The project teams (PTs) of the CEPT Committee for ITU Policy (Com-ITU) responsible for preparing for the next ITU Plenipotentiary Conference (PP) in 2010 met sequentially last 28-28 May in Copenhagen: PT1 (PP10 issues concerning the Constitution and Convention, including generic issues not included in the mandates of PT2 and PT3); PT2 (PP10 issues concerning financing and human resources); and PT3 (PP10 issues concerning the internet, information society deriving from WSIS and the International Telecommunications Regulation (ITR)).
Highlights of the discussions at these meetings, chaired by Marie-Therese Alajouanine of France (PT1), Anders Jonsson of Sweden (PT2) and Wim Rullens of the Netherlands (PT3), included the following:
- Identification of some topics that may give rise to European common proposals (ECPs), namely:
- PT1: creation of the ITU brand; ICTs and climate changes; TELECOM fairs (awaiting the study that the Secretary General should present to the Council); ratification of the Constitution/Convention and eventual creation of a new instrument (CEPT may accept the current situation but will continue to monitor developments in this area);
- PT2: process of choosing and setting the contribution unit (Europe agrees that another solution should be looked into, but holds that it is important for an eventual alternative mechanism to provide guarantees identical to the current system’s regarding the respective administrations’ control of the final amount of their contribution); cost recovery and Resolution 77 (future conferences, assemblies and forums of the Union), where the question is raised of the budget being done for 2010 and 2011 when the elections are in 2011, which forces the elected administration to work for a year with a budget approved by its predecessor;
- PT3: eventual proposals involving internet-related policies, namely concerning issues such as multilingualism; reduction of international internet costs; co-ordination and management of critical internet resources; security and trust; internet addressing and names; service availability, accessibility and quality especially in developing countries; privacy and protection of personal information; protection of children and young people and WSIS follow-up (specifically on holding a new Summit).
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In the scope of PT1 the questionnaire from Circular 143 on aspects concerning the Union’s management and functioning was revised. The questions put to members were examined with a view to determining a co-ordinated response to be debated at the Com-ITU meeting this coming July. This should not be a sole CEPT response; the request remained that in fact the administrations should respond to this in line with the orientations set in the PT.
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Portugal shared with Com-ITU PT2 the experience of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) regarding decision-making per knowledge of each proposal’s financial impact beforehand, from the standpoint that this measure may be equally beneficial for the ITU. The idea presented earned broad support; the best way to launch the discussion on such measure within the ITU remains to be determined. The issue will thus be debated again at the July Com-ITU meeting.
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PT2 discussed the question of changing the dates of the ITU World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) and Radiocommunication Assembly (RA). Initially scheduled for 2010, the dates had been changed to 2011, but there is now a request to postpone further to 2012. The countries indicated their preference for holding the meetings in 2011. However, given the current situation, it is understood that there will be no alternative but to accept the January dates. A text was then prepared that should be used in the response to the current consultation of the Council members and in the one following, addressed to all ITU members.
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As part of preparations for the meeting of the working group on the Telecommunications Standardisation Sector (ITU-T) devoted to revising the International Telecommunications Regulation (ITR), Europe’s position on this issue was co-ordinated, specifically with a view to including the corresponding opinion resulting from WTPF-09 (opinion 6 of the Lisbon Consensus).
The project teams will next meet consecutively in December 2009, most likely in Switzerland.
