Connect the World Initiative gets broad support

The Kigali Summit (November 2007)

Councillors expressed broad support for the Connect the World initiative, and underlined the importance of this multi-stakeholder approach to information and communication technology (ICT) development. Launched in 2005, the Connect the World initiative aims to help mobilize the financial, human and technical resources needed to implement outcomes of the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC) and the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). Presenting Document C11/13 on the status of this initiative, Karim Boussaid, highlighted events held so far, and those planned in the not-too-distant future.

Connect Africa Summit, the first in the series of regional events, was held in Kigali (Rwanda) in October 2007. ITU has convened several meetings with partners since this summit to take stock of progress and define areas of collaboration. A number of projects are already under way.

Connect CIS Summit, the second in the series, was held in November 2009 in Minsk (Belarus) for the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Connect Arab States Summit is planned for 5 to 7 March 2012 in Doha (Qatar), at the invitation of that country's Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology (ictQATAR); Connect Americas Summit will be held on 17-19 July 2012 in Panama, at the invitation of that country’s administration. Connect Asia-Pacific Summit will, in principle, be held in 2013 or 2014, depending on the results of the consultations with members in the region.

Councillors emphasized the success of Connect Africa and Connect CIS and called for a strengthening of the involvement of regional and international organizations. They stressed the importance of measuring progress towards the attainment of the objectives set by these regional summits. They underscored the need to assess the impact of the results achieved. They also expressed their confidence that the ITU secretariat will continue to support the initiative and make it a success. 

Operational plans for 2012-2015

The Council considered and approved the Union’s four-year rolling operational plans for 2012–2015 for the General Secretariat; the Radiocommunication Sector (ITU–R); the Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU–T) and the Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D). All four plans aim to provide simple, but comprehensive instruments for implementing and linking vision, mission, strategic goals, objectives, outputs and priorities of the Sectors and the General Secretariat.

On the whole, the Council found all four operational plans well aligned, underlining that they stand the Union in good stead with regard to the application of Resolution 72 (first introduced by the Minneapolis Plenipotentiary Conference in 1998) on linking strategic, financial and operational planning, as well as Resolution 151 from the Guadalajara Plenipotentiary Conference on implementing results-based budgeting and results-based management. The Sectors and the General Secretariat are now doing more forward-planning and prioritizing. Nevertheless, operational plans are living documents which need constant improvement and flexibility.


General Secretariat
ITU Deputy Secretary-General Houlin Zhao presented the General Secretariat’s operational plan in Document C11/27 (Rev.1) describing how the General Secretariat will play an essential role in meeting ITU’s strategic goals, both in its direct activities and in support of the Sectors. The General Secretariat’s Operational Plan was prepared on the basis of its strategic goal, objectives and outputs defined in the strategic plan for 2012-2015. Unlike the three Sectors which have Advisory Groups, the General Secretariat has no advisory body or its equivalent. So the Council was requested to review, in detail, the General Secretariat’s operational plan and to approve the draft Resolution in the Annex to Document C11/27 (Rev.1).


ITU-R
For ITU-R, the beginning of the period will be dominated by RA-12 and WRC-12, which are the two main events that will allow the membership to collectively adjust the regulatory and technical framework for the rational, equitable, efficient and economical use of the radio-frequency spectrum required in the rapidly changing world of international radiocommunications. Fabio Leite presented the plan (Document C11/28 highlighting the main ITU-R events in 2012 when a new cycle will start following the completion of RA-12 and WRC-12. This rolling operational plan is structured in line with the strategic plan for 2012-15. The plan, which is the first under the leadership of François Rancy, Director of the Radiocommunication Bureau (BR), has primarily provided for the coming events, such as the RA-12, WRC-12. The work of ITU-R study groups will be, to a large extent, dependent on the results of the conference. In addition, the plan incorporates BR’s intention to intensify cooperation and assistance to the membership, particularly in the areas of spectrum management taking into consideration the available resources. The Council approved the ITU-R Operational Plan for 2012-2015.


ITU-T

ITU Standards in Action

Presenting the ITU-T Operational Plan (Document C11/29), Reinhard Scholl also made reference to the very detailed action plan for the implementation of all the WTSA-08 Resolutions which was last updated in September. He pointed out some of the highlights of the Operational Plan: ITU-T’s world leader role in the standardization of optical networks and optical fibre; its lead role in ICT and climate change standardization; the next generation video coding standard, a successor of the Primetime Emmy Award-winning ITU-T H.264 standard; the Internet of Things Global Standards Initiative; a Focus Group on audiovisual media accessibility, targeted on persons with disabilities; a Focus Group on driver distraction; work on smart grid and cloud computing, as well as security. Participation from developing countries is increasing: last year was the first year ever when more delegates from developing countries than from developed countries participated in ITU-T study groups.

The first part of the four-year period will be dominated by preparations for the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly 2012 (WTSA-12). There is also the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT-12). This event will take place back-to-back with WTSA-12. Like in 2008, WTSA-12 will be preceded by a one-day Global Standards Symposium (GSS). 


ITU-D

WTDC 2010: News Report

The Operation Plan for ITU-D (Document C11/30) was presented by Yury Grin, who placed emphasis on how the new structure of that Sector’s operational plan had been aligned with the strategic plan. He said that the 2012-2015 timeframe will also be very busy for ITU-D. To begin with, the year 2012 will still be dominated by the implementation of WTDC-10 outcomes as well as PP-10 resolutions and decisions. Significant efforts will be devoted to strengthening regional presence and the implementation of regional initiatives. An intensive programme of work for the implementation of the Hyderabad Action Plan with support of the Telecommunication Development Bureau is envisaged as a result of decisions by WTDC-10 and in preparation for WTDC-14. Study group meetings will be held on a regular basis during this timeframe, the six Regional Preparatory Meetings to WTDC-14 will be held in the run-up to this conference.




Next steps
The methodology for reporting regularly on the progress made in implementing these plans should be enhanced and guides should be developed to refine the planning process. Such reporting should be annual.

In the resolutions approving each operational plan, a reference to the relevant Article of the Convention must be included. In the case of the General Secretariat, for example, the resolution approving its operational plan should be modified to include a reference to Article 87A of the Convention, as well as a “considering” clause on the need to take into account the operational plans of the three Sectors in order to ensure that the activities of the Union as a whole are harmonized.

Draft budget for 2012-2013 on the table

Standing Committee on Administration and Management kicks off its meetings

Chairman of the Standing Committee on Administration and Management Blanca González

• Since the Unfunded Mandatory Activities are to be funded from savings and additional revenue, several Member States have requested for different scenarios based on priorities (see Table 13 of Document C11/10).
  General Secretariat: a document on scenarios will be provided.

• The need to withdraw CHF 5 million from the Reserve Account to balance the budget.
  General Secretariat: Article 27 of the Financial Regulations stipulates that withdrawals may be made from the Reserve Account for such a purpose.

• Revenue from sales of publications of CHF 31 million for the biennium seems high, whereas the actual revenue in 2010 appears to be 35 per cent lower.
  General Secretariat: the budget is based on the 2011 actual revenue of about CHF 14 million for 9 months. An aggressive campaign on sales of publications should be useful in attaining the objective.

• Reduction of posts should not affect the quality of work.
  General Secretariat: attrition of 18 posts will not affect the quality of service.

• Cost-efficiency measures will also be included in future budgets.
  
  

Additional information has been requested on accruals, Conferences and Publications Department, buildings fund, internships, fellowships and the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS).

General Secretariat: relevant information is provided to members for transparency.

Report of the Council Working Group on a stable ITU Constitution (Resolution 163 from Guadalajara)

Report of the Ad hoc Group on model Host Country Agreement for ITU TELECOM events (Resolution 11)