Recognizing WSIS Impacts

WTDC RESOLUTION 13 (Rev. Hyderabad, 2010)

Resource mobilization and partnerships for accelerating telecommunication and information and communication technology development

The World Telecommunication Development Conference (Hyderabad, 2010),

• recalling
  • a)Resolution 13 (Rev. Doha, 2006) of the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC);
  • b)World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) outputs concerning the mobilization of financial resources and potential partnershipswith those involved in information and communication technology (ICT) development,
• considering
  • a)that the development of ICT in many developing countries1 suffers from a shortage of financial resources;
    • 1 These include the least developed countries, small island developing states, landlocked developing countries and countries with economies in transition.
  • b)that traditional methods of funding have not yet eliminated the digital divide between developing and developed countries,
• noting
  • a)that this conference has reaffirmed, in itsdeclaration and resolutions, a commitment to enhance the expansion and development of ICT services in developing countries and to harness capacity for the application ofnew and innovative services;
  • b) the adoption and implementation of the Hyderabad Action Plan, incorporating key chapters on global ICT infrastructure development through diverse programmes,
• recognizing
  • a)that in some countries the ICT sector is not accorded due priority in budget allocation;
  • b)that the telecommunication sector offers a high rate of return on investment and these returns are obtained more rapidly than in other sectors, yet financing from financial institutions in the telecommunication sector is relatively low;
  • c)that practical and quick approaches are required for mobilizing funds for the telecommunication/ICT sector;
  • d)that partnerships should be mutually beneficial in order to narrow the digital divide,
• recognizing further
  • a)the success of the partnerships achieved by the Telecommunication Development Bureau in cooperation with government partners and partners from the ICT sector in various countries;
  • b)the success of the global flagship initiatives in encouraging Member States, Sector Members and other stakeholders to support actions at regional level related to the regional initiatives, initiatives and programmes determined by WTDC (Doha, 2006);
  • c)the Geneva Plan of Action and Tunis Agendafor the Information Society, which recognize the importance to countries of according the necessary priority to ICT development,
• resolves
  • 1 that the main players in the field of ICT should continue to act in a way that encourages investments and innovative partnership schemes, and that joint ventures should be explored for financing ICT development;
  • 2 that administrations should continue to takethe necessary steps for making the ICT sector more attractive for investment;
  • 3 that there should be continuous dialogue among telecommunication operators, service providers, funding agencies and other sources of finance for preparing projects where BDT can play a catalyst role;
  • 4 that efforts should be made to reduce delays in the funding and implementation of project cycles,
• welcomes
  • 1 different innovative financial mechanisms of a voluntary nature open to interested stakeholders with the objective of transforming the digital divide into digital opportunities for developing countries and addressing specific and urgent local needs;
  • 2 the ITU Telecommunication Development Sector(ITU-D) initiative tohold the Connect summits for Africa and the CIS countries,
• instructs the Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau
  • 1 to act as a catalyst in the development ofpartnerships among all parties, since ITU-D’s involvement should ensure that initiatives and projects attract investment, and to act as a catalyst in the following functions, among others:
    • – encouraging regional ICT initiatives and projects;
    • – participating in the organization of training seminars;
    • – signing agreements with national, regional and international partners involved in development;
    • – collaborating on initiatives and projects withother relevant international, regional and intergovernmental organizations;
  • 2 to promote human capacity building in developing countries relating to various aspects of the ICT sector, consistent with the mandate of ITU-D;
  • 3 to promote, particularly with the ITU regional offices, the conditions required for a successful knowledge-based enterprise incubator process and other projects for small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in and among developing countries;
  • 4 to continue to assist developing countries to respond to global telecommunication restructuring, especially regarding financial issues;
  • 5 to encourage the international financing agencies, Member States and Sector Members to address, as a priority issue, the building, reconstruction and upgrading of networks and infrastructure in developing countries;
  • 6 to pursue coordination with international bodies involved in ICT development, with a view to mobilizing the financial resources needed in the implementation of projects;
  • 7 to take necessary initiatives to encourage partnerships which have been given high priority pursuant to:
    • i) the Geneva Plan of Action;
    • ii) the Tunis Agenda;
  • 8 to continue to hold the remaining Connect summits for Asia and Oceania, the Americas and the Arab States, in the light of the success achieved by the African summit in terms of providing a suitable environment for attracting investment to finance various national and regional projects for the African continent.