Road to ITU Plenipotentiary

1. Road to ITU Plenipotentiary Jodi Haasz, Stakeholder Engagement Liaison Karen McCabe, Senior Director, IEEE-SA Community

2. Pictorial View

3. Details (1) • Radiocommunication Assembly (RA) – ITU-R http://www.itu.int/ITU-R/index.asp?category=conferences&link=ra&lang=en • January 2012 • Held every three to four years • Responsible for the structure, program and approval of radiocommunication studies • World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) – ITU-R http://www.itu.int/ITU-R/index.asp?category=conferences&rlink=wrc&lang=en • January 2012 • Held every three to four years • Review, and, if necessary, revise the Radio Regulations • Final agenda set by ITU Council two years in advance • World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA) – ITU-T http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-T/wtsa12/Pages/default.aspx • November 2012 • IEEE Staff (Bob LaBelle) attended • Held every four years • Sets the overall direction and structure for the ITU-T, as well as defines general policy for the Sector and established Study Groups (including work programs, Chairs, and Vice Chairs)

4. Details (2) • World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) http://www.itu.int/en/wcit-12/Pages/default.aspx • December 2012 • Glenn Parsons represented IEEE • Conference reviewed the International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs) • A resolution on Internet (“To foster an enabling environment for the greater growth of the Internet”) was added. This is non-binding (not a part of treaty text) • Led to Internet Governance becoming a key component for the ITU Plenipotentiary

5. Details (3) • World Telecommunications Policy Forum (WTPF) http://www.itu.int/en/wcit-12/Pages/default.aspx • May 2013 • IEEE Staff (Karen McCabe and Sue Vogel) attended • Billed as "a high-level international event to exchange of views on the key policy issues arising from today’s fast changing information and communication technology (ICT) environment.”1 • Six opinions were adopted by the full Plenary: • Opinion 1 Promoting Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) as a long-term solution to advance connectivity • Opinion 2 Fostering an enabling environment for the greater growth and development of broadband connectivity • Opinion 3 Supporting Capacity Building for the deployment of IPv6 • Opinion 4 In Support of IPv6 Adoption and Transition from IPv4 • Opinion 5 Supporting Multistakeholderism in Internet Governance • Opinion 6 On supporting operationalizing the Enhanced Cooperation Process

6. Details (4) • World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC) – ITU-D http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Conferences/WTDC/Pages/default.aspx • April 2014 (held every four years) • “The objective of WTDC-14 is to establish work programmes and guidelines for defining telecommunication development questions and priorities and to provide direction and guidance for the work programme of the Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D) over the next four-year period.” • Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR) – ITU-D http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Conferences/GSR/Pages/gsr2014/default.aspx • June 2014 (held annually) • “Brings together heads of national telecom/ICT regulatory authorities from around the world and has earned a reputation as the global annual venue for regulators to share their views and experiences on the most pressing regulatory issues they have identified.” • “Under the overarching theme of “Capitalizing on the potential of the digital world“ participants examined ways to ensure that the full array of benefits of the digital world is brought to all citizens of the world in an informed, responsive and safe manner. Undoubtedly, this can be achieved only through effective and smart regulation targeted at empowering consumers, redefining responsibilities and creating the conditions for a data driven economy to flourish.”

7. Details (5) • World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) • WSIS originally held in two phases • Geneva Phase: December 2003 • “Develop and foster a clear statement of political will and take concrete steps to establish the foundation for an Information Society for all, reflecting all the different interests at stake”1 • Tunis Phase: November 2005 • “Put Geneva’s Plan of Action into motion as well as to find solutions and reach agreements in the fields of Internet governance, financing mechanisms, and follow-up and implementation of the Geneva and Tunis documents.”2 • WSIS+10 – June 2014 • “Review the WSIS Outcomes related to the WSIS Action Lines with the view of developing proposals on a new vision beyond 2015, potentially including new targets.”3 1http://www.itu.int/wsis/basic/about.html 2http://www.itu.int/wsis/basic/about.html 3http://www.itu.int/wsis/implementation/2014/forum

8. Details (6) • Telecommunication Standardization Advisory Group (TSAG) – ITU-T http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-T/tsag/2013-2016/Pages/default.aspx • June 2014 (held every nine months) • Advisory body to the study groups, membership and staff of ITU-T. Has oversight of: • ITU-T A-series recommendations • ITU-T work programme • Relationships with other standards bodies • Responsible for the preparation of WTSA • Radiocommunication Advisory Group (RAG) – ITU-R http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-R/conferences/rag/Pages/default.aspx • June 2014 • “Review the priorities and strategies adopted in the Sector; • Provide guidance for the work of the Study Groups; and • Recommend measures to foster cooperation and coordination with other organizations with the Telecommunication Standardization Sector, the Telecommunication Development Sector and the General Secretariat.”

9. Details (7) • Radio Regulations Board (RRB) – ITU-R http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-R/conferences/RRB/Pages/default.aspx • July 2014 (meet up to four times annually) • Twelve members elected at the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference • “Approves Rules of Procedure, used by the Radiocommunication Bureau in applying the provisions of the Radio Regulations and registering frequency assignments made by the Member States • Considers reports of unresolved interference investigations carried out by the Bureau at the request of one or more administrations and formulates Recommendations • Provides advice to Radiocommunication Conferences and the RadiocommunicationAssemblies • Considers appeals against decisions made by the Radiocommunication Bureau regarding frequency assignments” • Telecommunication Development Advisory Group (TDAG) – ITU-D http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Conferences/TDAG/Pages/default.aspx • 29 September – 1 October 2014 • “Advise the Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) on the implementation of the WTDC Action Plan, including issues relating to the budget and the operational plan of the ITU-D.”

10. IEEE Contributions (1) • IEEE Response to Contribution 74 to the TSAG from Germany (http://standards.ieee.org/develop/policies/reldoc_0512.pdf) • May 2012 • Proposal from Germany to allow ITU-T to autonomously change the meaning of normatively referenced standards from other SDOs • Result – Discussions were held between IEEE and the German authors of the proposal. The proposal was not reintroduced into TSAG • IEEE Statement on the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) (http://standards.ieee.org/develop/policies/position_0612.1.pdf) • June 2012 • IEEE expressed concern on changing ITU-T Recommendations from voluntary to mandatory • Result of WCIT – ITU-T Recommendations remain voluntary

11. IEEE Contributions (2) • IEEE Contribution on the Public Consultation on the proposed draft text of the ITU 2016-2019 Strategic Plan (http://www.itu.int/en/Lists/CWGContributionSPdrafttext/Attachments/8//IEEE-SA%20Response_ITU%20Strategic%20Plan_25Apr14.pdf) • April 2014 • Objective T-2 (Promote the active participation of the membership, in particular developing countries in the definition and adoption of telecommunication/ICT standards (ITU-T Recommendations)) • “ITU would potentially be duplicating efforts of organizations that are already engaged in this space.” • Objective T-5 (Extend and facilitate international cooperation among international and regional standardization bodies) • IEEE suggests ITU-T focus “inward to analyze the criteria by which it decides to engage.” • Suggest that ITU-T leverage WTSA Resolution 81 “as it encourages “ITU-T and other SDOs to work more collaboratively and/or cooperatively in a reciprocal manner based on mutual respect”” • Objective T-5, Outcome T-5.1 (Increased number of common texts with other standards organizations) • “…propose that this be changed to “Increased collaboration, working with other standards development bodies in the context of respectful cooperation, whereby each respects the autonomy, integrity, processes, and intellectual property rules of the others.””

12. Regional Preparatory Meetings for ITU Plenipotentiary • Each of the six regions have regional meetings scheduled throughout the remainder of 2014 to prepare for PP14 • Africa • Americas • Arab States • Asia-Pacific • Commonwealth of Independent States • Europe