Geneva hosted last 4-6 February the fourth meeting of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Council working group on Financial and Human Resources (CWG FHR), chaired by Bruce Gracie of Canada.
One of the key points under discussion concerned preparation of the Union’s budget for the 2016-2017 biennium. According to the ITU secretariat, that financial period will be particularly demanding, given the reduction in contributions from member states announced at the 2014 Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-14) and the decision to move the World Telecommunications Development Conference (WTDC) forward to 2017, instead of 2018. Some member states showed concerns about the preliminary budget presented, especially use of the reserve account and the enhanced value of the Swiss franc.
The budget should be approved at the next session of the ITU Council, which will be held in May 2015.
Another relevant issue was the analysis of alternative revenue sources. The revision of fees associated to international numbering resources (INR) was considered accordingly, along with revision of the exemption policy for ITU sector members.
The mandate of a group dedicated to reviewing the Union’s document openness policy was approved.
The next CWG FHR meeting will be held in September 2015.
