Copenhagen hosted last 26-29 March a meeting of CEPT’s Com-ITU, which is responsible for coordinating European participation in activities of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). ANACOM has chaired Com-ITU since September 2015, making it also co-chair of CEPT.
The meeting was attended by nearly 60 participants representing 26 CEPT member countries, along with representatives from the European Commission, the ITU, the European Communications Office (ECO), regional counterpart organisation of Com-ITU (Inter-American Telecommunications Commission (CITEL) and Regional Commonwealth in the field of Communications (RCC)). Other participants included observers from the GSMA Association, the European Telecommunications Network Operators Association (ETNO) and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).
The meeting also included a session counting the videoconference presence of the director of the ITU’s Standardisation Bureau, Chaesub Lee, where it was possible to discuss several key points of future strategy for the Telecommunications Standardisation Sector (ITU-T). Some European countries expressed apprehension about certain developments in the sector, specifically the proliferation of regional groups of the study groups. That concern is based on the inherent costs of creating such regional groups, as well as an anticipated exacerbation of differences between ITU members, given that the creation of silos in the various regions is being encouraged, thereby making global dialogue difficult.
An information session of Global Partners Digital was also held. The aim of that non-governmental organisation is to create a digital environment based on respect for human rights and democratic values.
Beyond those sessions, the meeting largely focused on preparing Europe’s participation in the upcoming ITU Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-18), to be held from 29 October to 16 November 2018 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Meetings of the project teams set up to prepare for that conference (PT Financial, Management and Organisational Issues and PT Policy) were accordingly held.
As chair of Com-ITU and Portugal’s representative in CEPT, ANACOM had the opportunity to defend some of the principles that should orient European preparations for PP-18. The defended principles are based on key national foreign policy guidelines.
ANACOM thus advocated that Europe propose at the next PP holding transparent public hearings of future candidates for ITU elected positions (secretary general, deputy secretary general and directors of the three sector bureaus). This model is apparently inspired by the one used in the last election of the secretary general of the United Nations.
ANACOM also urged that key matters in the European Union’s foreign policy and also in the current agenda of the UN secretary general should be included in the European proposals for the PP, such as the efforts to counter climate change and to ensure gender equality in access to information and communication technologies.
Regarding more controversial topics such as those associated to internet governance, ANACOM, as usual, acted as moderator between the different viewpoints put forward.
Finally, note the preparations for the upcoming meeting of the ITU Council this 17-27 April in Geneva. It will be relevant for the PP-18 preparations, given the closeness of the two events. In that regard, the holding of Com-ITU coordination meetings during the ITU Council was confirmed, to be chaired by ANACOM.
