UNION INTERNATIONALE DES TELECOMMUNICATIONS INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION UNIÓN INTERNACIONAL DE TELECOMUNICACIONES Opening Address World Radiocommunication Conference Geneva, November 15, 1993 Pekka Tarjanne Secretary-General Mr. Chairman, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends, Almost one year ago, in this same building in fact, in this same room, the Additional Plenipotentiary Conference gave birth to a new ITU -- an ITU designed to respond to the changing telecommunications environment -- an ITU with a new organization, a new mission, and a new sense of purpose. As a result of the APP decisions, 1993 has been a year of historical firsts for the Union. In March, in Helsinki, we held the first ever ITU World Telecommunication Standardization Conference. Just last week -- again, in this very same room -- we opened the first ever ITU Radiocommunication Assembly. Please find in your pigeon holes my lengthy opening speech of that Assembly, with reference to major challenges for the years to come. Today, it is the first ever ITU World Radiocommunication Conference. 1994 promises more of the same. Next March, in Buenos Aires, we will hold the first ever ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference. In September and October, in Kyoto, we will hold the first Plenipotentiary Conference with the new structures and functions set out in the Geneva Constitution and Convention. With these new structures and functions already in place we must turn our attention to the real, strategic challenges facing the organization. When confronted with change, it is always easy to reorganize. Changing old habits and old working methods is often more difficult. But that is what we must do -- and must do quickly. The ever changing telecommunications environment will not let us rest on our laurels for very long -- particularly in radiocommunications, perhaps the most exciting, dynamic area in the whole field of telecommunications today. It is a fact that international telecommunications are increasingly important for every sector of social and economic activity. Industry, transportation, education, medical care -- all depend on good communications. And the speed of technological progress, particularly in the space radiocommunications, continually confronts the international community with vast opportunities -- as well with ever more complex challenges. In this environment of change, the RF spectrum, the geostationary satellite orbit, and all the other orbits that are so much in the news these days, must be managed efficiently, effectively and dynamically, to protect the national and international interests of every country in the world, and to promote the global development of mankind. In the five decades since its reconstitution in 1947, the modern ITU has made a very major contribution to the world community. Advances in radiocommunication technology and services have helped make Marshall McLuhan's prophecy of a "global village" a reality. However, the conquest of distance and time, and greater global intimacy have also increased the complexity of the challenges facing the Union. They have also increased the number of Member countries of the ITU in a dramatic manner. I can tell you some news. Last week everyone used the figure 181 when the number of Member administrations was discussed. On Friday, however, a new Member, the Principality of Andorra acceded to the Nairobi Convention, thus becoming the 182nd Member of the Union. For those of you who do not know where Andorra is situated, I can tell you that it is situated in the Eastern Pyrenees, on the border between France and Spain. It has a total population of about 60,000, and the number of telephones is about 20,000, which is quite an impressive density. Back to the Conference, there are a number of important issues that need urgent consideration -- allocations below 3 GHz, the associated provisions for mobile satellite service, feeder links, FPLMTS, the protection of the conventional terrestrial services, coordination procedures, and so on. The welfare of millions of people and the development prospects of large regions of the earth will be directly affected by the decisions that are eventually taken on these matters --as will investment decisions worth billions of dollars. With so much at stake, you will have to carefully consider during the next five days which issues you want to discuss first, and hopefully agree on which should come second, third, and so on. There is a second very important dimension to your work. An adequate regulatory framework is needed to cope with the growing impact of modern radiocommunication technology on the economic and social development of mankind. The present regulatory regime for terrestrial services is about 50 years old, and the one for space services has been in use for almost 30 years. These regimes are having difficulty coping with today's requirements; they are clearly inadequate for future needs. Through the work of the Voluntary Group of Experts, an important effort has been made to review, simplify and modernize the radiocommunication regulatory regime. The work is almost concluded, and the report of the VGE will form the basis for the very important discussions that will take place on this issue at the Second World Radiocommunication Conference in 1995. In conclusion -- if you will permit me to use a musical metaphor -- we should see this conference as an overture, to the next decade, and to the next century. Although you will not be asked to make substantive decisions on technical, operational or regulatory issues on this occasion, you will be asked to set the agendas for the 1995 and 1997 conferences. Proposals have also been made by some of you to look forward to 1999 and even further, beyond the year 2000. What you are asked to do in the next few days is certainly nothing less than to set the agenda for global radiocommunications, for this decade, and for the opening years of the twenty-first century. This is a very serious responsibility. I wish you well in your work. *** ../.