INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION

General Secretariat

Ref: DM N° 208
......SPU/ab

Contact: ......A. Boussaïd
Tel: ............+41 22 730 5900
Fax: ...........+41 22 730 5881
Email: .........boussaid@itu.int

15 September 1995

To all Members and members of the Union

Subject: First World Telecommunication Policy Forum

Sir,

The Plenipotentiary Conference (Kyoto, 1994) resolved that a telecommunication policy forum should be established to discuss strategies and policies in the changing telecommunication environment.

The ITU Council, entrusted with the task of discussing the agenda and themes for the Forum on the basis of a report by the Secretary-General and contributions from the members of the Union, resolved in its Resolution 1083 (1995 session, 21-30 June), attached hereto, that the first World Telecommunication Policy Forum would be held from 21 to 23 October 1996, immediately after the World Telecommunication Standardization Conference, to discuss the theme "Global mobile personal communications by satellite", in conformity with the preliminary draft Rules of Procedure set out in Annex 1 to Resolution 1083 and with the agenda set out below:

1. To discuss and exchange views and information on the following policy and regulatory issues raised by the introduction of global mobile personal communications systems and services by satellite:
2. the resulting globalization of telecommunication services and the scope for international cooperation in this context;
3. the role of such systems in the provision of basic telecommunication services in developing countries, LDCs, and in rural and remote areas;
4. measures necessary to achieve transborder use of such mobile terminals,
5. policy and regulatory issues relevant to such systems and services, in particular those relating to interconnection, with a view to achieving equitable and standard conditions of access.

The purpose of this letter is to invite you to submit your contribution to the ITU so that it may be duly incorporated in the Secretary-General's report, which will serve as the sole document of the Forum.

In order to ensure that Members and members of the ITU have sufficient time to prepare their contributions, and taking into account the requirements stemming from the Union's schedule of activities, a deadline for the submission of contributions has been set, in order to allow for their effective and equitable processing. This deadline has been set at 25 February 1996 at the latest. The preliminary version of the report will be circulated to contributors and modified in accordance with their comments.

Participants are reminded that, on account of budgetary constraints, any information or publicity documents which they may wish to submit to the Forum will be processed at their own expense.

The Members and members of the Union and other interested parties are encouraged to help defray the cost of the Forum through voluntary contributions and also to make voluntary contributions to aid the attendance of the least developed countries (LDCs).

Furthermore, in addition to being open to Members and members of the Union, the Forum will also be open, in line with No. 465 of the Convention (Geneva, 1992), and to the extent practicable, to attendance, but not direct participation, by the public.

Yours faithfully,

Pekka TARJANNE
Secretary-General

Annex 1: ITU Council Resolution 1083.