​​​​​Objectives

ITU -T Study Group 5, at its meeting in February 2013, established the ITU-T SG5 Regional Group for the Arab Region in accordance with WTSA Resolution 54 (Creation of regional groups), Resolution 72 (Measurement concerns related to human exposure to electromagnetic fields), Resolution 73 (Information and communication technologies, environment and climate change) and Resolution 79 (The role of telecommunications / information and communication technology in handling and controlling e-waste from telecommunication and information technology equipment and methods of treating it). The Terms of Reference were updated in May 2024.

The objectives of this Regional Group include disseminating studies on electromagnetic environment, human exposure to electromagnetic field (EMF), e-waste and circular economy. Additionally, the group aims to promote the development and implementation of standards on energy efficiency, smart energy utilization and the use of ICT for addressing climate change. The Regional Group endeavours to encourage the participation of its member states countries^[1], sector members and academia in the SG5 events and to establish a link to address the specific  needs of Arab countries within the scope of SG5’s mandate. 
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Terms of Reference

• Encourage the active participation of the Arab region administrations, regulators, operators and manufacturers in the work of ITU-T SG5, and to report the outcomes and deliverables of SG5, if needed;
• Foster discussions and studies on the challenges related to the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), electromagnetic fields (EMF) effects on health, circular economy, environmental protection, and other relevant topics , within the Arab region, aligning with SG5’s mandate; 
  
• Promote participation from Arab countries, regulators, and operators in SG5's work to address their specific needs and contribute to the development of new or revised ITU-T Recommendations, Supplements, and Technical Reports;​
  
• Encourage the participation of the Arab region countries in the Regional Group’s meetings, forums, workshops and other SG5 events;
  
• Encourage the Arab countries to contribute actively to SG5 work, particularly in developing or revising ITU-T Recommendations;
  
• Promote Arab countries' active involvement in discussions on environment, e-waste, EMF, climate change, circular economy, and related topics, especially when meetings are held in the Arab region;
  
• Act as a liaison between Arab region administrations, regulators, operators, manufacturers and the SG5 parent group in topics under SG5’s mandate, if needed;
  
• Collaborate with relevant stakeholders to work towards the objectives of international agreements and instruments including the ITU Connect 2030 Agenda, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement, among others;
• Coordinate with the Arab Standardization Group, and other regional groups addressing environment, climate change, EMF and circular economy issues in order to avoid duplication of work;
  
• Support initiatives leading to the Regional Group’s growth and consolidation; 
  
• Propose new work items to SG5 as required by the region;
• Strengthen the standard-making capabilities of the Arab States in accordance with Resolution 44 (Rev. Geneva, 2022)- Bridging the standardization gap between developing and developed countries, in particular with the four Programmes of the action of this Resolution (Programme 1, Programme 2, Programme 3 and Programme 4);
• Encourage cooperation with other SG5 regional groups to maximize synergies when necessary.
  

Working Methods

• Conduct most work using electronic tools, such as web conferencing platforms.
  
• TSB secretariat will provide necessary support to the regular meetings of this Regional Group within available budgetary resources.​
• Encourage physical meetings while utilizing remote collaboration tools and co-locating with existing meetings to the fullest extent possible.​
  

SG5RG-ARB Mailing List

^[1] Countries include: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Palestine*.