Asia Telecom forum opening speech

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WTSA-04 issues for Developing Countries Saburo
TANAKA WTSA preparatory meeting for Africa,
Victoria Falls, June 2004
The views expressed in this presentation are
those of the author, and do not necessarily
reflect the opinions of the ITU or its
membership. Author can be contacted by e-mail at
saburo.tanaka_at_itu.int
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Agenda

• Some statistics
• Participations
• Issues for discussions
• Facilitating the participation
• Facilitating the understanding of ITU-T
  activities
• Reflecting African countries requirements
• Resolutions related to Developing Countries
• Other issues
• Chairman Vice Chairmanship
• Paperless Meeting

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Participation
Developing Countries
Developed Countries
WTSA-2000 TSAG (June 03) ITU-T SG3(06/04) ITU-T SG16(01/04)
Number of Member States Number of Member States Number of Member States Number of Member States

From Africa 21 From Africa 3 From Africa 10 From Africa 2
Number of delegates Number of delegates Number of delegates Number of delegates

From Africa 53 From Africa 3 From Africa 17 From Africa 2
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Facilitating the participation (1)
TSB

• In the past
• Todays situation

TSAG
SGs
WTSA
TSB
TSAG
SGs
WTSA
Regional Offices
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Facilitating the participation (2)

• In participating to the WTSA, developing
  countries had a control over SG activities
• WTSA role is changing, MS participating into TSAG
  have more power (PP-98)
• CV Art. 14, (may assign specific matter to TSAG)
• CV Art. 14A (large mandate of TSAG)
• Necessity to participate to TSAG and to SGs
• Direct participation
• Through regional Groups
• Through representatives
• Using new technologies

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Facilitating the understanding

• Many actions have been taken
• Summary of Recommendations have been added
• Manual for beginners has been developed
• Development of a Guide to developing countries.
• Regional Meeting, Seminar and workshop
• Close contact with ITU Regional Office, CoE
• TSB staff nominated as contact point for the
  Region
• Website have been improved, e-falsh etc
• What could be added?
• What Developing Countries could do?
• Electronic meeting after each SG? To inform the
  results of interest for developing countries with
  Questions and Answers period
• What else?

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Reflecting African requirements

• Develop a Question of particular interest for
  Africa
• On what issues Africa needs Recommendations?
• Adoption at WTSA or during SG meeting?
• Discuss the issue in the region?
• Establishment of regional Groups?
• Submit contributions
• How to submit? Individual or after regional
  consultation?
• Reply to the Questionnaires from ITU-T
• Nominating a contact point for each SG of interest

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WTSA Resolutions related to Africa (1)

• Resolution 17 (Telecom. Stand. in relation to the
  interest of developing countries)
• Resolves to request the Director of TSB to
• Instruct the Director of TSB, to provide BDT
  with
• Further instruct the study groups to take
  appropriate
• Where is Developing countries?
• What they are doing?
• Japanese common saying You cant built a house
  while you are sleeping
• What could be done by the Developing Countries?
• invite M.S of Developing Country to- nominate
  a person in charge of contact and to follow the
  activities of- introduce EDH to facilitate

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WTSA Resolutions related to Africa (2)

• Resolution 26 (Assistance to the Regional Tariff
  Groups)
• This Resolutions calls upon the Director of TSB
  to cooperate with the Director of BDT to provide
  specific assistance to the RTG.
• This was a very useful Resolution which
  allowed- RTG to study and understand cost
  method- SG3 to approve RTGs cost
  methodologies- BDT to implement cost calculation
  tool (COSITU)
• Cost methodologies being developed, this
  Resolution needs an update
• TAF Group proposed modifications in order to
  focus more on the implementation of cost
  methodologies and SG3 in June2004 agreed to the
  modified version

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Other Resolutions and Decisions

• PP-02 Resolution 123 (Bridging the
  standardization gap)
• Instruct the SG and the Directors of three
  bureaux- in pursuing initiatives that assist in
  bridging- conducting case studies on the
  application of Rec. - organizing regional
  standardization training course
• WSIS declaration of principles and action plan
• A well-developed information and communication
  network infrastructure and applications, adapted
  to regional, national and local conditions,
  easily-accessible and affordable
• How to translate into WTSA action plan?

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Other issues

• Chairman and Vice-Chairmanship
• In Montreal, TSAG Vice-Chairman (Cameroon) and
  ITU-T SG3 Vice-Chairman (Niger) have been
  elected.
• Paperless meeting
• Resolution 32 instructs TSB Director to take some
  actions to increase the use of EDH. TSB needs
  cooperation of Member States and Sectors Members
  to move to time T (paperless meeting in year
  2007). What are the impacts for developing
  countries.