The 36th Assembly of Parties (AP) of ITSO was held last 21-23 May in Washington. The Assembly's presidency shifted from Uganda (Ruhakana Rugunda) to Canada (Santiago Reyes-Borda), with the vice-presidency held by Burkina Faso (Eleazar Lankoande).
Some 79 states of ITSO's total of 150 parties took part in the 36th Assembly, where Portugal was represented by ANACOM.
The AP approved the budget put forward by the director-general (DG) for financial years 2015 and 2016, which reflect the cost trends and balance between revenue and spending observed in the organisation's management in recent years. Note also approval of the Compensation Committee's recommendation on assignment of a bonus to the DG and on the annual salary update of the fixed part of his salary. The ITSO members generally consider the DG's performance to be very good, acknowledging his very positive contribution as a manager, negotiator and representative of the organisation.
The parties noted that ITSO's new financing agreement, which began to be negotiated in early 2013, takes effect in July this year for a three-year period until 30 June 2016. From that date on, per what was agreed when Intelsat was restructured in 2000, the operator will finance the organisation, after the initial 12-year period in which ITSO was ‘self-financed', as envisaged during the organisation's privatisation.
The Assembly also noted the report made by the DG, which indicated that in the 2012-2014 period the private operator Intelsat fulfilled its public service obligations, offering non-discriminatory access and satellite coverage to the three oceanic regions, besides meeting its lifeline connectivity obligations (LCO) for protecting prices. The parties also welcomed the good spirit of cooperation governing negotiations on a new business model with Intelsat for LCO contracts, designated the Special Renewal Programme.
With respect to auditing the organisation, the AP chose Frank & Company to be ITSO's new auditor, following the evaluation by the Selection Committee which took into account the following criteria: technical ability, relevant experience and credibility, and proposed staff.
The AP also approved extending until 2017 the organisation's strategic goals, besides approving the ITSO Strategy Plan for 2014-2017, which basically repeats the strategic objectives previously set by the AP for ITSO's mission and activities, holding that they are still valid.
The AP also noted the DG's report on ITSO's planned 1 July 2014 move to a new headquarters. The DG's intention, given Intelsat's 3 December 2012 announcement that it would move its headquarters in the United States from Washington D.C. to neighbouring Fairfax County in Virginia in June/July 2014, was initially to keep ITSO's office in the building where it still is. Although it was not possible to keep the same premises, ITSO's headquarters will continue to be in Washington D.C.
This AP session also elected 11 experts from a total of 15 candidates for a panel that will deal with eventual differences in the scope of article 16 of the ITSO Agreement. The panel's members will be:
- María Florencia Forciniti (Argentina)
- Fuad Mammadov (Azerbaijan)
- Emmanuel Pokossy Belle (Cameroon)
- Felipe Tovar de Andreis (Colombia)
- Gilbert Guillaume (France)
- Karl-Heinz Böckstiegel (Germany)
- Tidiane Conte (Guinea)
- Kazunori Ishiguro (Japan)
- Elizabeth Martin Nzagi (Tanzania)
- Louise Hughes (United Kingdom)
- Paul Margie (United States of America)
Likewise noteworthy was the approval of a resolution on the role of satellites in reducing the digital divide. It will be submitted to the Broadband Committee for Digital Development, which functions under the aegis of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). Bearing in mind that half of the world's current population lives in rural and remote areas, the document stresses the intrinsic relationship between broadband and development, including achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The AP also reached agreement on several internal organisation issues, namely the regional vice-presidencies, which will be held by the following states: United States of America (Region A - Americas); Portugal (Region B - Western Europe); Azerbaijan (Region C - Eastern Europe and Northern Asia); Tanzania (Region D - Africa) and India (Region E - Asia and Southern Asia).
The Advisory Committee will also continue to be formed by 23 members representing the five regions, who were selected in the scope of the respective regions. Denmark, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom were elected for Region B.
The next ordinary Assembly of Parties should be held in the third quarter of 2016.
