Participation
ITU has three Sectors: Radiocommunication (ITU-R); Telecommunication Standardization (ITU-T); and Telecommunication Development (ITU-D). Each Sector has its own unique characteristics and activities. Companies or organizations may become a member of one or more Sectors of ITU and may join as a Sector Member or Associate.
Sector Members have the right to participate across the full range of activities of the Sector they join, whereas Associates can participate in one Study Group of a given Sector. Much of ITU’s technical work in developing standards, recommendations and best practices occurs in Study Groups, which gather specialists to address specific topics. Contact us for more information.
ITU has reduced fees for SMEs that wish to participate as an Associate. Find out more here.
Academia have the right to participate in all three sectors with an annual reduced fee. Find out more here.
Participation rights – Comparison Tables
The following tables provide a detailed overview concerning the participatory rights of each membership category in ITU:
Treaty-making Conferences | Sectoral Conferences and Assemblies | Sector Study Groups |
Sector Advisory Groups | Council |
Treaty-making Conferences: Plenipotentiary Conferences (PP), World Radiocommunication Conferences (WRC) and World Conferences on International Telecommunications (WCIT)
Sector Members | |
---|---|
Participation |
As observers in non-advisory capacity1 |
Submission of contributions / participation in debates |
No |
Access to TIES protected documentation |
Yes |
Have representative(s) appointed as chairperson/vice-chairperson for the Conference |
No |
Associates | |
---|---|
Participation |
No |
Submission of contributions / participation in debates |
N/A |
Access to TIES protected documentation |
N/A |
Have representative(s) appointed as chairperson/vice-chairperson for the Conference |
N/A |
Academia | |
---|---|
Participation |
No |
Submission of contributions / participation in debates |
N/A |
Access to TIES protected documentation |
N/A |
Have representative(s) appointed as chairperson/vice-chairperson for the Conference |
N/A |
Rights/Category | Sector Members | Associates | Academia |
---|---|---|---|
Participation |
As observers in non-advisory capacity1 |
No |
No |
Submission of contributions / participation in debates |
No |
N/A |
N/A |
Access to TIES protected documentation |
Yes |
N/A |
N/A |
Have representative(s) appointed as chairperson/vice-chairperson for the Conference |
No |
N/A |
N/A |
1For Plenipotentiary Conferences and World Conferences on International Telecommunications, observers can be Sector Members from all three sectors. On the contrary, for Radiocommunication Conferences, observers from Sector Members are limited to the ITU-R Sector. The participatory rights of such observers in non-advisory capacity are further detailed in Annex 3 of PP Resolution 145 (Antalya, 2006); cf. CV 476 re. the obligation of defraying expenses for participation in said conferences.
Sectoral Conferences and Assemblies: Radiocommunication Assemblies (RA), World Telecommunication Standardization Assemblies (WTSA), World Telecommunication Development Conferences (WTDC)
Sector Members of the Sector concerned | |
---|---|
Participation |
Yes2 |
Submission of contributions / participation in debates |
Yes |
Access to TIES protected documentation |
Yes |
Have representative(s) appointed as chairperson/vice-chairperson for the Conference / Assembly |
Yes |
Associates in a given Sector Study Group | |
---|---|
Participation |
No |
Submission of contributions / participation in debates |
N/A |
Access to TIES protected documentation |
N/A |
Have representative(s) appointed as chairperson/vice-chairperson for the Conference / Assembly |
N/A |
Academia | |
---|---|
Participation |
Yes |
Submission of contributions / participation in debates |
Yes |
Access to TIES protected documentation |
Yes |
Have representative(s) appointed as chairperson/vice-chairperson for the Conference / Assembly |
No |
Rights/Category | Sector Members of the Sector concerned | Associates in a given Sector Study Group | Academia |
---|---|---|---|
Participation |
Yes2 |
No |
Yes |
Submission of contributions / participation in debates |
Yes |
N/A |
Yes |
Access to TIES protected documentation |
Yes |
N/A |
Yes |
Have representative(s) appointed as chairperson/vice-chairperson for the Conference / Assembly |
Yes |
N/A |
No |
2Sector Members may attend all sessions except Budget Control Committee and Heads of Delegations meetings; Sector Members of other Sectors may participate as observers.
Sector Study Groups and their subgroups
Sector Members of the Sector concerned | |
---|---|
Participation |
Yes |
Submission of contributions / participation in debates |
Yes |
Access to TIES protected documentation |
Yes |
Have representative(s) appointed as chairperson/vice-chairperson |
Yes |
Have representative(s) appointed as rapporteurs, associate rapporteurs & co-rapporteurs (ITU-T only), vice-rapporteurs (ITU-D only) |
Yes |
Associates in a given Sector Study Group | |
---|---|
Participation |
Yes, in the scope of a given Study Group |
Submission of contributions / participation in debates |
Yes |
Access to TIES protected documentation |
Yes, in the scope of a given Study Group |
Have representative(s) appointed as chairperson/vice-chairperson |
No |
Have representative(s) appointed as rapporteurs, associate rapporteurs & co-rapporteurs (ITU-T only), vice-rapporteurs (ITU-D only) |
Yes |
Academia | |
---|---|
Participation |
Yes, across the three Sectors |
Submission of contributions / participation in debates |
Yes |
Access to TIES protected documentation |
Yes |
Have representative(s) appointed as chairperson/vice-chairperson |
No |
Have representative(s) appointed as rapporteurs, associate rapporteurs & co-rapporteurs (ITU-T only), vice-rapporteurs (ITU-D only) |
Yes |
Rights/Category | Sector Members of the Sector concerned | Associates in a given Sector Study Group | Academia |
---|---|---|---|
Participation |
Yes |
Yes, in the scope of a given Study Group |
Yes, across the three Sectors |
Submission of contributions / participation in debates |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Access to TIES protected documentation |
Yes |
Yes, in the scope of a given Study Group |
Yes |
Have representative(s) appointed as chairperson/vice-chairperson |
Yes |
No |
No |
Have representative(s) appointed as rapporteurs, associate rapporteurs & co-rapporteurs (ITU-T only), vice-rapporteurs (ITU-D only) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Sector Advisory Groups and their subgroups: Radiocommunication Advisory Group (RAG), Telecommunication Standardization Advisory Group (TSAG), Telecommunication Development Advisory Group (TDAG)
Sector Members of the Sector concerned | |
---|---|
Participation |
Yes |
Submission of contributions / participation in debates |
Yes |
Access to TIES protected documentation |
Yes |
Have representative(s) appointed as chairperson/vice-chairperson |
Yes |
Have representative(s) appointed as rapporteurs |
Yes |
Associates in a given Sector Study Group | |
---|---|
Participation |
No |
Submission of contributions / participation in debates |
N/A |
Access to TIES protected documentation |
N/A |
Have representative(s) appointed as chairperson/vice-chairperson |
N/A |
Have representative(s) appointed as rapporteurs |
N/A |
Academia | |
---|---|
Participation |
Yes |
Submission of contributions / participation in debates |
Yes |
Access to TIES protected documentation |
Yes |
Have representative(s) appointed as chairperson/vice-chairperson |
No |
Have representative(s) appointed as rapporteurs |
Yes |
Rights/Category | Sector Members of the Sector concerned | Associates in a given Sector Study Group | Academia |
---|---|---|---|
Participation |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Submission of contributions / participation in debates |
Yes |
N/A |
Yes |
Access to TIES protected documentation |
Yes |
N/A |
Yes |
Have representative(s) appointed as chairperson/vice-chairperson |
Yes |
N/A |
No |
Have representative(s) appointed as rapporteurs |
Yes |
N/A |
Yes |
Council, its Committees, and Working Groups
Sector Members | |
---|---|
Participation |
As observers3 |
Submission of contributions / participation in debates |
No |
Access to TIES protected documentation |
Yes |
Have representative(s) appointed as chairperson/vice-chairperson |
Yes |
Associates in a given Sector Study Group | |
---|---|
Participation |
No |
Submission of contributions / participation in debates |
N/A |
Access to TIES protected documentation |
N/A |
Have representative(s) appointed as chairperson/vice-chairperson |
N/A |
Academia | |
---|---|
Participation |
No |
Submission of contributions / participation in debates |
N/A |
Access to TIES protected documentation |
N/A |
Have representative(s) appointed as chairperson/vice-chairperson |
N/A |
Rights/Category | Sector Members | Associates in a given Sector Study Group | Academia |
---|---|---|---|
Participation |
As observers3 |
No |
No |
Submission of contributions / participation in debates |
No |
N/A |
N/A |
Access to TIES protected documentation |
Yes |
N/A |
N/A |
Have representative(s) appointed as chairperson/vice-chairperson |
Yes |
N/A |
N/A |
3Participation is limited to three Sector Members per Sector, plus the six principal regional telecommunication organizations [namely, the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT), the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT), the Inter-American Telecommunications Commission (CITEL), the African Telecommunications Union (ATU), the Council of Arab Ministers of Telecommunication and Information represented by the Secretariat-General of the League of Arab States (LAS) and the Regional Commonwealth in the field of Communications (RCC)].