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)].