INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION


























 
G
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F
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FOR 
GLOBAL 
ISSUES



The Additional Plenipotentiary Conference (Geneva, 1992), in its Resolution 15, 
resolved:
"that, on the basis of a report by the Secretary-General, the Council shall 
consider, at its ordinary session in 1994, the need to establish a forum in which 
administrations can discuss their telecommunication strategies and policies"
"that the next Plenipotentiary Conference (Kyoto, 1994) shall take necessary action 
on this matter".
The Council, at its 1994 session, examined the Secretary-General's report. The 
discussions pointed to a consensus on:
-	the need to establish a forum to discuss strategies and policies in the 
changing telecommunication environment;
-	the fact that the Council is competent to set the agenda of such a forum.
The changing telecommunication environment
The telecommunication environment has undergone considerable changes since the 
1980s under the combined influence of advances in technology, the globalization of 
markets, and growing user demand for integrated cross-border services increasingly 
adapted to their needs.
These forces shaping the telecommunication environment have led to a restructuring 
of the telecommunication sector, especially the separation of regulatory and 
operating functions, the gradual liberalization of services and the appearance of 
new players in this area.
This restructuring of telecommunication policies and regulations, which began in 
the industrialized countries, is now being followed by regional plans to introduce 
liberalization through new regulatory frameworks, such as the Latin American Blue 
Paper (CITEL) and the African Green Paper.
Alongside these regional initiatives, many countries have started liberalizing 
their telecommunication services and in some cases privatizing them.
There has also been a tendency recently for international organizations operating 
satellite systems (INTELSAT, INMARSAT) to review their operating rules and 
eventually their regulations, with a view to adapting to international competition 
in the supply of international telecommunication services.
The outcome of the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations, especially the 
General Agreement on Trade in Services, needs to be taken into account.  These 
agreements presuppose recognition of separate areas of competence but also envisage 
close cooperation between the future World Trade Organization and the ITU.
These changes have made the need for a global framework to coordinate 
telecommunication policies apparent for many years.
Coordination of national policies and regulations
The diversity of national telecommunication policies and regulations may hamper the 
advent of a global market which can support the harmonious development of these 
services.
The purposes of the Union are, inter alia,  "to promote the extension of the 
benefits of the new telecommunication technologies to all the world's inhabitants" 
and "to harmonize the actions of Members in the attainment of those ends".
The idea of trying to provide a "global" framework in order to introduce and 
develop these new "global" technologies has already been discussed on many 
occasions.
Resolution 15 recognizes the need to establish "a forum in which policy 
coordination among Members shall be expedited" but does not explain the means 
whereby such coordination could be ensured. In particular,  the question of the 
nature of such a  forum, the scope of its action and the form it might take remains 
to be settled. Several options may be discussed in that respect.
Options for establishing a forum on telecommunication policies and strategies
If the emerging issues in global telecommunication require the establishment of a 
Forum, its design and its relationship with existing ITU conferences and meetings 
should be considered in the light of factors such as the need to:
-	avoid duplication;
-	avoid additional expenditure or find new sources of funding;
-	ensure universal participation.
The following table lists a series of possible options, which will be considered by 
the Conference. A list of examples of possible topics for discussion is also 
annexed hereto.
1.	Establishment of the forum:
OPTIONS
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES

Plenipotentiary 
Conference (or committee 
thereof)
-	All Members present
- 	Regular cycle
-	Close link with 
strategic policy and 
planning recommended 
for the Union
-	Possibility, if 
necessary, of 
convening a world 
conference on 
international 
telecommunications
-	No additional cost
-	Lack of time to 
discuss issues in 
detail
-	Too long a gap between 
conferences

World Conferences on 
International 
Telecommunications (WCIT)
-	All Members present
-	Scope for regulating 
services
-	Multilateral framework 
avoiding multiplicity 
of regional or 
bilateral arrangements
-	Regulatory nature of 
such a conference's 
activities
-	Highly formal approach 
to issues
-	Convened by a 
Plenipotentiary 
Conference
-	Procedures
-	Final Acts
-	New cost, large budget


Telecommunication 
Development Conferences 
(or study group thereof)
-	Regular cycle
-	Telecommunication 
policies and 
regulations already 
discussed
-	Members enjoy full 
rights
-	Entities other than 
administrations can 
participate in an 
advisory capacity
-	Possibility of 
preparatory 
coordination at 
regional level
-	No additional cost
-	Limited role of new 
actors
-	Relatively cumbersome 
approach
-	Convening
-	Procedures
-	Documentation
-	Focus of the 
Conference on 
development issues may 
be distorted.

 A new ITU Conference
-	All Members present
-	Experts concerned 
present
-	Focus on issues
-	Agenda clearly defined
-	Multilateral framework 
avoiding multiplicity 
of bilateral and 
regional arrangements
-	Less heavy than a 
WCIT.
-	Amendment to the 
Constitution required
-	New cost
-	Scheduling 
difficulties

Council (or Working Group 
thereof)
-	Council prerogative 
(CS70)
-	There is already a 
Working Group on 
Policies and 
Strategies
-	Guaranteed 
geographical 
representation
-	Not all Members 
present
-	Risk of overloading 
Council
-	Additional cost: about 
SFR 25 000

TELECOM Forum
-	Regular cycle
-	Useful opening to 
industry and users
-	Negligible additional 
cost
-	Not designed for 
discussions, optimized 
for presentations and 
official statements
-	Widely open to any 
participant while 
Resolution 15 
envisages an 
intergovernmental 
forum


Ad hoc meetings on 
specific topics 
-	Great flexibility
-	Discussion by 
objective
-	Time saving
-	More convivial 
atmosphere conducive 
to open exchange of 
viewpoints
-	Difficulty for many 
countries to attend 
short and relatively 
frequent meetings
-	Additional costs but 
possibility of 
financing through 
voluntary 
contributions

2.	Financing:
OPTIONS
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES

From the ordinary budget
-	Forum can be 
programmed on a 
regular basis
-	Council able to 
discuss topics 
beforehand
-	Close correlation 
between the meeting 
schedule and the list 
of topics for 
discussion
-	An estimate of the 
budgetary costs is 
given below

By a host country or an 
entity other than an 
administration
-	No budgetary 
implications
-	Uncertainty
-	Requirement which may 
prevent a regular 
cycle of meetings

By voluntary 
contributions
-	No implications for 
the ordinary budget
-	Uncertainty
-	May influence the 
choice of topics
-	Requirement which may 
prevent a regular 
cycle of meetings

By new extrabudgetary 
sources generated by the 
forum itself 
(registration fees, sale 
of any publications 
issued by the forum ...)
-	Possibly self-funding
-	Uncertainty
-	Penalizes certain 
participants

3.	Budget:
Duration
Interpretation
Cost

05 days
06 languages
	1 334 000


03 languages
	1 152 000


without interpretation
	510 000

03 days
06 languages
	994 000


03 languages
	831 000


without interpretation
	470 000

4.	Periodicity:
OPTIONS
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES

Regular cycle set by a 
Plenipotentiary 
Conference which also 
selects the topics for 
discussion
-	Fits in with Union 
conference cycles and 
ensures some stability
-	Overview of the issues 
to be discussed during 
the cycle
-	Better coordination 
with the ITU 
conference programme
-	Close link with 
strategic planning and 
the budget
-	Lack of flexibility
-	Choice of topics may 
prove restrictive
-	Issues identified far 
in advance may become 
less relevant with 
time
-	Risk of overloading 
the work of the 
Conference with debate 
on the choice of 
topics

Regular cycle set by a 
Plenipotentiary 
Conference, with the 
topics for discussion set 
by the Council
-	Mechanism currently 
applied for 
conferences and other 
meetings of the Union
-	Good combination of 
stable meeting 
schedule and 
flexibility in the 
choice of discussion 
topics


Venue, date and agenda 
set by the Council
-	Simple and flexible
-	Close correlation with 
the choice of 
discussion topics 
identified by the 
Council
-	No overview of the 
Union's meeting 
programme and its 
budgetary implications

Meeting set by one or 
more Members
-	Feasible under 
existing arrangements
-	Causes problems for 
both the scheduling of 
meetings and the 
identification of 
discussion topics
-	Possible influencing 
of discussion topics

5.	Participation:
OPTIONS
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES

Closed structure:
forum open to Members 
only
-	Respects the letter of 
Resolution 15
-	Private sector 
represented on 
national delegations
-	Restricts the 
principle of increased 
private sector 
participation
-	Loss of potential 
private sector 
contributions

Open structure:
forum open to Members and 
the private sector
-	Better understanding 
of the needs of 
industry and users
-	Better insight into 
the regulatory process 
for the private sector
-	Possibility that the 
private sector may 
contribute to funding 
the forum
-	At variance with the 
letter of Resolution 
15
-	Danger of losing sight 
of the main aim, which 
is to enable 
administrations to 
discuss their policies 
and strategies with a 
view to better 
coordination

Semi-open structure:
only the first part of 
the debates open to the 
private sector, which is 
thus able to contribute, 
with the final phase of 
discussions restricted to 
administrations
-	Preserves the forum's 
intergovernmental 
status
-	Provides an opening to 
the private sector
-	Private sector shares 
in defraying forum 
expenses
-	Need to develop 
appropriate procedures

6.	Internal organization:
OPTIONS
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES

Forum establishes its own 
organizational and 
operating procedures
-	Tailored to the nature 
of the forum
-	Need to develop new 
procedures

Forum organized along the 
lines of ITU conferences 
and meetings
-	Stability
-	Application of the 
procedures in force
-	Rigid
-	Formal procedures not 
suited to the type of 
debates (motions, 
votes, ...)

Forum organized along the 
lines of TELECOM 
(improved version)
-	Practical solution 
employed in most 
forums
-	Risk of formal 
presentations with no 
debate
-	May make it difficult 
for all participants 
to make an active 
contribution

7.	Working methods:
OPTIONS
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES

Discussions based solely 
on views expressed by 
participants on a given 
topic
-	Overview of the 
different systems and 
trends
-	Active participation
-	No common core for 
discussion
-	Lengthy process which 
may prove unproductive

Discussions based on a 
study prepared by the 
General Secretariat
-	Good basis for 
discussion
-	May be distributed in 
advance to foster 
active participation 
in the work of the 
forum


Discussions based on 
papers presented by 
participants
-	Good basis for 
discussion
-	Need to limit 
presentation of papers 
to enable exchanges of 
views
-	Procedures to decide 
on the papers to be 
presented
-	Risk of influencing 
the debate

8.	Outputs of the forum:
	OPTIONS
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES

Report
-	Practical guide for 
participants
-	Interesting input for 
the Council, which 
considers broad 
telecommunication 
policy questions; for 
the Secretary-General, 
who develops the 
Union's policies and 
strategic plans; and 
for some study groups
-	Interesting output for 
potential ITU 
customers
-	May be made available 
in an ITU publication
-	Potential income



Resolutions/ 
Recommendations
-	Useful references for 
possible voluntary 
coordination of 
telecommunication 
policies and 
regulations
-	Danger of confusion 
between the nature of 
the forum and other 
Union meetings which 
also generate 
resolutions
-	Danger of 
misunderstanding on 
the nature and scope 
of the resolutions
-	Proliferation of 
resolutions (already 
criticized) which 
often remain without 
effect



ANNEX
Examples of topics for discussion
In recent years, a number of topics have arisen which demand economic and 
regulatory consideration as well as technical harmonization.  The following 
examples are illustrative, though not exhaustive.  The views contained in each 
topic are also examples.
1.	New generation communications infrastructure
The United States is promoting a National Information Infrastructure (NII) project.  
Japan is establishing a new generation communications network pilot project to be 
tested and implemented for the 21st century.  Europe is discussing the creation of 
a "European Nervous System".  It is important to construct the new generation 
communications infrastructure to be able to correspond to changes taking place in 
the society including globalization.  As each countries' project should have the 
role to integrate the international communication infrastructure, exchange of views 
and coordination of plans from the international community perspective is 
necessary.  This topic may also include matters such as "convergence between 
telecommunications and broadcasting", and "transfer of technology".
2.	Personal communication services
Various proposals for personal communication services using satellite or 
terrestrial systems have been planned.  These services may bring about changes in 
telecommunications in general and may raise new challenges for coordinating 
telecommunication services at a global level.  It may be necessary to discuss such 
matters as equitable access to frequency spectrum, balanced participation, global 
approach to licensing, free circulation of terminals, mutual recognition of type 
approval for equipment, cross border billing, roaming, portable numbering.
3.	Regulatory frameworks for sector restructuring
An increasing number of developing countries are planning policies to privatize 
telecommunication operations and introduce competition.  Policies are still in the 
process of being elaborated and many complex issues remain to be resolved.  This 
topic may also include matters such as numbering policy, foreign ownership of 
telecommunications network operators, liberalization of leased line resale, 
accounting rates.
4.	New methods of radio spectrum management
Recently, some countries have introduced ongoing spectrum user fees in addition to 
the one-off administration and licence renewal fees.  Other countries have gone 
further and have actually auctioned the rights to use certain portions of the 
spectrum.  It may be beneficial to exchange views on the advantages and 
disadvantages of these approaches.
5.	Environmental changes surrounding international satellite organizations
In recent years, satellites operating separately from INTELSAT have begun to 
provide international telecommunications services.  INTELSAT is studying ways to 
simplify regulatory procedures and some countries plan to relax restrictions.  
INMARSAT and other regional organizations are in similar circumstances.  It may be 
important to discuss regulatory issues with respect to the new competitive market 
environment.
6.	Open access to networks (regulatory environment that maintains both 
competition and public service goals)
Increased competition in the telecom services sector should not jeopardize the 
availability of a set of universal services.  In the U.S. it is considered 
necessary to ensure, under Open Network Architecture (ONA), the basic provision of 
basic access arrangements.  The process of Open Network Provision (ONP) is now 
underway in Europe.  Again, it may be desirable to extend these principles of Open 
Network Access to the wide international community and to coordinate them with the 
market access principles developed in GATT.
7.	Direct Broadcasting by Satellite (DBS): The transmission and reception of 
transborder television broadcasts
The UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space established a guideline in 
1982 barring international DBS without prior consent of the government of the 
receiving country.  However, the guideline has become obsolete; the progress of 
digital compression technology has increased the number of channels and blurred 
distinctions between broadcasting and telecommunication.  Thus the wider context of 
regulating transborder data flows remains a major international issue.

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