Recognizing WSIS Impacts

PP RESOLUTION 2 (Rev. Busan, 2014)

World telecommunication/information and communication technology policy forum

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

• considering
  • a) that the telecommunication environment has undergone considerable changes under the combined influence of advances in technology, the globalization of markets and growing user demand for integrated cross-border services increasingly adapted to their needs;
  • b) that restructuring of the telecommunication sector, especially the separation of regulatory and operating functions, the liberalization of services and the continuing appearance of new regulatory players, is possible in the majority of ITU Member States;
  • c) that there remains a pressing need for a global framework to exchange information on telecommunication and information and communication technology (ICT) strategies and policies;
  • d) that national telecommunication/ICT policies and regulations have to be recognized and understood, so as to allow the development of global markets which can support the harmonious development of telecommunication services;
  • e) the important contributions provided by Member States and Sector Members to previous world telecommunication/ICT policy forums, and the results achieved by those forums,
• conscious
  • a) that the purposes of the Union are, inter alia, to promote, at international level, the adoption of a broader approach to the issues of telecommunications/ICTs in the global information economy and society, to promote the extension of the benefits of the new telecommunication technologies to all the world’s inhabitants and to harmonize the actions of Member States and Sector Members in the attainment of those ends (cf. the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society);
  • b) that ITU remains uniquely positioned and is the single forum for the coordination of, exchange of information on, discussion of and harmonization of national, regional and international telecommunication/ICT strategies and policies;
  • c) that the world telecommunication/ICT policy forum, which was established by the Plenipotentiary Conference )Kyoto, 1994( and successfully convened in 1996, 1998, 2001, 2009 and 2013, has provided a venue for discussion of global and cross-sectoral issues by high-level participants, thus contributing to the advance of world telecommunications, as well as to the establishment of procedures for the conduct of the forum itself;
  • d) that the World Telecommunication/ICT Policy Forum held in Geneva, Switzerland, was a successful edition of these forums, attended by 126 ITU Member States and no fewer than 900 delegates,
• emphasizing
  • a) that Member States and Sector Members, realizing the need for constant review of their own telecommunication/ICT policies and legislation, and for coordination in the rapidly changing telecommunication/ICT environment, adopted the forums as a mechanism for discussing strategies and policies;
  • b) that it is necessary for the Union, as an international organization playing a leading and unique role in the field of telecommunications/ICTs, to continue organizing forums to facilitate the exchange of information by high-level participants on telecommunication/ICT policies;
  • c) that the purpose of these forums is to provide a venue for exchanging views and information and thereby creating a shared vision among policy-makers worldwide on the issues arising from the emergence of new telecommunication/ICT services and technologies, and to consider any other policy issue in telecommunications/ICTs which would benefit from a global exchange of views, in addition to the adoption of opinions reflecting common viewpoints;
  • d) that the forums should continue to give special attention to the interests and needs of the developing countries1, where modern technologies and services can contribute significantly to telecommunication infrastructure development;
  • e) the continuing need for allowing adequate preparation time for these forums;
  • f) the importance of regional preparation and consultation prior to convening the forums,
• resolves
  • 1 that the world telecommunication/ICT policy forum, as established by Resolution 2 (Kyoto, 1994) of the Plenipotentiary Conference subsequently revised in Resolution 2 (Rev. Marrakesh, 2002), shall be maintained, in order to continue discussing and exchanging views and information on telecommunication/ICT policy and regulatory matters, especially on global and cross-sectoral issues;
  • 2 that the world telecommunication/ICT policy forum shall not produce prescriptive regulatory outcomes; however, it shall prepare reports and adopt opinions by consensus for consideration by Member States, Sector Members and relevant ITU meetings;
  • 3 that the world telecommunication/ICT policy forum shall be open to all Member States and Sector Members; however, if appropriate, by decision of a majority of the representatives of Member States, a special session may be held for Member States only;
  • 4 that the world telecommunication/ICT policy forum shall be convened on an ad hoc basis to respond quickly to emerging policy issues arising from the changing telecommunication/ICT environment;
  • 5 that the world telecommunication/ICT policy forum should be convened within existing budgetary resources and as far as possible in conjunction with one of the conferences or meetings of the Union in order to minimize the impact on the budget of the Union;
  • 6 that the Council shall continue to decide on the duration and the date, allowing ample time for preparations, and on the venue, the agenda and the themes of the world telecommunication/ICT policy forum;
  • 7 that the agenda and themes shall continue to be based on a report by the Secretary-General, including input from any conference, assembly or meeting of the Union, and on contributions from Member States and Sector Members;
  • 8 that, in order to ensure that they are well focused, discussions at the world telecommunication/ICT policy forum shall be based on a single report by the Secretary-General, and contributions from participants based on that report, prepared in accordance with a procedure adopted by the Council and based on the views of Member States and Sector Members;
  • 9 that broad participation in the world telecommunication/ICT policy forum and operational efficiency during the forum shall be facilitated,
• instructs the Secretary-General
  • to make the necessary preparations for convening the world telecommunication/ICT policy forum based on the resolves above,
• instructs the Council
  • 1 to continue to decide on the duration, date, venue, agenda and themes of any future world telecommunication/ICT policy forum;
  • 2 to adopt a procedure for preparation of the report by the Secretary-General referred to in resolves 7 above,
• further instructs the Council
  • to submit to the next plenipotentiary conference a report on the world telecommunication/ICT policy forum for any necessary action.