Outcome of the Seventeenth Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunication

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ACP-WGF16/IP-03
/
International Civil Aviation Organization
WORKING PAPER / ACP-WGF16/IP-03
30/11/06

AERONAUTICAL COMMUNICATIONS PANEL (ACP)

Sixteenth MEETING OF THE WORKING GROUP F

Montreal, Canada 11 – 15 December 2006

Agenda Item xx: / Xxx

Outcome of the seventeenth Plenipotentiary Conference of the
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

(Presented by Secretariat)

SUMMARY
This contribution informs the meeting on the outcome of the seventeenth Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Aspects of interest to aviation addressed by this conference included clarification of the role of observers, including those from specialized agencies within the United Nations system (such as ICAO) in ITU conferences, assemblies and meetings.
ACTION
To note.

1.  INTRODUCTION

1.1  An ICAO delegation (T. Jacob, TO/CNS) participated in the seventeenth Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) which was held from 6 – 24 November 2006 in Antalya, Turkey. The conference was opened by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The opening ceremony was also addressed by ITU Secretary-General, Yoshio Utsumi, and Turkey’s Minister of Transport, Binali Yıldırım.

1.2  Aspects of interest to aviation addressed by the Plenipotentiary Conference included clarification of the role of observers, including those from organizations and specialized agencies within the United Nations system (such as ICAO) in ITU conferences, assemblies and meetings.

1.3  The event was attended by more than 1800 participants from over 150 countries representing both government and the private sector as well as regional and international organizations.

1.4  The Plenipotentiary Conference is ITU’s top policy-making body. Normally held every four years, it sets the ITU’s general policies, adopts four-year strategic and financial plans and elects the senior management of the organization, the Council (the Union’s governing body) and the Radio Regulations Board. It is the key event at which ITU’s strategy is decided, thereby determining the Union’s ability to influence the development of information and communication technologies (ICT) worldwide.

1.5  Areas on the conference agenda included:

a)  Organizational reform of ITU’s structure;

b)  ITU’s role in implementing the action lines resulting from the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS);

c)  enlarging the participation of new stakeholders in ITU’s work, including civil society organizations, given the expectations raised by the WSIS process;

d)  reflecting the broader mandate given to ITU by WSIS, while maintaining the Union’s central role in global ICT issues;

e)  rights and obligations of observers; and

f)  balancing the Union’s budget within a general framework of zero-growth, despite the need to respond to the challenges of a changing ICT environment which call for additional resources to carry out an ever-increasing number of activities.

1.6  Additional information on certain topics discussed by the conference is provided in section 2 below. PP-06 documents are available at: http://www.itu.int/plenipotentiary/2006/index.html

2.  Rights and obligations of Observers such as ICAO

2.1  ICAO is, like the ITU, is a specialized agency of the United Nations, and within its overall mandate to promote aviation safety, develops SARPs for radionavigation and radiocommunication systems in full consistency with the relevant ITU Radio Regulations, which are amended and adopted at World Radiocommunication Conferences (WRCs). In addition, ICAO endeavours to ensure that the daily operation of aeronautical radio services take place within the framework set by the Radio Regulations, and that interference-free spectrum is made available for aeronautical safety of life services. Therefore, amendments to the ITU Radio Regulations affecting aeronautical bands can have an impact on ICAO SARPs as well as on operation of aeronautical radio services. This effectively creates a situation whereby the activities of one specialized agency of the United Nations (i.e. ITU) can have an adverse impact on the activities of another specialized agency of the United Nations (i.e. ICAO).

2.2  It is therefore of paramount importance that in the work of the ITU leading towards amendments to the Radio Regulations, ICAO has the opportunity to express its views on proposed changes and, where possible, actively participate in finding a mutually satisfactory solution for any problem which may arise. Hence, active participation of ICAO in WRCs as well as the relevant meetings of the Radiocommunication Sector is essential in order to provide the ITU with the necessary material concerning the use of radio in international civil aviation. ICAO's participation is based on ICAO policy statements (periodically reviewed) on all frequency bands that are in use by aviation and on the ICAO position developed for each WRC. The ICAO Council approves the policy statements and the ICAO position for a WRC after consultation with all Contracting States and relevant international organizations, on the basis of proposals developed by the Air Navigation Commission.

2.3  During the first week of WRC-2000 serious restrictions were placed on observers, which limited their ability to participate in the work of the conference. For instance, observers were not allowed to ask for the floor and could only speak if requested by a delegation through the chairman. Later during the conference, the restrictions were partly lifted.

2.4  ICAO, through active participation in the activities of regional telecommunication organizations, presented proposals to develop a special status for observers from UN specialized agencies in ITU conferences, assemblies and meetings.

2.5  The Plenipotentiary Conference, Marrakesh, 2002 (PP-02) considered the role of in particular observers from organizations and specialized agencies within the United Nations system in ITU meetings. The PP-02 confirmed that these observers may submit information documents and present their observations, within the limits of the Rules of Procedures, on points relevant to the mandate of their organizations at radiocommunication conferences. During the World Radiocommunication Conference 2003 these principles were applied and allowed ICAO to participate satisfactorily in the work of the Conference.

2.6  In addition, PP-02 agreed on Resolution 109 and resolved to create a Working Group on Observers, open to Member States only, to review all the relevant provisions of the basic texts of the Union concerning observers and to prepare a report for consideration by the ITU Council.

2.7  PP-06 analysed the role of observers in the ITU as set out in the Constitution, the Convention and the General Rules of Conferences, Assemblies and Meetings of the ITU. It agreed to various modifications developed by the working group on observers to the ITU Convention and the General Rules, as well as to a Resolution (COM5/3) (see Attachment) which consolidates the references to observers in the basic texts of the ITU and sets out guidelines for the participation of different observers in various types of ITU conferences, assemblies and meetings. The resolution also incorporates the decisions of PP-02 concerning the participation of “observers in an advisory capacity” (including UN specialized agencies such as ICAO) in World Radiocommunication Conferences.

2.8  In summary, the modifications to the basic texts of the ITU, as agreed by this Plenipotentiary Conference, are considered to improve clarity in the situation of observers and the accuracy and consistency of their participation in conferences, assemblies and meetings across the Union that existed since the creation of the ITU in 1947.

2.9  Other international organizations, participating in World Radiocommunication Conferences, while being admitted as (regular) observers do not share the privileges and obligations as those conferred to UN specialized agencies.

3.  Strategic Direction of the ITU

3.1  The Plenipotentiary Conference decided on the strategic direction of ITU and developed new policies and recommendations that should enable the further worldwide growth and development of telecommunications and information and communication technologies (ICT) in the light of changes in the industry and the needs of the ITU membership.

3.2  The ITU Strategic Plan for 2008-2011 (Resolution71) notes the challenges the organization faces in the rapidly changing telecommunication/ICT environment. As reform efforts continue in ITU with respect to achieving results-based budgeting, the Strategic Plan has become an important tool in guiding the Union’s activities. It is considered an essential element in a linked planning process that includes ITU’s Financial Plan and Operational Plans (Resolution72 refers).

3.3  The Conference also decided on the Union’s Financial Plan that should provide the resources needed to meet the goals and deliverables set out in the Strategic Plan. The main purpose of the Financial Plan is to provide an adequate level of resources to translate the objectives and priorities set forth in the Strategic Plan in deliverables, while striking a balance between anticipated expenditure and estimated income. This is considered a key factor in implementing ‘results-based’ budgeting as part of an integrated planning process aimed at bringing efficiency gains to the activities of the Union. Both strategic and financial plans are based on a set of mandatory outputs, defined as final products or services to be delivered, and represent a major reform in the operational set up of ITU.

4.  Elections

4.1  The Plenipotentiary Conference elected the Secretary-General, the Deputy Secretary-General as well as Directors of the three specialized arms of the Union: the Radiocommunication Bureau, the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau and the Telecommunication Development Bureau. It also elected the 46 members of the Council and the 12 members of the Radio Regulations Board[1].

4.2  Mr Hamadoun I. Touré of Mali was elected as Secretary-General of ITU for a four-year term.

4.3  Mr Houlin Zhao of China was elected Deputy Secretary-General.

5.  ITU and the internet

5.1  The Tunis phase of the World Summit on the Information Society recognized that the internet has evolved into a global public facility, and that its governance should constitute a core issue of the Information Society agenda. Moreover, it called for a multilateral, transparent and democratic international management of the internet, with the full involvement of governments, the private sector, civil society and international organizations.

5.2  Proposals on the table underlined the fact that the internet has spawned new challenges that could threaten the security and stability of telecommunication networks. For this reason, a number of countries called for ITU to contribute constructively to the work on internet governance and advocate a stronger ITU role in enhancing network security and stability, in countering spam and in the smooth management of critical internet resources including Internet Domain Names and addresses. Proposals have also been discussed for the increased internationalization of the internet, in particular the ability of developing countries to participate fully in internet-related technical and policy processes.

5.3  The conference adopted revisions to Resolution101 on Internet Protocol-based networks and Resolution102 on ITU’s role with regard to international public policy issues pertaining to the internet and the management of internet resources, including domain names and addresses.

6.  Future conferences and assemblies of the ITU

6.1  PP-06 agreed on the following schedule of future conferences and assemblies of the Union for the years 2007-2011 (Resolution77 refers):

a)  Radiocommunication Assembly (RA): 15-19 October 2007, Geneva;

b)  World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC): 22 October - 16 November 2007, Geneva;

c)  World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA): between May and November 2008;

d)  World Telecommunication Policy Forum (WTPF): first quarter 2009;

e)  World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC): March 2010;

f)  Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-10): October/November 2010; and

g)  RA and WRC: February/March 2011.

— — — — — — — —

Attachment

Amendments to the ITU Convention and General Rules of Conferences, Assemblies and Meetings with regard to observers as adopted by PP-06

Source: Doc 109

ARTICLE 19
Participation of Entities and Organizations Other than
Administrations in the Union’s Activities
(MOD) 235 / 5 Any request from any entity or organization listed in No. 231 above (other than those referred to in Nos. 269B and 269C of this Convention) to participate in the work of a Sector shall be sent to the Secretary-General and acted upon in accordance with procedures established by the Council.
(MOD) 236 / 6 Any request from an organization referred to in Nos. 269B to 269D of this Convention to participate in the work of a Sector shall be sent to the SecretaryGeneral, and the organization concerned shall be included in the lists referred to in No. 237 below.
(MOD) 237
PP-98 / 7 The Secretary-General shall compile and maintain lists of all entities and organizations referred to in Nos. 229 to 231 and Nos. 269B to 269D of this Convention that are authorized to participate in the work of each Sector and shall, at appropriate intervals, publish and distribute these lists to all Member States and Sector Members concerned and to the Director of the Bureau concerned. That Director shall advise such entities and organizations of the action taken on their requests, and shall inform the relevant Member States.

Source: Doc 125

PP-02 / ARTICLE 23
Admission to Plenipotentiary Conferences
MOD 269
PP-94
PP-02 / d) observers of the following organizations, agencies and entities, to participate in an advisory capacity:
MOD 269E
PP-02 / e) observers from the Sector Members referred to in Nos.229 and 231 of this Convention.
PP-02 / ARTICLE 24
Admission to Radiocommunication Conferences
MOD 278
PP-02 / b) observers of organizations and agencies referred to in Nos.269A to 269D of this Convention, to participate in an advisory capacity;
MOD 279
PP-02 / c) observers of other international organizations invited in accordance with the relevant provisions of ChapterI of the General Rules of conferences, assemblies and meetings of the Union, to participate in an advisory capacity;
MOD 280
PP-98 / d) observers from Sector Members of the Radiocommunication Sector;
PP-98
PP-02 / ARTICLE 25
Admission to Radiocommunication Assemblies,
World Telecommunication Standardization
Assemblies and Telecommunication
Development Conferences
ADD 296bis / b) representatives of Sector Members concerned;
MOD 297
PP-02 / c) observers, to participate in an advisory capacity, from:
ADD 297bis / i) the organizations and agencies referred to in Nos.269A to 269D of this Convention;
SUP 298A
SUP 298B
(MOD) 298C
PP-02 / ii) any other regional organization or other international organization dealing with matters of interest to the assembly or conference.
SUP 298D
SUP 298E
SUP* 298F

Source: Doc 154

ANNEX
Definition of Certain Terms Used in this Convention and
the Administrative Regulations of the International
Telecommunication Union
MOD 1002
PP-94
PP-98 / Observer: A person sent by a Member State, organization, agency or entity to attend a conference, assembly or meeting of the Union or the Council, without the right to vote and in accordance with the relevant provisions of the basic texts of the Union.

Source: Doc 143