ITU FACES DRAMATIC FINANCIAL DECLINE FOR NEXT 4 YEARS
MARRAKESH, Morocco -- Voluntary monetary contributions are down so dramatically that ITU’s proposed financial plan for next 4 years -- developed in long sessions by administration committee -- may have to be rethought, Secy.- Gen. Yoshio Utsumi said late Tues. afternoon at Plenipotentiary (Plenipot) Conference here. Although deadline for member states to declare their contributory units still was 15 months away, 10 countries already had announced cutbacks, prompting Itsumi to say that if financial plan was serious one, “I cannot implement” it. Last week delegates agreed on upper limit of 315,000 Swiss francs (CHF) for next 2 years, and 330,000 CHF for following 2 years. Exact number of contributions wasn’t known at our deadline.
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Question of resources has shadowed Plenipot. For example, delegates split over whether -- and when -- ITU should review its International Telecommunication Regulations (ITR). In plenary Tues., they considered on first reading draft resolution arising from policy, legal and reform committee. Committee members had been unable to agree whether there should be world conference on international telecom (WCIT) in 2007 or 2008: (1) “Conditional upon a final decision to be taken by the 2006 plenipotentiary conference, on the basis of the recommendations arising from the process of this review,” or (2) “Depending on the degree of preparation” leading up to the 2006 Plenipot. U.S. backed Option 1, but several developing countries worried review would be passed over by next Plenipot. Australia and S. Africa floated similar compromise language and finally brokered deal resolving that WCIT be convened in 2007 or 2008 on basis of recommendations arising from ITR review process. U.S. considers it"expressly clear” that need and resources for WCIT will be reviewed in 2006, said David Gross, State Dept. coordinator for international communications & information policy. Perhaps, he said, union’s faltering finances will force it to concentrate on “core competencies,” something U.S. has been urging it to do.
However, S. African delegate said money played only partial role in debate over ITR review. Subject has been under discussion for several years, said Lyndall Shope- Mafole, chmn. of Presidential National Commission on Information Society & Development. Main problem with ITRs is that they're obsolete, she said. Many industrialized countries have moved beyond technologies they encompass, she said, and are reluctant to spend time and money reviewing them, but many developing nations see great need for conference because they still are using those technologies.
S. Africa maintained its contributory level of 3 units, Shope-Mafole told us (before Secy.-Gen.’s announcement). Asked how ITU’s money problems would be resolved, she said it was unclear. On one hand, she said, telecom industry and many govts. are having financial difficulties but at same time growing digital divide is spurring more demands for ITU services. Developing countries want ITU to help them with Internet and e-commerce issues, Shope-Mafole said. ITU should have to go beyond its core competencies to help enlighten developing countries, she said.
Delegates gave final approval Tues. to broad range of texts and resolutions. They included 2 Internet-related resolutions, one on management of domain names and addressing and other on the role of member states in the management of internationalized domains (see separate story). Conference also agreed to work on beefing up role of the ITU in safeguarding information and communication network security. Resolution (PLEN/2) instructs Secy.-Gen. to: (1) Review that union’s current activities in network security. (2) “Intensify” work in existing ITU study groups to find common ground on importance of protecting network security by studying standards on technologies, products and services with view to developing any appropriate recommendations, look for ways to enhance exchange of technical information on network security and report annually on result of such studies to ITU Council. As adopted, resolution incorporates language from resolution offered by China but with decidedly different focus. China’s version cited content regulation as one reason for ITU to strengthen its role, saying application of information and communication technologies (ICT) had given rise to “ever-growing number and range of Internet-related security problems,” such as hacking, pornographic and violent content and criminal and terrorist activities. Adopted resolution, by contrast, homes in on infrastructure security, omitting any reference to content control.
Morning session saw approval of first reading of several texts, including: (1) Several amending Constitution and Convention. (2) One calling for review of management of ITU. (2) One on bridging standardization gap between developing and developed countries. (3) One aimed at improving management and functioning of ITU.