The 2006 Plenipotentiary Conference, the top policy-making body of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), opened today in Antalya, Turkey. This year's conference, which will run until 24 November, is of particular importance, coming at a time when the ITU is facing up to a severe financial and budgetary crisis. It is, therefore, essential, that the conference looks at the way in which the Union manages itself, both now and for the future, and makes changes to the basic governing texts of the Union - the Constitution and the Convention.
One of the key tasks for PP-06 is to hold elections to the Council and leadership posts of the ITU - the Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary-General as well as the Directors of the three bureaux: the Radiocommunication Bureau (BR), the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau (TSB), and the Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT).
Portugal is standing for re-election to the Council, the body whose main function is to ensure that, during the intervals between Conferences, the Union's activities, policies and strategies remain consistent with those set out by the Plenipotentiary Conferences.
Other issues up for discussion at the Conference include policy definition, strategic planning and budgetary definition, as well as the strengthening of synchronization between the financial and operational strategic plans, with lively debate expected on the 2008-2011 Financial Plan.
The PP-06 agenda also includes ITU reform and amendments to the basic texts of the Union - the Constitution and the Convention, as approved in Geneva in 1992 and subsequently amended in Kyoto (1994), Minneapolis (1998) and Marrakech (2002).
Portugal's main goals for this year's Conference include its re-election to the ITU Council and the defence of the Common European Proposals (CEP), which Portugal has subscribed to within the framework of the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT), and three in particular which Portugal coordinated.
Portugal is particularly equipped to defend the Common European Proposal on improving the efficiency and transparency of the ITU's management, especially in light of the work carried out over the last four year in the ITU Council Oversight Group (COG / NCOG), which Portugal leads.
The Portuguese delegation is being led by the Secretary of State for Public Works and Communications, Paulo de Campos and includes the Vice-Chairman of ANACOM's Board of Directors, Alberto Souto de Miranda, and members of offices of the Assistant Secretary of State for Public Works and Communications, of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and of ANACOM.
Further information:
- ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2006 (PP-06) http://www.itu.int/plenipotentiary/2006/index.html
Related information on ANACOM's website:
- Plenipotentiary Conference (PP) https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?categoryId=198462
