The Telecommunications Development Advisory Group (TDAG) of the International Telecommunication Union Development Sector (ITU-D) met for the 11th time on 12-15 December in Geneva, where the priority aim was to prepare for the World Telecommunications Development Conference (WTDC-06) scheduled for 7-15 March 2006 in Doha, Qatar.
The conclusions of the second and last phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), held on 16-18 November 2005 in Tunis, were discussed at the meeting, particularly the impact on ITU-D activities of the documents on the ?Tunis Commitment? and the ?Tunis Agenda for the Information Society?. Also with regard to WSIS and the summit-approved proposal to change the designation of World Telecommunications Day, commemorated annually on 17 May, to World Information Society Day, the possibility of changing the name of the ITU and enlarging its mission was debated.
TDAG also discussed the ITU-D working methods and strategy, including the future functioning of TDAG and the Study Groups (SGs), namely the possibility of allowing the advisory Group to set up groups between each WTDC. The SG reports were examined, along with the proposed revision of the Questions for the next four-year study period.
Also debated were the conclusions of the Sixth Global Symposium of Regulators (GSR), held on 14-15 November in Yasmine Hammamet, Tunisia, just before WSIS, particularly the option to institutionalise that forum, defended by some member States.
The financial resources for ITU-D actions in 2006-2007 and the three possible scenarios for holding TDAG in 2007 (one or two meetings, with interpreting and translation using between two and six languages) were also discussed at the group meeting. It also studied the ITU-D operational, strategy and financial plans, which will be submitted to WTDC-06 and the Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-06) for consideration.
TDAG also covered the following theme topics: the special initiative on gender, including access by women, young people and minorities to information and communication technologies; issues related to private sector participation and the way for it to contribute to telecommunications development; regional preparatory meetings (RPMs) for WTDC-06, regional presence and regional initiatives and projects; ITU-D programmes and activities, focusing especially on the less developed countries and emergency telecommunications; and the evolution of Sector members and presentation of the three members chosen to be observers on the ITU Council.
