The Development Symposium for Regulators is a watershed event for the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), marking the first time that ITU has organized an event just for telecommunications regulators and policy-makers interested in establishing a regulatory body.  The world now numbers 96 separate regulatory bodies, up from 30 in 1994.  Many of these fledgling agencies are striving to increase their knowledge base to become more effective regulators.  At the same time, all regulators – from those that are well established to those that are brand new – are struggling to keep up with the technological changes that are revolutionizing the information and communication technology (ICT) industry.   The goal of the Symposium is to launch a dialogue in which all the world’s regulators can share their experiences and views in order to learn from each other. 

The Symposium includes sessions exploring:

• the rise of national regulators;

• the trend toward regional regulatory organizations;

• interconnection;

• regulatory strategies to increase Internet connectivity;

• the impact of convergence;

• the institutional framework for establishing independent regulators;

• initiatives for the future.

Invitations to the Symposium were extended to regulators and senior policy-makers. In addition, representatives from regional regulatory organizations and other experts are invited to make presentations. The Symposium's main objective is to launch a free and frank dialogue among regulators and policy makers and therefore participation is limited to these groups. ITU will, however, publish papers produced during the Symposium and will consider a session to brief other interested parties following its conclusion. Future ITU regulatory events will include participation by all sectors of the ICT industry.

A special workshop on gender issues will be held
immediately following the close of the Symposium