IARU Administrative Council adopts 3-year plan

The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Administrative Council has adopted a three-year plan to develop support for Amateur Radio frequency allocations. The plan provides for the IARU to maintain and increase
contact with regional telecommunications organizations through its own regional organizations.

Meeting October 2-4 in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, the Council also adopted positions on agenda items for World
Radiocommunication Conference 2007 (WRC-07). The IARU will seek an a future WRC agenda item looking toward a worldwide amateur allocation at 50 MHz. Six meters is not now available in all parts of the world. The Council meeting followed the IARU Region 2 Conference in Port of Spain.

The Council also adopted a resolution calling attention to the obligation of telecommunication administrations "to take all practicable and necessary steps to avoid harmful interference to radiocommunication services from power and telecommunication distribution networks, including so-called Broadband over Power Line (BPL) systems that use the HF
spectrum."

The Council also received a report from ITU Development Sector Study Group 2 outlining progress toward revising a Recommendation concerning effective utilization of Amateur Radio in disaster mitigation and relief. Amendments to the international Radio Regulations at World radiocommunication Conference 2003 placed additional emphasis on this role. The Council also agreed to rename the position of IARU disaster communications adviser to
IARU international coordinator for emergency communications. Hans Zimmermann, HB9AQS, will continue to serve the IARU in this capacity.

Focusing primarily on WRC-07, the Council worked up a list of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) meetings during the coming year at which IARU representation will be required and reviewed plans for staffing them.

The Council also charged the IARU leadership with drafting a "white paper" to scope the environment and develop options for the IARU's long-term role and structure. Council members also discussed issues relating to the constitutions of the IARU and its regional organizations and agreed to further consider these matters when the white paper was further developed.

The International Secretariat--ARRL--presented the 2005-2007 budget, which includes provision for financial contributions from the three regional organizations to defray a portion of the expenses, in accordance with previously adopted policy.

In other action, the IARU Administrative Council:

• selected "Radio Amateurs Expanding the World of Wireless Communications" as the theme for World Amateur Radio Day 2005. Celebrated each April 18, World Amateur Radio Day marks the anniversary of the founding of the IARU in 1925 and provides an opportunity to present a positive image of Amateur Radio to the general public.

• reviewed and updated a working document describing the requirements for radio spectrum allocations to the Amateur and Amateur-Satellite services.

• received reports on successful IARU participation in ITU
telecommunication exhibitions in Europe, Africa and Asia and noted initial preparations by IARU Region 2 to participate in the upcoming Americas Telecom in Brazil.

• reappointed Monitoring System International Coordinator R. E. Knowles, ZL1BAD; International Beacon Project Coordinator Peter Jennings, AB6WM/VE3SUN; Satellite Adviser Hans van de Groenendaal, ZS6AKV; and EMC Adviser Christian Verholt, OZ8CY, for new three-year terms.

Attending the Port of Spain meeting were IARU President Larry Price, W4RA; Vice President Tim Ellam, VE6SH/G4HUA; Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ; regional representatives Ole Garpestad, LA2RR, Don Beattie, G3BJ, Panayot Danev, LZ1US, Pedro Seidemann, YV5BPG, Rod Stafford, W6ROD, Noel Donawa, 9Y4NED, Peter Naish, VK2BPN, and Yoshi Sekido, JJ1OEY; and recording secretary Paul Rinaldo, W4RI.

The next IARU Administrative Council meeting is set for September 17-18, 2005, in Switzerland following the IARU Region 1 Conference.

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