– 98 – (3.2 – Council) D 519 (C04) Extension of the Mandate of the Working Group on Observers and the Implementation of the Admission on a Provisional Basis of Observers representing Sector Members to Council 2005 The Council, considering a) Resolution 109 (Marrakesh, 2002) concerning the review and consolidation of provisions regarding observers; b) Council Decision 1208 referencing the mandate of the Working Group on Observers to review all the relevant provisions of the basic texts of the Union concerning observers and prepare a report for consideration by the 2004 session of the Council, noting a) the provision of Resolution 109 which, in referring to Recommendation R29 of the Working Group on ITU Reform, requires the taking into account of the recommendation that Sector Members be given observer status in the meetings of the Council and that the advisory groups should develop criteria for the selection of Sector Member representatives, b) the decision of the 1998 session of the Council allowing electronic access to Council documents by Member States and Sector Members, recognizing the decision of the Plenipotentiary Conference (Marrakesh, 2002) to make Council more transparent and inclusive to the membership, conscious a) of the imperative to proceed cautiously in order to avoid impeding the important work of Council, given its broad and complex agenda and the serious constraints on its time and resources; b) of the need to respect Council’s distinct characteristic, i.e., that it is the elected governing body of the Union in the interval between plenipotentiary conferences and, of the importance of ensuring accountability of the ITU Council to the Member States of the Union; c) of the need to avoid introducing divisive or competitive dynamics to Council sessions or eroding the integrity of the decision-making hierarchy within each Sector; d) of the imperative to avoid detracting from the important tasks of the Sector Advisory Groups as set out in Articles 11A, 14A and 17A of the Convention, decides 1 to take note of the recommendations of Part A and Part B of the Report of the Working Group on Observers; 2 to extend the mandate of the Working Group to continue its examinations and to develop the draft texts including amendments to Council’s Rules of Procedure and a draft Resolution for submission to Council 2005 for appropriate action, and to examine issues related to the implementation of the provisional admission of observers representing Sector Members to Council;