All Eyes On Antalya

The top event in the world of telecommunications this month is the Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), opening in Antalya, Turkey on November 6 and scheduled to conclude on the 24th.

As the name implies, the “Plenipot” is the ultimate authority in the ITU. Every four years, representatives of the Member States of the ITU meet to consider proposed changes to the organization’s Constitution and Convention, adopt strategic and financial plans, and elect the senior management of the organization. Approximately 2,000 attendees are expected.

Incumbent Secretary-General Yoshio Utsumi is not eligible to run for another term. A new Secretary-General will be elected from a field of six candidates including the current Deputy Secretary-General, Roberto Blois of Brazil, and the Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau, Hamadoun Touré of Mali. They are also term-limited in their present positions and so must move “up or out.” The other candidates are Marc Furrer of Switzerland, Matthias Kurth of Germany, Montasser Ouaili of Tunisia, and Muna Nijem of Jordan.

The Director of the Radiocommunication Bureau, Valery Timofeev of the Russian Federation, is eligible for re-election and is unopposed. There are four candidates for each of the other three senior posts: Deputy Secretary-General, Director of the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, and Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau.

Among the candidates for the 12 seats on the part-time Radio Regulations Board is Robert W. Jones, VE7RWJ.
Bob served two terms as Director of the Radiocommunication Bureau and subsequently served as a consultant to the IARU at the 2003 World Radiocommunication Conference.

In addition to the election of these individuals, 46 Member States will be elected to the ITU Council. The Council meets annually and supervises the overall management and administration of the ITU between Plenipots.

The delegates in Antalya, and those whom they elect to carry out the work of the ITU over the next four years, face great challenges. In recent years the Member States have been unwilling to increase their financial contributions to the ITU. Coupled with normal increases in expenses and with the costs associated with simultaneous interpretation and the translation of documents into the six official languages of the ITU, this has limited the ability of the ITU to keep up with the rapid pace of developments in telecommunications and has led to staff reductions and depressed morale among those who remain.

The outgoing Secretary-General has complained of having responsibility without authority as a result of the Bureau Directors being elected by the Member States rather than appointed by the Secretary-General.

The delegates will even be called upon to consider changing the name of the ITU! A Common Proposal submitted by several Arab States would make it the “International Telecommunication and Information Technology Union.”

Whatever the fate of this specific proposal in Antalya, it does reflect a growing belief among the Member States that “telecommunication” no longer adequately encompasses the scope of the ITU’s responsibilities.

Among the observers at the Plenipot will be IARU Vice President Tim Ellam, VE6SH and International Coordinator for Emergency Communications Hans Zimmermann, HB9AQS/F5VKP, each of whom will be present for half of the Conference.

The IARU member-society for Turkey, Telsiz ve Radyo Amatörleri Cemiyeti (TRAC), has organized a demonstration station and exhibit of Amateur Radio emergency communications capabilities adjacent to the conference site.

IARU E-Letter:
http://www.iaru.org/e-letter/

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