Geneva hosted last 2-9 July a meeting of the ITU Telecommunications Standardisation Advisory Group (TSAG).
The main goal of this meeting was to continue preparations for the World Telecommunications Standardisation Assembly (WTSA) to be held this coming 21-30 October in Johannesburg, South Africa, including analysis of the reorganisation of the Telecommunications Standardisation Sector (ITU-T) study groups (SGs).
Regarding the work of project team 1 (PT 1), concerning working methods, the following is noteworthy:
- Approval of the revision of Recommendations A1 and A7;
- The decision to continue the work of revising Resolution 1;
- Approval of submitting the revision of Resolution 35 to WTSA-08;
- The decision to continue the revision of Recommendation A8 on the ITU brand (the creation of an ITU brand, which could be placed on equipment to attest to quality, is being discussed).
As for the work of PT 2, on sector strategy and working and management programmes, the following decisions stand out:
- Approval of the continued activity of the Joint Co-ordination Activity (JCA) on Identity Management (JCA-IdM); of the JCA on Home Networking (JCA-HN); and the JCA on Network Aspects of Identification Systems Including RFID (JCA-NID);
- Creation of the JCA on Management;
- The decision to present to WTSA-08 the various reorganisation possibilities for each study group.
Regarding the issues being studied in PT 3, on electronic working methods and publications policy, the following are worth mentioning:
- Approval of free online access to the operations bulletin;
- The decision of TSAG, via the Director, to seek approval for the ITU fundamental texts and resolutions to be placed online free of charge for member States and Sector members.
The following stands out with respect to the work of PT 4 (external co-operation, monitoring and accompaniment of technology):
- Approval of creation of the Focus Group on 'ICTs and Climate Change';
- Approval of the submission to WTSA-08 of Resolutions 7, 11, 33 and 38.
Regarding the work of the group on reduction of standardisation gap, it is worth mentioning that TSAG will encourage the member States and regional groups to submit proposals to update the WTSA resolutions on the subject and that the Telecommunications Standardisation Bureau (TSB) will examine ways to disseminate the Global Standardisation Symposium via the internet, to make it more accessible.
The meeting also included the award of commemorative plaques to various outstanding figures in the scope of ITU standardisation sector activities, namely to Jean Yves Monfort (France); Bruce Gracie (Canada); Arve Meisingset (Norway); Marie-Thérèse Alajounanine (France); Luís Fernando Silva (Brazil); Fábio Bigi (Italy) and Nabil Kisrawi (Syria).
Lastly, note that the European co-ordination group met last 2 and 7 July, basically to co-ordinate the European position with respect to the various reorganisation proposals presented at this TSAG meeting.
The next TSAG meeting has been scheduled for 27 April to 1 May 2009 in Geneva.
