The CEPT Committee for ITU Policy (Com-ITU) met last 10-13 March in Copenhagen. This committee, chaired by Marcin Krasuski of Poland, is in charge of European coordination of participation in activities of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
The Copenhagen meeting served to prepare for two major International Telecommunication Union (ITU) events scheduled for 2014, the Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-14), to be held from 20 October to 7 November in Busan, South Korea, and the World Telecommunications Development Conference (WTDC-14), held from 30 March to 10 April in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Regarding WTDC-14, Com-ITU approved six European common proposals, concerning: i) climate change; ii) support for Serbia to rebuild its public transmission system; iii) operation of the ITU Excellence Centres; iv) improper use of telephone numbers; v) participation in training actions on spectrum management; and vi) priority areas for regional initiatives in Europe.
To prepare for PP-14 proposals were discussed concerning public policy issues associated to the internet, deliberate interference in satellite telecommunications, operation of the ITU Radio Regulation Committee, and transparency and access to ITU documents. These proposals will be debated again at the next meeting and may be approved as European common proposals (ECPs) to present at PP-14.
The Committee also witnessed a presentation from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) about the NETMundial gathering (Multi-Sector Global Meeting on the Future of Internet Governance) scheduled for 23-24 April in São Paulo, Brazil. Its goals are to determine the principles of internet governance and to draw up the roadmap for evolution of its ecosystem. To reach those objectives a public consultation on the topics under discussion was launched; 189 contributions were received, mainly from the private sector and civil society.
The next Com-ITU meeting will be held this coming 26-28 May in Amsterdam.
