The Plenipotentiary Conference (PP) is the highest body of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and meets every four years.
The PP is responsible for formulating ITU policy and strategy, and also its budget. Its proceedings are based on the reports submitted to it by the Council (which manages the Union in the period between conferences) and on the proposals submitted by ITU Member States.
The Conference also elects the ITU Council, which manages the ITU between PPs, the Secretary-General, the Deputy Secretary-General, the Directors of the Bureaux of the three sectors (Telecommunication Standardization (ITU-T); Radiocommunication (ITU-R); and Telecommunication Development (ITU-D)) and the members of the Radio Regulations Board (RRB).
The 19th Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-14) is being hosted by Busan (South Korea), from 20 October to 7 November 2014, with election of a new Secretary-General to take over from Hamadoun Touré of Mali, who completes his term as Secretary-General at the end of 2014.
In addition to the electoral process (which includes not only this position but the remaining posts and elected bodies of the ITU), the PP-14 involves discussion on the organisation's strategy, financing and management for the next four years, in the context of financial constraint that most member countries are facing as a result of the global economic crisis.
Meanwhile, topics such as cybersecurity, Internet governance and the scheduling of a new World Conference on International Telecommunications will likely take on special significance.
Consult:
- 19th Plenipotentiary Conference - conclusion https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=1339567
- 19th Plenipotentiary Conference - International Telecommunication Union https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=1337767
- 19th Plenipotentiary Conference - election results https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=1338042
Further information:
- ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2014 (PP-14) http://www.itu.int/en/plenipotentiary/2014/Pages/default.aspx
