Recognizing WSIS Impacts

WTDC RESOLUTION 71 (Hyderabad, 2010)

Strengthening cooperation between Member States and Sector Members of the ITU Telecommunication Development Sector, including the private sector

The World Telecommunication Development Conference (Hyderabad, 2010),

• considering
  • a) No. 126 of the ITU Constitution, which encourages participation by industry in telecommunication development in developing countries1;
  • b) the ITU Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D) provisions of the strategic plan for the Union relating to the promotion of partnership arrangements between the public and private sectors in developed countries;
  • c) the importance placed, in the outcome documents of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), including the Geneva Plan of Action and the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society, on private-sector participation in meeting the objectives of WSIS, including public-private partnerships;
  • d) that Sector Members, in addition to their financial contributions to the three Sectors of ITU, also provide professional expertise and support to the Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) and, conversely, can benefit from participation in ITU-D activities,
• considering also
  • a) that ITUD, during the period 20112014, should undertake actions in order to be responsive to Sector Members’ needs, in particular at the regional level;
  • b) that it is in the interest of ITU to achieve its development objectives, increase the number of Sector Members and promote their participation in the activities of ITUD;
  • c) that partnerships between and among the public and the private sectors, including ITU and other entities such as national, regional, international and intergovernmental organizations, as appropriate, continue to be key to promoting sustainable telecommunication/information and communication technology (ICT) development;
  • d) that such partnerships prove to be an excellent tool for maximizing resources for, and the benefits of, development projects and initiatives,
• recognizing
  • a) the rapidly changing telecommunication environment;
  • b) the important contribution that Sector Members make toward the increased provision of telecommunications/ICT in all countries;
  • c) the progress achieved, through BDT special initiatives such as partnership meetings and colloquiums, in strengthening cooperation with the private sector and increased support at the regional level;
  • d) the continued need to ensure increased participation of Sector Members,
• recognizing further
  • a) that telecommunications/ICT is of critical importance to overall economic, social and cultural development;
  • b) that Sector Members may face challenges in the provision of ICT services;
  • c) the important role played by Sector Members in suggesting and implementing ITUD projects and programmes;
  • d) that a large number of ITUD programmes and activities are of interest to Sector Members;
  • e) the importance of the principles of transparency and non-exclusivity for partnership opportunities and projects;
  • f) the need to promote increased Sector membership and active participation of Sector Members in ITUD activities;
  • g) the need to facilitate exchange of views and information between Member States and Sector Members at the highest possible level;
  • h) that these actions should strengthen the participation of Sector Members in all ITUD programmes and activities,
• noting
  • a) that the role of the private sector in a very competitive environment is increasing in all countries;
  • b) that economic development relies, among others, on the resources and capacity of ITUD Sector Members;
  • c) that ITU-D Sector Members are engaged in the work accomplished within ITU-D and can provide ongoing support and expertise to facilitate the work of ITU-D;
  • d) that ITU-D Sector Members have a key role in addressing ways by which private-sector issues can be incorporated into ITU-D strategy development, programme design and project delivery, with the overall goal of increasing mutual responsiveness to the requirements of telecommunication/ICT development;
  • e) that ITU-D Sector Members could also advise on ways and means of enhancing partnerships with the private sector and of reaching out to the private sector of developing countries and the many companies that are not knowledgeable of ITU-D activities;
  • f) the excellent results achieved through the high-level discussions that took place between Member States and Sector Members during the Global Industry Leaders Forum (GILF),
• resolves
  • 1 that the ITUD operational plans should continue to respond to issues relevant to Sector Members by strengthening the communication channels between BDT, Member States and ITUD Sector Members at both the global and regional levels;
  • 2 that ITU-D, and the ITU regional offices in particular, should employ the necessary means to encourage the private sector to become Sector Members and to take a more active part through partnerships with telecommunication/ICT entities in developing countries, and especially with those in the least developed countries, in order to help close the gap in universal and information access;
  • 3 that ITU-D should take the interests and requirements of its Sector Members into account in its programmes so as to enable them to participate effectively in achieving the objectives of the Hyderabad Action Plan and the objectives set forth in the Geneva Plan of Action and the Tunis Agenda;
  • 4 that a permanent agenda item dedicated to private-sector issues will be included in the plenary agenda of the Telecommunication Development Advisory Group (TDAG), dealing with relevant inputs concerning the private sector;
  • 5 that the Director of BDT, when implementing the ITUD operational plan, should consider the following actions:
    • i) to improve regional cooperation between Member States, Sector Members and other relevant entities, through the continuation of regional meetings addressing issues of common interest, in particular for Sector Members;
    • ii) to facilitate the development of public-private sector partnerships for the implementation of global, regional and flagship initiatives;
    • iii) to promote through its various programmes an enabling environment for investment and ICT development,
• resolves further
  • that appropriate steps should continue to be taken for the creation of an enabling environment at the national, regional, and international levels to encourage development and investment in the ICT sector by Sector Members,
• instructs the Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau
  • 1 to continue working closely with ITU-D Sector Members for their participation in successful implementation of the Hyderabad Action Plan;
  • 2 to address, as appropriate, in the programmes, activities and projects, issues of interest to Sector Members;
  • 3 to facilitate communications between Member States and Sector Members on issues which contribute to an enabling environment for investment, particularly in developing countries;
  • 4 to continue to organize GILF, possibly back-to-back with the Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR), open to the entire ITU membership, in order to foster exchange of information between Member States, Sector Members and regulators, and taking into account other events organized by ITU, in particular ITU TELECOM events;
  • 5 to organize, at the regional level, Sector Member meetings to stimulate dialogue between Member States and Sector Members and address issues of common interest;
  • 6 to further deploy and strengthen the ITU-D Sector Members’ portal in order to help exchange and disseminate information about Sector Members,
• encourages Member States and Sector Members of the ITU Telecommunication Development Sector
  • 1 to participate together and actively in the work of TDAG, to submit contributions, in particular regarding private-sector issues to be discussed, and to provide relevant guidance for the Director of BDT;
  • 2 to participate actively at the appropriate level in all initiatives of ITU-D relevant to private-sector interests and in particular to encourage active participation in GILF;
  • 3 to identify means of enhancing cooperation and arrangements between the private and public sectors in all countries, working closely with BDT.