Recognizing WSIS Impacts

PP RESOLUTION 64 (Rev. Busan, 2014)

Non-discriminatory access to modern telecommunication/information and communication technology facilities, services and applications, including applied research and transfer of technology, and e‑meetings, on mutually agreed terms

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

• recalling
  • a) the outcomes of the Geneva (2003) and Tunis (2005) phases of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), especially §§ 15, 18 and 19 of the Tunis Commitment, and §§ 90 and 107 of the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society;
  • b) Resolution 64 (Rev. Guadalajara, 2010) of the Plenipotentiary Conference;
  • c) the outcomes of the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC), especially Resolutions 15 (Rev. Hyderabad, 2010), on applied research and transfer of technology, 20 (Rev. Hyderabad, 2010), on non-discriminatory access to modern telecommunication/information and communication technology (ICT) facilities, services and related applications and 37 (Rev. Dubai, 2014), on bridging the digital divide;
  • d) the WSIS+10 High-Level Event outcomes (Geneva, 2014), especially those related to transfer of know-how and technology and to non-discriminatory access by conducting the needed activities in that regard;
  • e) Resolution 167 (Busan, 2014) of this conference, on strengthening ITU capabilities for electronic meetings and means to advance the work of the Union, which emphasizes that there is a need for procedures to ensure fair and equitable participation by all;
  • f) Resolution 71 (Rev. Busan, 2014) of this conference,
• taking into account
  • a) the importance of telecommunications/ICTs for political, economic, social and cultural progress;
  • b) the preamble and challenges chapters of the Statement adopted by the WSIS+10 High-Level Event (Geneva, 2014), especially §§ 4 and 8,
• taking into account also
  • a) that ITU plays an essential role in the promotion of global development of telecommunications/ICTs and ICT applications, within the mandate of ITU, specifically with respect to Action Lines C2, C5 and C6 of the Tunis Agenda, in addition to participating in the implementation of other action lines, particularly Action Lines C7 and C8 of the Tunis Agenda;
  • b) that, to this end, the Union coordinates efforts aimed at securing harmonious development of telecommunication/ICT facilities, permitting non-discriminatory access to these facilities and to modern telecommunication services and applications;
  • c) that this access will help to bridge the digital divide,
• taking into account further
  • the need to draw up proposals on issues determining a worldwide strategy for development of telecommunications/ICTs and ICT applications, within the mandate of ITU, and to facilitate the mobilization of the necessary resources to that end,
• emphasizing
  • that fair and equitable e‑participation of Member States in ITU meetings will bring considerable benefits by facilitating and widening the scope for participation in ITU work and meetings,
• noting
  • a) that modern telecommunication/ICT facilities, services and applications are established, in the main, on the basis of recommendations of the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU‑T) and the ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU‑R);
  • b) that ITU‑T and ITU‑R recommendations are the result of the collective efforts of all those taking part in the standardization process within ITU and are adopted by consensus by the members of the Union;
  • c) that limitations on the access to telecommunication/ICT facilities, services and applications on which national telecommunication development depends and which are established on the basis of ITU‑T and ITU‑R recommendations constitute an obstacle to the harmonious development and compatibility of telecommunications worldwide;
  • d) Resolution 15 (Rev. Hyderabad, 2010), on applied research and transfer of technology;
  • e) Resolution 20 (Rev. Hyderabad, 2010), on non-discriminatory access to modern telecommunication/ICT facilities, services and related applications;
  • f) the strategic plan for the Union set out in Resolution 71 (Rev. Busan, 2014) of this conference,
• recognizing
  • a) that full harmonization of telecommunication networks is impossible unless all countries participating in the work of the Union, without exception, have non-discriminatory access to new telecommunication technologies and modern telecommunication/ICT facilities, services and related applications, including applied research and transfer of technology, on mutually agreed terms, without prejudice to national regulations and international commitments within the competence of other international organizations,
  • b) that the need to ensure the access of Member States to international telecommunication services should be reaffirmed;
  • c) Resolution 69 (Rev. Dubai, 2012) of the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly,
• resolves
  • 1 to continue, within the mandate of ITU, fulfilling the need to endeavour to ensure non-discriminatory access to telecommunication and information technologies, facilities, services and related applications, including applied research and transfer of technology, on mutually agreed terms, established on the basis of ITU‑T and ITU‑R recommendations;
  • 2 that ITU should facilitate non-discriminatory access to telecommunication and information technologies, facilities, services and applications established on the basis of ITU‑T and ITU‑R recommendations;
  • 3 that ITU should encourage to the greatest extent possible cooperation among the members of the Union on the question of non-discriminatory access to telecommunication and information technologies, facilities, services and applications established on the basis of ITU‑T and ITU‑R recommendations with a view to satisfying user demand for modern telecommunication/ICT services and applications,
• instructs the Directors of the three Bureaux
  • within their respective spheres of competence, to implement this resolution and achieve its goals,
• invites Member States
  • 1 to refrain from taking any unilateral and/or discriminatory actions that could impede technically another Member State from having full access to the Internet, within the spirit of Article 1 of the ITU Constitution and the WSIS principles;
  • 2 to help telecommunication/ICT equipment manufacturers and providers of services and applications in ensuring that telecommunication/ICT facilities, services and applications established on the basis of ITU‑T and ITU‑R recommendations may be generally available to the public without any discrimination, and in facilitating applied research and technology transfer, considering where relevant the WSIS+10 High-Level Event outcomes (Geneva, 2014);
  • 3 to explore ways and means for greater collaboration and coordination with one another in the implementation of this resolution,
• instructs the Secretary-General, in close cooperation with the Directors of the three Bureaux
  • 1 to compile and distribute a list of available online services and applications relevant to ITU activities and identify those that cannot be accessed, based on information received from ITU Member States;
  • 2 to take appropriate measures and steps to promote broad participation, as far as practical, to ensure the fair and equitable participation of all members in ITU online services and applications;
  • 3 to cooperate and coordinate with the relevant organizations to take the appropriate measures to promote access to ITU online services and materials for all ITU members;
  • 4 to report to the ITU Council on the implementation of this resolution,
• further instructs the Secretary-General
  • to transmit the text of this resolution, including its recommendations, to the Secretary-General of the United Nations with a view to bringing to the attention of the world community the viewpoint of ITU, as a specialized agency of the United Nations, on the issue of non-discriminatory access to new telecommunication and information technologies and modern telecommunication/ICT, services and related applications, within the mandate of ITU, as an important factor for world technological progress, and on applied research and technology transfer between Member States, on mutually agreed terms, as a factor that may help to bridge the digital divide.