Recognizing WSIS Impacts

PP RESOLUTION 23 (Nice, 1989)

Apportionment of Revenues in Providing International Telecommunication Services

The Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunication Union (Nice, 1989),

• considering
  • a) the importance of telecommunications for the social and economic development of all countries;
  • b) that the International Telecommunication Union has an important role to play in promoting the universal development of telecommunications;
  • c) that the Independent Commission for World-Wide Telecommunications Development, in its report “The Missing Link”, recommended, inter alia, that Members of the Union should consider setting aside a small portion of revenues from calls between developing and industrialized countries to be devoted to telecommunications in developing countries;
  • d) that CCITT Recommendation D.150, which provides for the apportionment of accounting revenues from international traffic between terminal countries, in principle on a 50/50 basis, was amended at the VIlth CCITT Plenary Assembly, as confirmed at the IXth Plenary Assembly, to for sharing in a different proportion in some cases where there are differences in the costs of providing and operating telecommunication services;
  • e) that the ITU, to assist administrations and as a follow-up to the Recommendation in “The Missing Link”, carried out a study of the costs of providing and operating telecommunications services between developing and industrialized countries;
  • f) that, in accordance with instructions contained in Resolution No. 3 of the World Administrative Telephone and Telegraph Conference (Melbourne, 1988), the Secretary-General has taken action to continue the said study;
  • g) that, as indicated in the Secretary-General’s report (Document 106), the study is progressing in accordance with the conclusions reached at a meeting of administrations specially convened by him to facilitate an exchange of views on the matter;
  • h) that the study is programmed for completion before the middle of 1990,
• resolves
  • that, should this study lead to the application in particular cases of accounting rates other than on a 50/50 basis, the developing countries concerned should be able to use the resulting additional revenues for the improvement of their telecommunications, including, if necessary, and so far as possible, assistance to the Centre for Telecommunications Development,
• invites administrations
  • 1. to extend full cooperation to the Secretary-General in carrying out and completing this study;
  • 2. to consider, in the light of the findings of the study, taking such action as may be deemed appropriate and, if necessary, to request the Secretary-General for any assistance in this regard,
• instructs the Secretary-General
  • 1. to circulate the report on the study, on completion, to all Member administrations;
  • 2. to extend any further assistance to administrations, if so requested.