3 rd Annual Private Sector Cooperation Meeting in the Arab Region Amman, Jordan, 1-2 October 2003

1. WAYS TO INCREASE PARTNERSHIP AND COOPERATIONThe New ITU Regional Working Party (RWP)on Private Sector Issues in the Arab Region 3rdAnnual Private Sector Cooperation Meeting in the Arab RegionAmman, Jordan, 1-2 October 2003 Mr. Mahmoud El-Soury Chairman, TELECON Consultants (Egypt) Chairman of the RWP for the Arab Region

2. AGENDA • Some History – Context • Objectives • Organization • Working Methods • Priority Issues • Action Plan

3. SOME HISTORY – CONTEXT • Importance of the role of the private sector in the development of communications(1996-1998). • Creation in 1998, at the WTDC-98, Valetta (Malta), of: - Sub-Group of TDAG dealing with private sector issues; - Specific Action Plan (Programme 5 of the WTDC-98 Action Plan) • Substantial development of ITU-D Sector Members: - 1993: 20 (creation of ITU-D Sector Membership) - 1998: 140 - 2003: 264 (as of September 2003) • Strengthening of the role of the private sector in all ITU activities (WTDC-02), Istanbul, Turkey. See Resolutions 6, 13, 29… • Decision of TDAG, in March 2003, to create Regional Working Parties (RWP) on private sector issues, also responsible to present the private sector views on all the 6 major programmes of the Istanbul Action Plan.

4. 2. OBJECTIVES • Identify the obstacles which the Private Sector is facing and that limit development of telecommunications and access to all. • Determine a selective list of priority issues for the private sector as a “work plan” for the ITU Members of the Region. • Facilitate an increased participation of Private Sector representatives operating in the Region through: - the extensive use of electronic exchanges; - limited number but focused meetings in the Region itself to minimize time and expenses of ITU-D Members. • Develop the contribution of the Private Sector in the design and implementation of ITU-D programmes. • Strengthen cooperation between the regional private sector and ITU representatives (Regional Offices and the Geneva Headquarter).

5. 3. ORGANIZATION Five Regional Working Parties (RWP) on private sector issues have been decided (TDAG, March 2003): * Africa Region: Mr. Cheickh Tidiane MbayeGeneral Manager, SONATEL (Senegal) * Americas Region: Mr. Alberto Zetina-VelezVice President,Ericsson, Latin America (Mexico) * Arab States Region: Mr. Mahmoud El-Soury Chairman, TELECON Consultants (Egypt) * Asia & Pacific Region: Mr. T.V. RamachandranDirector General, COAI (India) * Europe & CIS Region: Mr. Traian StanescuPresident, Logic Telecom (Romania)

6. 3. ORGANIZATION (Cont’d) • Each RWP may organize workshop(s) on issues/themes considered as priorities by the Region. Each workshop is managed by a Vice-Chairman. • A Rapporteur for the whole RWP is nominated by the participating members of the Region. • Beyond its regional capacity, the RWP has a worldwide mission to formulate views and recommendations on ways to increase the private sector participation in ITU-D Istanbul Action Plan as well as the WSIS:* ProgrammeGroup 1 (Regulatory Reform): Mr. El-Soury (Arab States Region) * ProgrammeGroup 2 (Infrastruct. & Network Dev.):Mr. T.V. Ramachandran(Asia & Pacific Region) * Programme Group 3 (E-strategies & Applications):Mr. A. Zetina-Velez (Americas Region) * ProgrammeGroup 4 (Economy & Finance): Mr. T. Stanescu (Europe & CIS Region) * ProgrammeGroup 5 (Human Resource Dev.) Mr. Cheikh Tidiane Mbaye (Africa Region) * ProgrammeGroup 6 (LDC):Chairman: Mr. Jama, Somalia Telecom(Somalia) * ProgrammeGroup 7(WSIS):Chairman: Mr. Bahsoun, TIT(Lebanon)

7. 4. WORKING METHODS • Make extensive use of electronic exchange rather than residential meetings. • Create thematic workshops on priority issues in order to facilitate participation of many regional stakeholders and to cope with pertinent concerns of the Region. • Insure that workshops are managed by Vice-Chairmen from the Region. • Issue a concise summary of workshop activities on a quarterly basis. • Organize jointly with ITU and ITU Members a plenary meeting once a year, on the initiative of the Regional Working Party (RWP). BDT budget contribution will be strictly limited.

8. 5. PRIORITY ISSUES • Identification and selection by participating members of the Regional Working Party (RWP), of priority issues which are the most relevant to them. • Possible creation of specialized workshops by theme/issue, on the initiative of the RWP. • Current priority issues for the Region: to be determined by the RWP

9. 6. ACTION PLAN (Implementation of the RWP in the Arab Region) • As of September 2003, 8 ITU Members have agreed to participate in one or more RWP workshops: * Mr. Charikane – SNPT (Comoros) - Prog. 1-2-3-4-5-6-7* Mrs.Abdelwahd – Maroc Telecom (Morocco) - Prog. 1-2-4-7* Mr. Hammadi – Maroc Telecom (Morocco) - Prog. 1-2-4-7 * Mr. Ould Dié – APAUS (Mauritania) - Prog. 1-2-3-4 * Mr. Ala-Eddin – STE Samsung (Syria) - Prog. 2-3 * Mr. Mourtada – STE (Syria) - Prog. 2-3* Mr. Triki – CERT (Tunisia) - Prog. 2* Mr. Sghaier – CERT (Tunisia) - Prog. 3

10. 6. ACTION PLAN (Cont’d) (Implementation of the RWP in the Arab Region) • Nomination of the Rapporteur for the Regional Working Party. • Organization of workshops per theme/question. • First status report by 31 December 2003. • Presentation by the RWP Chairmen at the TDAG Working Group on Private Sector, in Geneva, on 19-20 January 2004.

11. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION Contact at the ITU/HQ, Geneva: Partnership, Promotion & Membership (PPM) Unit Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) Mr. Jean-Yves Besnier, Head of PPM Unit Tel: +41 22 730 5591 Fax: +41 22 730 5484 jean-yves.besnier@itu.int ppm@itu.int http://www.itu.int/ITU-D