Why International Organizations?

• Standard setting

• International uniformity

• Accumulation of capital for large projects

• Allocation of scarce world resources

Themes to look for . . .

• Tension between national autonomy and the push for consensus and uniformity

• Temptation to politicize the body• Tension between the haves and have nots and the

growing emphasis on development issues• Changes in structure and approach to

accommodate technological and political changes

Operational Issues . . .

• Voting methods:– ITU—one nation/one vote– EU—proportional

• Funding methods:– ITU—sliding scale based on GNP

ITU Purpose

• . . . To maintain and extend international cooperation between all Members of the Union for the improvement and rational use of telecommunications of all kinds, as well as to promote and to offer technical assistance to developing nations in the field of telecommunications; to promote the use of technical facilities and their most efficient operation with a view to improving the efficiency of telecommunications services, increasing their usefulness and making them, so far as possible, generally available to the public, to harmonize the actions of nations in the attainment of those ends.

Themes in ITU History

• Embrace of new technologies

• Steps to increase and expand membership

• Modification of organizational structure to accommodate change

• Increasing involvement of the private sector

ITU Functions

• Standard setting– De jure versus de facto standards

• Allocation of frequencies and orbital slots– A priori or first-come-first-served

• Assistance to lesser developed nations

Steps toward ITU creation

• 1865 Paris: formation of International Telegraph Union; draft of convention and regulations

• 1868 Vienna: formation of Berne Bureau• 1925 Paris: addition of telephony through International

Telephone Consultative Committee (CCITT); creation of Consultative Committee for Telegraph (CCIF)

• 1932 Madrid: merger of telegraph and telephony with radio at joint meeting with Radiotelegraph Conference (CCIR created); formed new organization called International Telecommunications Union

• 1947 Atlantic City: Became agency of UN

Significant Developments since 1947

• 1965 Montreux: LDC suggested creation of special development assistance fund and new committee for development work (not done); IFRB reduced to 5

• 1973 Malaga-Torremolinos: development fund established; regulations moved from convention to recommendations so US could sign convention

• 1982 Nairobi: Maitland Commission formed: CCITT and CCI directors to be chosen by entire ITU membership

• 1988 Melbourne: rights of members to pursue competition; accelerated standard setting procedures adopted for CCITT

• 1989 Nice: Telecommunications Development Bureau formed; HLC formed to study restructuring

• 1992 Geneva: special meeting regarding reform

Reform of the ITU

• Improve efficiency and effectiveness

• Enhance the role of non-governmental entities and organizations

• Establish the ITU as a forum for dealing with matters of telecommunications policy and regulation

Reform Efforts

• 1994 Kyoto: resolution to create the ITU World Telecommunication Policy Forum– 1996: Global Mobile Personal Communications

by Satellite– 1998: Trade in Services– 2001: IP Telephony

• 1998 Minneapolis: implemented reforms proposed by the ITU-2000 working group

Minneapolis meeting . . .

• Sector members bill of rights

• Associate category added

• Liaison representatives invited to participate

• Adoption of recommendations by study group

• Created Working Group on Reform– Reform Advisory Panel

Strategic Plan for the Union

• Improve Radiocommunication sector functions; continue to develop WTPF

• Promote global connectivity• Coordinate action to manage scarce telecom

resources• Assist developing nations• Improve efficiency and effectiveness of the

ITU

Currently

• 191 member nations– Full blown membership—at the country level—treaty

status

• 564 sector members– Recognized Operating Agencies (ROA), Scientific or

Industrial Organizations (SIO), regional organizations, financial or development institutions, UN agencies, etc.

– Able to participate in a specific sector

• 133 associates– Work in a specific study group

Organizational structurePlenipotentiary

Conference

Radio-communicationBureau

Telecom Standardization

Bureau

Telecom Development

Bureau

AdministrativeCouncil

General Secretariat

Current Structure

• Plenipotentiary Conference—all members every 4 years—latest one in Turkey in 2006, next one in 2010 in Mexico

• Administrative Council—46 ITU members elected by the Plenipotentiary– Considers broad issues, controls financial operations,

oversees efficient work coordination

• General Secretariat• Three major sectors

Council

• Region A (Americas): 8 seats– Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, US,

Venezuela

• Region B (Western Europe): 8 seats– France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey

• Region C (Eastern Europe): 5 seats– Bulgaria, Czech Rep, Romania, Russian Federation, Ukraine

• Region D (Africa): 13 seats– Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Morocco,

Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia

• Region E (Asia & Australasia): 12 seats– Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea (Republic of), Malaysia,

Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, United Arab Emirates

Current Elected Officials

• General Secretariat (both newly elected 2007-10)– Secretary-General (Hamadoun Toure of Mali)

• Former director of Telecom Development

– Deputy (Houlin Zhao of China)• Former director of Telecom Standardization

• Three Bureaus– Director, Radiocommunication (Valery Timofeev, Russian

Federation) --re-elected– Director, Telecom Standardization (Malcolm Johnson of UK) –

newly elected– Director, Telecom Development (Sami Al-Basheer of Saudi

Arabia) -- newly elected

Each Sector has . . .

• A bureau

• A director

• An advisory group

• Study groups

ITU Sectors• Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R): combines

work of old IFRB and some of CCIR; 12 member regulation board, World Radio Conferences every 2-3 years; regional conferences; Radiocommunication assembly and study groups

• Telecommunications Standardization Sector (ITU-T): work of former CCITT and some of CCIR; World Telecommunication Standardization Assemblies every 4 years

• Development Sector (ITU-D): work of Bureau for Telecom Development

Operating procedures

• One nation, one vote– Bloc voting possible– Explanation for emphasis on LDC issues

• Funding based on unit classes of payment– From 40 full units to 1/16th unit (based on

financial situation of the country)

Staffing

• 822 ITU staff members

• 80 nationalities

• Geneva Headquarters and 11 field offices

Budget

• 2008-2009 budget is CHF 322,603,000 ($277,456,734)– Full unit for member states is CHF 318,000 ($273,633)

– Full Unit for Sector members is CHF 63,600 ($54,727)

– Associate unit is CHF 10,600 ($9,121) for ITU-R and ITU-T); CHF 3,975 ($3,419) for ITU-D or CHF 1,987.50 ($1,710) for associate from LDC

Challenges to the ITU

• Coordination with other standards bodies• Balancing of national sovereignty with

international standards and recommendations• Adjustment to new players• Adjustment to new emphasis on trade rather than

public utility approach• Balancing interests of developed and lesser

developed nations

New Initiatives Program

• Licensing 3G

• Broadband

• Fixed-Mobile Interconnection

• ENUM (Internet Engineering Task Force’s Telephone Number Mapping Working Group (map telephone number to Unique Resource Identifier)

Assistance to LDCs

• Infrastructure development

• Human resources development

• Policies and strategies

• Partnership with industry

Gender Issues

• Gender Equality through Telecommunications Initiative