Recognizing WSIS Impacts

PP RESOLUTION 189 (Busan, 2014)

Assisting Member States to combat and deter mobile device theft

The Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunication Union ( Busan, 2014),

• considering
  • a) that the positive impact of mobile telecommunications, technological progress and the great coverage and development generated by all related services have made the increasing penetration of mobile devices, including smartphones, possible because of the multiple benefits provided;
  • b) that the widespread use of mobile telecommunications in the world has also been accompanied by a rise in the problem of mobile device theft;
  • c) that the act of mobile device theft can sometimes have a negative impact on the health and safety of citizens and on their sense of security;
  • d) that problems that occur around the crimes related to mobile device theft have become a worldwide issue, since these stolen devices are often very easily resold on the international markets;
  • e) that the illicit trading of stolen mobile devices constitutes a risk to consumers and causes loss of revenue for the industry;
  • f) that some governments as well as industry have implemented regulations, law-enforcement actions, policies and technological mechanisms to prevent and combat mobile device theft;
  • g) that ITU can assist all members in the use of relevant ITU recommendations and play a positive role by offering all interested parties a platform for encouraging discussions, the exchange of best practices, industry cooperation to define technical guidelines and the dissemination of information on combating mobile device theft;
  • h) that some manufacturers of mobile devices, as well as operators, offer solutions for consumers, such as free anti-theft applications, with the aim of reducing the rate of mobile device theft,
• concerned
  • that the rate of mobile device theft in various regions of the world remains high, despite efforts made in recent years,
• aware
  • that manufacturers, operators and industry associations have been developing different technological solutions and governments have been developing policies to address this global problem,
• resolves
  • to explore all ways and means to combat and deter mobile device theft,
• instructs the Director of the Development Bureau, in coordination with the Director of the Radiocommunication Bureau and the Director of the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau
  • 1 to compile information on best practices developed by industry or governments in combating mobile device theft;
  • 2 to consult with the relevant ITU Radiocommunication Sector and ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector study groups, manufacturers of mobile devices, manufacturers of telecommunication network components, operators and other telecommunication standards-development organizations related to these matters, such as GSMA and 3GPP, in order to identify existing and future technological measures, both software and hardware, to mitigate the use of stolen mobile devices;
  • 3 to provide assistance, within the Union’s expertise, and within available resources, as appropriate, in cooperation with relevant organizations, to Member States, if so requested, in order to reduce mobile device theft and the use of stolen mobile devices in their countries,
• instructs the Secretary-General
  • to report annually to the Council on progress of the work,
• invites Member States and Sector Members
  • to contribute to the studies in this area.