Recognizing WSIS Impacts

WTSA RESOLUTION 75 (Rev. Dubai, 2012)

The ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector’s contribution in implementing the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society

The World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (Dubai, 2012),

• considering
  • a) the relevant outcomes of both phases of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS);
  • b) the relevant resolutions and decisions related to the implementation of relevant outcomes of both phases of WSIS and to international Internet-related public policy issues adopted at the Plenipotentiary Conference (Guadalajara, 2010) and the 2011 session of the ITU Council:
    • i) Resolution 71 (Rev. Guadalajara, 2010) of the Plenipotentiary Conference, on the strategic plan for the Union for 2012-2015;
    • ii) Resolution 101 (Rev. Guadalajara, 2010) of the Plenipotentiary Conference, on Internet protocol-based networks;
    • iii) Resolution 102 (Rev. Guadalajara, 2010) of the Plenipotentiary Conference, on ITU’s role with regard to international public policy issues pertaining to the Internet and the management of Internet resources, including domain names and addresses;
    • iv) Resolution 130 (Rev. Guadalajara, 2010) of the Plenipotentiary Conference, on strengthening the role of ITU in building confidence and security in the use of information and communication technologies (ICT);
    • v) Resolution 133 (Rev. Guadalajara, 2010) of the Plenipotentiary Conference, on the role of administrations of Member States in the management of internationalized (multilingual) domain names;
    • vi) Resolution 140 (Rev. Guadalajara, 2010) of the Plenipotentiary Conference, on ITU’s role in implementing the outcomes of WSIS;
    • vii) Decision 562 of the 2011 session of the ITU Council, on the convening of the fifth World Telecommunication/ICT Policy Forum (WTPF-13);
    • viii) Resolution 172 (Guadalajara, 2010) of the Plenipotentiary Conference, on overall review of implementation of the outcomes of WSIS;
    • ix) Resolution 178 (Guadalajara, 2010) of the Plenipotentiary Conference, on ITU’s role in organizing the work on technical aspects of telecommunication networks to support the Internet;
  • c) the role of the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) in ITU implementation of relevant WSIS outcomes, adaptation of ITU’s role and development of telecommunication standards in building the information society, including a lead facilitation role in the WSIS implementation process, as a moderator/facilitator for implementing Action Lines C2, C5 and C6 and participating with other stakeholders, as appropriate, in the implementation of Action Lines C1, C3, C4, C7, C8, C9 and C11 and all other relevant action lines and other WSIS outcomes, within the financial limits set by the Plenipotentiary Conference;
  • d) that the management of the Internet encompasses both technical and public policy issues and should involve all stakeholders and relevant intergovernmental and international organizations in accordance with §§ 35 a)-e) of the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society,
• considering further
  • a) that the creation of the Council Working Group on international Internet-related public policy issues, in accordance with Council Resolution 1336, open to Member States only, was needed so as to promote enhanced cooperation and to foster the participation of governments in addressing international Internet public policy issues;
  • b) that there is a perceived need to improve coordination, dissemination and interaction: (i) by avoiding duplication of efforts through focused coordination between ITU’s relevant study groups that deal with international Internet public policy issues and technical aspects of telecommunication networks to support the Internet; (ii) by disseminating relevant international Internet public policy information to the ITU membership, the General Secretariat and the Bureaux; (iii) by promoting enhanced cooperation and technical-oriented interaction between ITU and other relevant international organizations and entities,
• recognizing
  • that the Plenipotentiary Conference, in Resolution 140 (Rev. Guadalajara, 2010), resolved that ITU should complete the report on the implementation of WSIS outcomes concerning ITU in 2014,
• recognizing further
  • a) that all governments should have an equal role and responsibility for international Internet governance and for ensuring the stability, security and continuity of the Internet, while also recognizing the need for development of public policy by governments in consultation with all stakeholders, as expressed in § 68 of the Tunis Agenda;
  • b) the need for enhanced cooperation in the future, to enable governments, on an equal footing, to carry out their roles and responsibilities in international public policy issues pertaining to the Internet, but not in the day-to-day technical and operational matters that do not impact on international public policy issues, as expressed in § 69 of the Tunis Agenda,
  • c) that, using relevant international organizations, such cooperation should include the development of globally applicable principles on public policy issues associated with the coordination and management of critical Internet resources, in which regard the organizations responsible for essential tasks associated with the Internet are called upon to contribute to creating an environment that facilitates this development of public policy principles, as expressed in § 70 of the Tunis Agenda;
  • d) that the process towards enhanced cooperation, to be started by the United Nations Secretary-General, involving all relevant organizations by the end of the first quarter of 2006, will involve all stakeholders in their respective roles, will proceed as quickly as possible consistent with legal process and will be responsive to innovation; that relevant organizations should commence a process towards enhanced cooperation involving all stakeholders, proceeding as quickly as possible and responsive to innovation; and that the same relevant organizations shall be requested to provide annual performance reports, as expressed in § 71 of the Tunis Agenda,
• taking into account
  • a) Resolution 30 (Rev. Hyderabad, 2010) of the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC), on the role of the ITU Telecommunication Development Sector in implementing the WSIS outcomes;
  • b) Resolution ITU-R 61 (Geneva, 2012) of the Radiocommunication Assembly, on ITU-R’s contribution in implementing the WSIS outcomes;
  • c) the programmes, activities and regional initiatives being carried out in accordance with the decisions of WTDC-10 for bridging the digital divide;
  • d) the relevant work already accomplished and/or to be carried out by ITU under the guidance of the Council Working Group on WSIS (WG-WSIS) for implementation of the WSIS outcomes,
• noting
  • a) Council Resolution 1332, on ITU’s role in the implementation of the WSIS outcomes up to 2015 and future activities beyond WSIS+10;
  • b) Council Resolution 1334, on ITU’s role in the overall review of the implementation of the WSIS outcomes;
  • c) Council Resolution 1336, on the Council Working Group on international Internet-related public policy issues,
• noting further
  • that the ITU Secretary-General created the ITU WSIS Task Force, whose role is to formulate strategies and coordinate ITU’s policies and activities in relation to WSIS, as noted by Council Resolution 1332,
• resolves
  • 1 to continue ITU-T’s work on WSIS implementation and follow-up activities within its mandate;
  • 2 that ITU-T should carry out those activities that come within its mandate and participate with other stakeholders, as appropriate, in the implementation of all relevant action lines and other WSIS outcomes,
  • 3 that the relevant ITU-T study groups should consider in their studies the output of the Council Working Group on international Internet-related public policy issues,
• instructs the Director of the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau
  • 1 to provide WG-WSIS with a comprehensive summary of ITU-T activities on implementation of the WSIS outcomes;
  • 2 to ensure that concrete objectives and deadlines for WSIS activities are developed and reflected in the operational plans of ITU-T in accordance with Resolution 140 (Rev. Guadalajara, 2010);
  • 3 to provide information on emerging trends based on ITU-T activities;
  • 4 to take appropriate action to facilitate the activities for implementation of this resolution,
• invites Member States and Sector Members
  • 1 to submit contributions to relevant ITU-T study groups and to the Telecommunication Standardization Advisory Group, where appropriate, and contribute to WG-WSIS on implementing WSIS outcomes within the ITU mandate;
  • 2 to support and collaborate with the Director of TSB in implementing relevant WSIS outcomes in ITU-T,
• invites Member States
  • to submit contributions to the Council Working Group on international Internet-related public policy issues.