The Plenipotentiary conference elected 12 members to the Radio Regulations Board (RRB). For the complete results click here.

The Working Group of the Plenary looked at a number of issues related to Internet and Info-Communications, beginning with an overview from Houlin Zhao, newly re-elected Director of the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, on the major impact that Internet Protocol (IP) Networks have had on ITU’s core activities since the adoption of Resolution 101 at PP-98. He noted that IP technologies have become an important issue for almost all ITU-T study groups, with Study Group 13 being the focal point. He also cited the extensive cooperation between ITU and other international organizations that has developed in regard to IP Networks. The most recent example is the ENUM protocol, which more than 20 countries have implemented. The ENUM protocol takes numbers from the International Public Telecommunication Number Plan, ITU recommendation E.164, and incorporates them into the Internet domain name system (DNS).

Given the highly technical nature of a number of the other issues presented by Mr Zhao and others during the session, the Chairman suggested a short ‘technical’ briefing on the issues be held prior to the group’s next meeting. This suggestion was widely supported.

The Plenipotentiary is faced with two common proposals on managing Internet domain names, one from Europe, and the other from Africa. Both propose that ITU work more closely with other international organizations and participate actively in the reform of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

Resolution 102 of PP-98 recommends that the management of Internet addresses and names must reflect the geographical and functional characteristics of the Internet. Given ITU’s role in the development of IP standards and protocols for the Internet, the European proposal calls for greater partnerships with Internet standardization organizations (such as IETF), governments and the private sector, and recommends that ITU contribute directly to the reform of ICANN. It also calls on ITU to facilitate a truly global discussion on the issues of Internet management and has proposed an amended version of Resolution 102 *.

The United States, seeing much ground for consensus between the European and African proposals, suggested the creation of a drafting group that would bring the two proposals together. This suggestion was quickly accepted.

China, on behalf of the Asia-Pacific group, told the Working Group of the Plenary that if it the Internet is to create a truly ‘global village’, it needs to reflect the multilingual reality of that village. A draft resolution was then presented which supports the development of Internet content and applications as well as domain names in local languages, taking into account issues such as intellectual property rights. This resolution (ACP/25/4 in Document 25) calls for a greater effort from the Member States, ITU, private and non-governmental organizations towards an equitable and acceptable internationalized domain name system. Consensus on this proposal was also obtained very quickly.

China presented its draft resolution on strengthening the role of ITU in information/communication network security. It prefaced its proposal by listing an ever-growing range of Internet-related security issues, citing illegal, criminal and terrorist activities. It proposed that a working group be established that would study standards concerning Internet security products and services in order to guide technological development in the area. It also proposed developing regulations to be followed by all countries in this area to combat transnational crimes and terrorist activities carried out through the Internet.

Germany expressed that it didn’t believe it was up to ITU to develop regulations about potential criminal activity. This was supported by a number of other delegations (Australia, Netherlands, Sweden). The United States added that ITU-T Study Group 17 had already been given the mandate to deal with this issue and that if the group was to start to discuss content, the Plenipotentiary could last 4 years rather than 4 weeks. However, a small group was formed to determine if further work on the Chinese proposal is possible.

The Ad Hoc Group on the World Summit on the Information Society, which is to consider ITU’s contribution to the Summit, presented its terms of reference. These include developing a draft PP-02 Resolution on ITU’s contribution to WSIS preparations as well as input to the Declaration and Action Plan.

It should also be noted that during its General Policy statement, Burkina Faso announced that it was making a US$10 000 contribution to WSIS preparations. This represents more than 50 times its GDP per capita!. On behalf of all the Member States, sincere appreciation was extended to Burkina Faso for this generous donation.

The deadline for ratification of the Tampere Convention on the provision of telecommunication resources for disaster mitigation and relief operations is fast approaching. Finland made an impassioned call to support the proposed Resolution 36, which resolves to work closely with the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator on the development of practical arrangements for the implementation of the Tampere Convention. It urges some Member States to ratify the Tampere Convention prior to the deadline of 21 June 2003. 30 countries need to ratify the Convention, 14 have been received to date.

The Conference must not shy away from its responsibility of approving a Financial Plan, one delegate remarked after several delegations had, once again called for additional detailed information from the secretariat. Other delegations stressed that it would not be right to shift that responsibility to the Council, which only represents a small percentage of the ITU membership (46 out of 189 Member States currently serve on the Council). The Union is facing a financial crisis and, so the onus is on all countries to decide together, they argued. The ITU Secretary-General invited delegations to take decisions based on Annex C of Document 71 which provides options for reducing expenditures and generating income. He added that the last four years had been particularly difficult as a result of the Minneapolis Plenipotentiary Conference not approving a financial plan. Nevertheless, he had done his utmost and had been able to reduce expenditure by some CHF 30 million, over the four-year period, using efficiency measures. This would not be possible in the future, if this Conference does take bold decisions to set priorities. In the end, the Committee set up an ad hoc group that will review and present a draft financial plan that is realistic and that has no gaps, no shortfalls and no withdrawal from the Reserve Account. Such a plan will also taken into account the programme of activities that will be approved at this Conference (being reviewed in Committee 5 and the Working Group of the Plenary).

Germany as the convener of the ad hoc group on world and regional telecommunication exhibitions and forums (see Highlights N° 7) presented a revised version of Resolution 11 (Minneapolis, 1998) in Committee 6 this morning. Agreement was reached on a number of new proposed revisions to this Resolution, some of which note that:

Further elements of revision that were agreed upon in Committee 6 resolve that:

• The Union should, in collaboration with its Member States, continue to organize world and regional telecommunication exhibitions and forums on a regular basis
• The Union give due consideration to balancing the need for generating surplus from telecommunications exhibitions and forums with the capability and willingness of developing countries in particular in hosting and staging regional TELECOMs
• The Secretary-General is fully accountable for TELECOM (including planning, organization and finance) as a part of the permanent activities of the Union
• Decisions of the Secretary-General on the venues of world and regional TELECOM exhibitions and forums will be made on the basis of an open and transparent decision-making process based on objective criteria such as specification of terms and conditions and call for candidatures
• TELECOM activities are subject to the ITU Staff Rules and Regulations, publication practices and Financial Regulations, including internal control and internal audit
• The external audit of TELECOM activities are to be carried out by the internal and external auditors of the Union.

Committee 6 then started the discussion on the proposal presented by Senegal to replace the expression "a significant part" with a specific percentage, namely 80 per cent (see Highlights N° 7). 

A number of developing countries wanting to protect their interests in the TELECOM surplus fund supported the Senegalese proposal on the grounds that "a significant part" has always been the subject of much debate at Council sessions and at the previous plenipotentiary conference because the expression is vague and ambiguous. While recognizing that the Union is in dire financial straits, these countries believe that "it is time to decide on a percentage at this Conference in order to put an end to that ambiguity and its varied interpretations".

Other delegations cautioned that tying down the Union to a fixed percentage would be tantamount to micro-management. Moreover, they argued, there is sufficient protection for funds for development projects in the decisions taken, after tough negotiations, at the World Telecommunication Development Conference held in Istanbul in March 2002 to preserve development projects. Their bottom line is: "What happens when an event does not generate income, or worse still, results in a deficit? Where would TELECOM find the seed money needed to stage future events? They warned that 80 per cent of an event that generates no revenue is 80 per cent of nothing, and would mean taking away seed money and not putting it back to stage future TELECOM events. This would boil down to "killing the goose that lays the golden eggs", as one delegation put it. Another delegation suggested that a threshold should be established that states that below the fixed threshold there should be no distribution of funds.

Germany will continue to review and revise other elements of Resolution 11, taking into account the views expressed in Committee 6 and will be joined by countries with specific concerns on any part of the Resolution.