Geneva, Switzerland, 21 June 2012

Opening Remarks

ITU is happy to host the second meeting.

This is the third Commonwealth meeting ITU has participated in in just one week! Last week we had a delegation at the COMNET workshop on Legal Frameworks in Malta organised by Joe Tabone. On Tuesday this week we participated in the Commonwealth ITU Group preparing Commonwealth objectives for two ITU world conferences to be held in Dubai in November and December this year: the World Telecommunication Standardisation Assembly and the World Conference on International Telecommunications. The latter will amend the only truly global international treaty on international telecommunications – a treaty that has not been updated for 24 years!

Looking forward to discuss how the issues agreed at the first meeting will be implemented. ITU looks forward to assisting in some of them together with the other partners and the ComSec. Within the framework of a Project financed by the European Commission, ITU is currently assisting some 60 countries in three regions (Caribbean, Pacific, Sub Saharan Africa). Such expertise can be made available to the this group, in order to build on what is being achieved already in these countries

ITU is also developing a repository of national legislation and best practice to assist member countries in implementing effective cybercrime laws and developing skills and expertise to address cybercrime and will make this available to Member States within the next two to three months.

Regarding the work being done by UNODC and the questionnaire in particular, ITU and UNDOC are working together to assist countries and private sector in properly filling it in. The Commonwealth could also assist. Also, we would be happy to develop some case studies in some of the countries we are working with.

I would also like to report that last week in Malta, several Member States appreciated the good work of ITU, COMNET, Comsec, and the Commonwealth Cybercrime Initiative in providing assistance and support, and encouraged all of us to work together more. ITU is active in the CCI as well as the CTO and Commonwealth IGF. I can see scope for this group to rely on CCI in the area of capacity building, an area ITU is particularly active. And clearly there is a need for close collaboration between all these Commonwealth groups as well as other organisations.

Speaking for ITU we are very keen to work with all partners in this endeavour. We are in the business of collaboration not competition.

I hope this meeting will progress with the same spirit we saw in London and I wish you all a very enjoyable stay with us here in Geneva. I am pleased to welcome you all to a reception this evening in the Montbrillant Cafeteria starting at 6 pm.