African administrations, regulators and operators in the work of ITU-T Study Group 3 and in the implementation of ITU-T D-series Recommendations;

B.        To facilitate the participation of member states and sector members of the African region in ITU-T Study Group 3 and related meetings, at least when these meetings are held in Africa;

C.        To foster discussion and studies across the region of international telecommunication/ICT policy and economic issues and tariff and accounting matters (including costing principles and methodologies), with a view to informing the development of enabling regulatory models and frameworks;

D.        To foster the discussion across the region of the financial and economic aspects associated with the exponential growth in ICT - the shift to IP-based, NGN/Future Networks, and wireless communications;

E.         To foster collaboration among its participants with a view to the establishment of rates at levels as low as possible consistent with an efficient service and taking into account the necessity for maintaining independent financial administration of telecommunications on a sound basis;

F.         To encourage studies into the economic and regulatory impact of the Internet, convergence (services or infrastructure) and new services, such as OTT, on international telecommunication services and networks;

G.        To act as a forum (in face to face meetings and through online communications) for information-sharing among local and regional experts;

H.        To encourage substantive contributions from the African region to traditional and emerging areas of interest for
ITU-T Study Group 3;
I.          To identify the relevant priorities of the region as they relate to the mandate of ITU-T Study Group 3;

J.          To work towards the development of new or revised Recommendations, handbooks, and guidelines, on topics including (but not limited to): tariff and accounting matters including costing principles and methodologies, international Internet connectivity, economic impact of the transition from Ipv4 to Ipv6, mobile roaming, cross-border mobile connectivity, pricing and settlement issues for international telecom services, use of commercial agreements for the provision of international telecom services, alternative calling procedures (e.g. hubbing), dispute resolution related to charging and invoicing,; economic and policy aspects of big data and digital identity, charging and accounting principles for NGN, Digital Financial Services, establishing and connecting regional IXPs, economic impact of OTTs, Machine to Machine (M2M) communications;

K.        To strengthen standard-making capabilities within the African region in accordance with Resolution 44 on “Bridging the Standardization Gap” (Rev. Hammamet, 2016);

L.         To act as liaison between Member States and Sector Members of the African region and
ITU-T Study Group 3. 
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Qualifications of chairmen and vice-chairmen
 
No. 242 of the Convention states that:
"… In appointing chairmen and vice-chairmen, particular consideration shall be given to the requirements of competence and equitable geographical distribution and to the need to promote more efficient participation by the developing countries."
Whilst giving primary consideration to the qualifications below, there should be an appropriate gender balance and representation of chairmen and vice-chairmen from all regions across study periods.
As regards competence, the following qualifications, inter alia, appear to be of paramount importance when appointing chairmen and vice-chairmen:
– relevant professional knowledge and experience;
– continuity in participation in the regional group and the parent group meetings;
– managerial skills;
– availability;
– knowledge for standardization related activities.