The Arab Telecommunication & Internet Forum 2003 Beirut, Lebanon, 28-31 May 2003

1. The Arab Telecommunication & Internet Forum 2003Beirut, Lebanon, 28-31 May 2003 Jean-Yves Besnier Head, Partnership, Promotion & Membership Telecommunication Development Bureau ROLE OF THE ITU SECTOR MEMBERS &PRIVATE SECTOR IN ICT DEVELOPMENT

2. What is the Situation Today? • Technology Convergence, Lower Costs, IP as the de-facto Channel, Network Effect and an Ever-changing Environment. • Increasingly Important Role of ICTs in Various Sectors (e.g., Health, Education, Finance, Government, Commerce…). • Many New Stakeholders in Financing, Developing and Using ICTs.

3. What are the Challenges? • Understanding the Needs of Users and Stakeholders for Building Sustainable Models for Affordable Access to ICTs. • Addressing Issues for National and Regional Multi-sector Policy Framework for ICTs. • Finding Mechanisms for Building Mutually Beneficial Partnerships for Financing Infrastructure and Applications Development.

4. What Role can ITU play?

5. International Telecommunication Union • UN Specialized Agency for telecommunications • Global organization with broad membership • 189 Member States • # 600 sector members • Triple global mandate • Coordinate use of radio-communications resources • Establish global telecom standards • Promote the development of ICT sector worldwide • ITU Development Sector (ITU-D) dedicated to help emerging/developing countries to integrate ICTs in development. Young history (10 years).

6. International Telecommunication Union • Unique among International Organizations: Cooperation between Governments/ Administrations and Private Sector • Wide range of entities represented: * Policy-makers and Regulators * Network Operators * Service Providers * Equipment manufacturers * Integrators * Financing Institutions * Consulting firms * Regional/National Telecom Associations… • Evolving role

7. The Private Sector has a very active role to play in ICT Development • Invest in ICT infrastructures and applications that foster national/regional economic development. • Participate in the identification of major obstacles that prevent faster and broaden sustainable ICT projects. • Exploit opportunities of economy of scale at national/regional/inter-regional levels. • Contribute to a dynamic and efficient use of national resources and development of local/regional initiatives.

8. ITU has developed and strengthened cooperation with the Private Sector • Over 600 Sector Members, mostly from Private Sector • Participation in the work of all Regional and World Conferences • Participation in ITU Plenipotentiary Conferences • Participation in Sectors’ Advisory Groups to the elected officials (RAG, TSAG, TDAG) • Many representatives of the Private Sector, as Sector Members, serve as Chairmen, Vice-Chairmen or Rapporteurs of Study Groups or Working Groups • Over 100 partnerships with private and public entities provide an invaluable contribution to the design, operation and extension of development projects that facilitate access to ICTs for all.

9. Creation of an ITU-D Working Group on Private Sector Issues • Sub-Group decided at WTDC-98 in Valetta • Became TDAG Working Group on Private Sector (WGPS) issues at WTDC-02 • Resolutions 6-13-29 of WTDC-02 to include the Private Sector issues in ITU-D actions and development partnerships • WGPS chaired by the President of a private Company • BDT Unit on Private Sector Partnership created in 2001, responsible for all partnerships in 2003

10. Creation of an ITU-D Working Group on Private Sector Issues (cont’d) • Decision taken in March 2003 to strengthen relationship with Regions: * Adopted by TDAG WGPS * A way to better focus on relevant issues to the Region facilitate increased participation by ITU Members share concrete experiences/projects save time and money to be more responsive to Members needs * 5 Regional Working Parties (RWP) chaired by ITU-D Sector Members

11. Telecommunication Development Bureau Regional Working Parties on Private Sector Issues and Programme Groups • ARAB Region: Mr. Mahmoud EL-SOURY & PG1 (Regulatory Reform) Chairman, Telecon Consultants, Egypt • AFRICA Region: M. Cheikh Tidiane MBAYE & PG5 (Capacity Building) General Manager, SONATEL, Senegal • AMERICAS Region: Mr. Alberto ZETINA-VELEZ & PG3 (E-Strategies & VP Latin America, Ericsson, Applications) Mexico • ASIA & PACIFIC Region: Mr. TV. RAMACHANDRAN & PG2 (Infrastructure & Director-General, COAI Network Development) (Cellular Operators Association of India), India

12. Telecommunication Development Bureau Regional Working Parties on Private Sector Issues and Programme Groups • EUROPE & CIS Region: Mr. Traian STANESCU President, Logic Telecom, Romania • Programme Group 6 (LDCs) Mr. Abdijani JAMA Chairman: Secretary-General, SOMALI TELECOM, Somalia • Programme Group 7 (WSIS) Mr. Riad BAHSOUN Chairman: General Manager, TIT, Lebanon

13. BDT AS MODEL OF PARTNERSHIP • The development projects that countries need are numerous, diversified, requesting human, technical and financing resources • Multi-stakeholder partnerships become an appropriate answer to challenges of the Information Society: * Development and consolidation of partnerships are amongst the main expected outcomes of the WSIS * It is all about pooling resources together, avoiding redundancies between organizations, promoting complementary skills and mandates • WSIS: A unique occasion to: * highlight the role and experience of ITU Members already involved in existing partnership (opportunity for renewal and extension) * create new partnership opportunities for both ITU Members as well as new Members along with Istanbul Action Plan (2003-2006)

14. Multi-Stakeholder Partnership ALCATEL IDRC/CIDA Cable & Wireless KDDI COAI Ericsson ABU NEC HUAWEI DETECON VODAFONE Cisco Rohde & Schwarz ITXC NTI OFTA INMARSAT DFID Logic Telecom TELENOR TIA NTT LUCENT ATU RASCOM TRAI France Telecom CE/EC AHCIET INICTEL ATCI ART PTC TEMIC INTELSAT CITEL NOKIA TELKOM Jordan Telecom AL-IKTISSAD MTN CTO ECTEL US-AID Nortel Networks LS TELCOM/SPECTROCAN FASTLINK SWISSCOM TIT SIEMENS Japan Telecom SONATEL THURAYA Tokai University EGYNET APT TELEFONICA Motorola Africa Region NB: Asia & Pacific Region Europe & CIS Region Arab Region Americas Region

15. Conclusion • ITU-D role in contributing towards building a global information society and closing the digital divide can only be fully achieved through partnership and collaboration with all relevant players. • ITU-D broad mandate, experience and large membership which includes both public and private sector are unique features that would facilitate the transformation from digital divide to digital opportunities for all. • ITU-D network of regional offices and direct contact with national entities is a factor to facilitate dialogue aimed at defining appropriate national and regional policies. • ITU-D continues to provide a time-tested framework for establishing partnerships and a WIN-WIN opportunity through strong synergies amongst the parties.

16. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION jean-yves.besnier@itu.int Head, PPM Unit, BDT Partnership, Promotion & Membership Tel: +41 22 730 5591 Fax: +41 22 730 5484 http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/