The second meeting of the Committee to Prepare Commemorations of the ITU’s 150th Anniversary was held last 26 February in Geneva, chaired by Nasser Bin Hammad of the United Arab Emirates. The main objective was to finalise the schedule of the celebrations, whose motto will be “ICTs: drivers of innovation”.
The members agreed that to contain costs most celebrations will take place during regular ITU events. A table listing all planned activities was also revised to indicate the average expected cost.
These activities include the creation of a logo (whose first version was presented at the meeting), diverse stationery (notepads, pens, etc), writing contest, internship programme and digital commemorative wall decoration for ITU buildings, among others. Coordination with the Universal Postal Union (UPU) was also suggested, to produce a commemorative stamp.
The secretariat used the occasion to request members’ involvement not just in promoting national activities but also to help finance activities carried out by the ITU. One suggestion put forward, which will be presented at the Council session, is for each member to contribute 50 Swiss francs for each year of membership.
The Committee noted that these activities will help bring the ITU closer to its members and also serve to showcase the Union’s value.
The calendar of commemorative activities and respective image will be presented at the 2014 session of the ITU Council (Geneva, 6-15 May 2014) for approval.
