United States ITU ASSOCIATION (USITUA) ITU PLENIPOTENTIARY CONFERENCE 2014 MEMBER REPORT. November 11, 2014

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1 United States ITU ASSOCIATION (USITUA) ITU PLENIPOTENTIARY CONFERENCE 2014 MEMBER REPORT November 11, 2014 OVERVIEW The ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2014 (PP 14) took place from 17 October through 07 November in Busan, Korea. PP 14 brought together a record 2,505 delegates from 171 countries including 76 government ministers, 36 deputy ministers, and 56 ambassadors. The U.S. Delegation was led by Ambassador Daniel Sepulveda and included 133 members, approximately half of whom were from the private sector, including several USITUA members. Key outcomes include elections, approval of the Strategic and Financial Plans and adoption of more than 51 Resolutions, including 21 new Resolutions. Annex I includes a review of the outcome of elections; Annex II is a complete list of approved and suppressed Resolutions and Decisions. This Plenipotentiary Conference was remarkable for the spirit of cooperation and consensus that prevailed throughout the three weeks a Conference marked by an absence of voting (save for the regular elections); no motions or points of order, and not a single evening or weekend Committee or Plenary session (although there were many late evening and weekend ad hoc meetings). There seemed to be an underlying effort to heal the Union following WCIT 2012 and an effort among the all Delegations to repair this rift and to find a common and constructive path forward for the ITU under its newly elected membership. Delegations worked hard to find compromise solutions among diverse proposals to allow for very few, if any, non consensus drafts to be submitted to the Plenary for further debate. Also notable was the Americas Region s high degree of cohesion and success throughout the Conference. CITEL brought 44 Inter American Proposals (IAPs) to the Conference, most of which were based on U.S. proposals or included the U.S. as a signatory. The U.S. Delegation s strategy and dedicated efforts to forge regional consensus on key issues, such as those concerning Internet related Resolution 102 and the review of the ITRs, in advance of the Conference proved to be extremely effective and should be replicated in the future. The Final Acts can be found at: final acts en.pdf

2 KEY ISSUE REVIEW The following is an overview of the outcomes of PP 14 key issues of interest to USITUA Membership. Some of these issues have been tasked for further study in the ITU Council and may require attention by the Association over the next four years. Internet Related Issues Resolution 101 Internet Protocol based networks was updated to reflect the outcomes of recent WSIS+10 High Level Events, the 2012 World Telecommunication Standard Assembly (WTSA), the 2014 World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC), and the 2013 World Telecommunication Policy Forum (WTPF), among others. New text focuses on the long standing developing country concerns regarding the high cost of international Internet connectivity, transit costs, and the special challenges facing landlocked developing countries. The Resolution urges the TSB and BDT to continue studies related to finding solutions to help lower these costs and continue capacity building efforts, and calls on the Secretary General to submit a report, based on input from Member States and Sector Members, to the Council on the need to hold another World Telecommunications Policy Forum to consider these issues. Of note, proposals to include security aspects, data protection and government surveillance in the Resolution were not accepted. In addition, CITEL agreed to withdraw its stand alone proposed new Resolution on multilingualism with the inclusion of a statement in Resolution 101 regarding the need for preserving and promoting multilingualism on the Internet and additional text agreed in Resolution 133. PP 14 s modification of Resolution 102 ITU s role with regard to international public policy issues pertaining to the Internet and the management of Internet resources, including domain names and addresses emphasizes the sovereign and legitimate interests of Member States to undertake activities on international Internet related public policy issues. In spite of strong efforts the United States and others, the Resolution retains the CWG Internet as a closed group only open to Member States. However, the Resolution now includes guidelines that will enable open consultation with all stakeholders, both online and in physical meetings. The Resolution also was modified to include reference to Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) and instructs the BDT to liaise with the TSB and other relevant organizations in order to make available widely accepted best practices for the design, installation and operation of IXPs. Given this reference to IXPs, in the spirit of compromise CITEL agreed to withdraw its proposed new stand alone Resolution on IXP deployment (which included concerning text related to privacy and data protection and which the U.S. did not sign on to). Furthermore, proposals to include government surveillance and OTT charging were not accepted. Modifications to Resolution 133 Role of administrations of Member States in the management of internationalized (multilingual) domain names recognizes the progress made in providing multilingualism on the Internet. As noted above, CITEL agreed to withdraw its proposed new Resolution on multilingualism as concepts were incorporated in revisions to both Resolutions 101 and 133. Resolution 180 on Facilitating the transition from IPv4 to IPv6 calls for greater progress on the part of developing countries in their transition to IPv6, in order to take advantage of the expected rapid growth 2

3 in M2M and IoT. The ITU is asked to step up expert technical assistance to developing countries to assist in these efforts. Of note, RCC proposals for an expanded role for the ITU with regard to IPv6 and in particular, to become an Internet registry for developing countries, were rejected. Importantly, the controversial Indian proposal on ITU s role in realizing secure Information Society, which called on the Secretary General to develop a routing plan to ensure traceability and localization of traffic based on IP addresses did not move forward, nor were any concepts of the proposal incorporated into any existing Resolutions. After introducing the original proposal in the Internet ad hoc group session on the final Saturday of the conference and receiving extremely limited support, India submitted a revised proposal entitled ITU s role in Recommending Network Functionalities for Evincing Trust and Confidence in IP based Telecom Networks the following morning. The revised proposal was equally concerning and the U.S. and other Member States strongly intervened to state they could not support the proposal. India ultimately withdrew its proposal and it was agreed that the Chairman of the Internet ad hoc group would include in his report to COM 5 a negotiated statement expressing that the group could not reach consensus and appreciated the efforts at compromise, and that all participants are welcome to study issues of concern in the appropriate fora dealing with Internet related issues, including the ITU, each within their remit. All in all, these revised Resolutions and the surrounding debate point to a stronger and a more sustained push by developing countries to increase their and/or inter governmental involvement in the Internet space. While still within the existing mandate of the ITU, these revisions nevertheless encourage a forward leaning ITU in multiple aspects of Internet governance and resource management. Resolution 130 Building Confidence and Security in the Use of ICTs Overall, while the U.S. proposal for No Change was not adopted, the outcome related to Resolution 130 can be considered successful. Notably from the U.S. perspective, no new references to privacy or data security were added to the Resolution, except for one recalling reference to a UN General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution. There was a noteworthy compromise with Russia that instructs the Directors of the Standardization and Development Bureaus to identify and document practical steps to strengthen security in the use of ICTs internationally, based on widely accepted practices, guidelines and recommendations. This was an evolution of language that began as a call for development of a Cybersecurity roadmap. All of Cuba s proposed language on illicit use of use of ICTs by Member States to decrease security in other Member States/affect traffic routing was watered down or dropped out. All that remains is a general instruction to the Secretary General to report to Council on activities within the ITU and other relevant organizations and entities to enhance cooperation and collaboration in security of ICTs, which will take account of information voluntarily provided by Member States regarding activities in their territories. Finally, a reference to Article 6 (security) and Article 7 (unsolicited bulk communications) of the WCIT 12 International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs) was incorporated in the aware section of the modified Resolution (as opposed to recalling which was supported by others). 3

4 Resolution 174 Illicit Use of ICTs While the origin of Resolution 174, ITU's role with regard to international public policy issues relating to the risk of illicit use of information and communication technologies, was to address concerns specific to geospatial service providers and online mapping tools, the Resolution text is not satellite focused, but technology neutral broadly about Illicit Use of ICTs and with a limited role for the ITU Secretary General to convene dialogues on this subject. Modifications made by PP 14 did not try to input a satellite focus, but added a new recalling to address a UNGA Resolution on privacy and somewhat strengthened the language related to the actions required by the ITU. Although prior to PP 14, there were concerns about an expansion of the scope of the ITU in the areas listed in the Resolution, the revisions were minimal. However, the revisions did add a renewed incentive to the ITU s work in this sensitive area. Resolution 179 Child Online Protection In the lead up to PP 14, the main concern was the call for the ITU T to develop standards related childonline protection (COP). Many industry members were concerned about the potential impact on freedom of expression should the ITU develop standards in this area. Russia and Saudi Arabia in particular have tried to leverage COP language to limit the free flow of data and content online. However, this reference was removed in the final Resolution, and instead, the majority of the changes within the Resolution focus on the need to create global hotlines as well as education tools and materials to help keep children safe online. Resolution 140 ITU s role in implementing the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society and in the overall review by United Nations General Assembly of their implementation The Resolution was successfully updated to reflect the work undertaken over the last four years, including the work undertaken by the ITU, but importantly, does not create an elevated role for the ITU vis à vis the UGA, which established the modalities for the overall ten year review of WSIS implementation. The CITEL proposal to create a "sub group" for the Council Working Group WSIS to report on those WSIS Action Lines for which the ITU is the sole moderator/facilitator was not accepted as some, including the Chair of the WSIS ad hoc group, perceived this as micromanagement of the CWG. Instead, ITU is requested to submit a progress report on the implementation of WSIS outcomes concerning ITU to the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in 2018 and to report annually to the Council on the activities undertaken on these subjects, including their financial implications. Related, Resolution 172 on Overall review of implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society was suppressed as the objectives of this Resolution have been met, particularly taking into account the WSIS+10 High Level Event held in June

5 Resolution 146 Periodic review and revision of the International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs) Consensus was reached to establish a periodic review normally every eight years with no requirement to revise the ITRs or for PP 14 to set the date for the next WCIT. The ITRs review will be undertaken by an Expert Group beginning in 2017, preferably at the beginning of the year; ITU Council will establish the group s terms of reference and the working methods for the review. The Experts Group is to submit its report to the Council 2018 for its consideration, publication and submission to PP 18. Each of the bureaux are instructed, within their respective fields of competence, to contribute to the review while recognizing that ITU T has most of the work relevant to the ITRs. In addition, Resolution 171, Preparations for the 2012 world conference on international telecommunications, was suppressed. The Definition of ICT PP 14 concluded: 1) that there was agreement that the working definition of ICT agreed by a ITU D Study Group 1 correspondence group would not become part of the treaty text; 2) that most delegations agreed with the text of the definition itself; but there was no consensus on the package of the scope/parameter limitations associated with the ITU D SG definition; and 3) the consensus was that NO decision could be made by PP 14. Still, the APT region was requested to draft alternative language about whether Council or the next Plenipotentiary should re open the question. Because no consensus was reached, none of the proposals or contributions (including that of the Correspondence Group) was accepted. Instead, there was a statement in the meeting report that the Committee 5 agreed not to provide a definition of the term ICT at this Conference, and that the matter could be addressed at the next Plenipotentiary Conference and, if need be, at Council. Resolution 163 Stable Constitution The U.S./CITEL proposals on this topic were completely successful. The Conference decided to not modify the structure of, nor the hierarchy between, the Constitution and the Convention (as currently stipulated in the relevant parts of Article 4 of the Constitution) and to make no amendment to any individual provision of the Constitution and the Convention at this Conference. If further opted to disband the Council Working Group on a Stable Constitution established under Resolution163 (Guadalajara, 2010) thereby avoiding a potentially destabilizing and inherently risky effort to revise the ITU s Constitution and Convention. Finally, it suppressed Resolution

6 ITU T / Standardization Issues Resolution 177 Conformity and Interoperability A chief concern since the inception this Resolution has been the ITU T s desire to establish an ITU Mark, or ITU Inside branding program for products that were certified to comply with certain ITU T Recommendations. The program languishes because few ITU T Recommendations play a relevant and current role in today s ICT ecosystem and there is no real incentive for manufacturers to participate. A CITEL IAP submitted to this Conference proposed eliminating all language on the ITU Mark. While the PP 14 did not remove every reference to the ITU Mark, what remains is a direct quote from the action plan stating the decision on the Mark was postponed until the first phase (conformity assessment) has matured. Moreover, the U.K. inserted further caveats stating that if/when the idea of the ITU Mark is entertained again, Council must specifically consider the financial and legal implications of such a program. The overall outcome is positive. New Resolution Combating counterfeit telecommunication/ict devices The issue of counterfeit is of great concern for many countries and has been conflated with conformance and interoperability. U.S. industry supports the Development Sector creating best practices (for what is clearly a law enforcement issue), but opposes the TSB trying to develop technical solutions. A specific key objective for this meeting was to oppose a Russian proposal for the ITU to develop a global registry of unique product identifiers, usurping the GSMA s IMEI database. While the RCC proposal was defeated (removing proposals for an ITU registry), a reference was made to the ITU s framework for ICT identification. In Plenary, the U.K. raised an objection to the recognizing of Recommendation X.1255 and the U.S. and a few other Administrations also weighed in. Following offline negotiations, the Russians in the next Plenary linked approval of the Counterfeit recommendation, with the inclusion of X.1255, to approval of the new mobile phone theft Resolution, and U.K. and allies conceded. Resolution 21 Measures concerning alternative calling procedures on international telecommunication networks New Resolution Countering misappropriation and misuse of International Telecommunication Numbering Resources Resolution 21 had not been amended since its adoption by PP 06. Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Netherlands, and the U.K. submitted a multi country proposal that sought to provide a more balanced view of alternative calling procedures (ACPs) by referencing the benefits of competition and lower calling costs for consumers, recognizing the range of parties impacted by ACPs and focusing on technical harm, rather than economic harm. It also acknowledged that the understanding of what is an alternative calling procedure has evolved over time. The Arab States and ATU proposed to strengthen the Resolution by adding provisions requiring caller identification information to help Member States enable proper charging of calls and the ATU also asserted such information is necessary to improve national security. ATU also sought continued study of ACPs in ITU T 6

7 Study Groups 2 and 3 and in particular, issues related to origination information (OI) and Calling Line Identification (CLI). The modified Resolution acknowledges that some Member States may need to know the origin of traffic, but does not link OI to charging or national security and encourages operators to pass OI and CLI wherever possible and in accordance with national law. The updated concepts presented in the European multi country proposal also were included in the revised text. In addition, Brazil proposed to include the issue of numbering misuse in Resolution 21. The separate issue of numbering misuse has become a priority for some countries, particularly small island developing countries that are subject to number hijacking. Brazil agreed that numbering misuse should not be conflated with ACPs and it was instead agreed to develop a new Resolution. The new Resolution calls for continued study of ways to improve the understanding, identification and Resolution of misappropriation and misuse of ITU T E.164 telephone numbers through activities of ITU T and ITU D Study Groups, with an emphasis on providing assistance to developing and least developed countries. Resolution 22 Apportionment of revenues in providing international telecommunication services Brazil withdrew its proposal to modify Resolution 22, which asked that the ITU T s work related to network externalities include international Internet connections and for the ITU T to continue its work on developing the appropriate costing methodologies for international Internet connections. In exchange, the COM 5 Chairman s report includes language noting the importance of this issue. Minor editorial updates had been proposed by APT but that proposal was not discussed in detail. COM 5 ultimately decided there would be No Change to this Resolution. Resolution 137 Next generation network deployment in developing countries New Resolution To promote efforts for capacity building on software defined networking in developing countries The RCC had proposed to include references to Software Defined Networks (SDN) in Resolution 137 and APT proposed to include direction for the ITU T to develop tariff and cost models for NGN. In addition, India had proposed a new stand alone Resolution on SDN. An informal group met and ultimately determined that the concept of SDN still is fairly new and evolving and should not be swept into Resolution 137. Instead, the Indian proposal was revised to more accurately describe SDN technology and potential, with a focus on ITU capacity building rather than standard setting in this area. It also was agreed to soften APT s proposed modifications to Resolution 137 and remove references to the ITU T development of tariff and cost models. New Resolution Assisting Member States to combat and deter mobile device theft This new Resolution, proposed by CITEL, is strongly supported by many Administrations because mobile phone theft has become an increasing safety issue in their respective countries. A key concern for U.S. industry is that the TSB does not get involved in developing technical standards because we would not want the ITU picking winners amongst anti theft applications, products and technology being offered by industry. The draft went back and forth between including TSB (championed by Saudi Arabia) and not. In 7

8 the end an instructs to the TSB was included, but also to the ITU R, so the hope is the mobile industry in ITU R will moderate any technical work in the TSB. Resolution 176 Human Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields The revised Resolution no longer calls for the ITU to develop EMF standards, as was originally suggested by the Arab States. Instead, the Resolution now only calls for ITU to participate in the Electromagnetic Field Programmes as part of collaborative efforts with other international organizations to encourage the development of international standards for EMF exposure, conducted by WHO. Radiocommunication / ITU R Issues Resolution 86 Satellite Regulatory Procedures There was limited support for an Argentina/Uruguay/Mexico/Paraguay s proposal to modify the Resolution 86 (Rev., Marrakesh 2002) Advance publication, coordination, notification and recording procedures for frequency assignments to address developing country challenges. Many preferred the U.S. proposal for no change (NOC) to this Resolution, noting that specific issues or possible changes addressing satellite procedures are more appropriately considered at a WRC. Argentina agreed to accept a statement in the meeting report inviting interested members to consider submitting proposals on this topic to WRC 15. While it was suggested that Agenda Item 7 be one way, Iran suggested that proposals should address WRC Resolution 86 or possibly WRC Resolution 80. Colombia Satellite Extension Request Colombia proposed a Resolution to extend the deadline for implementation of the SATCOL satellite system at orbital positions 70.9 West, 38 West and 131 West, until the 2015 WRC adopts appropriate provisions regarding the right of the Administration of Colombia to access the geostationary orbit under equitable conditions. Since only SATCOL 1B s frequency assignments would expire before WRC 15, it was agreed that the following text be included in the minutes of the Plenary: Regarding the SATCOL 1B (FSS) satellite network, should the notifying administration not be in a position to comply with the regulatory deadlines for bringing into use, it is recommended that the administration of Colombia (Republic of) bring the matter to the attention of WRC 15 for action, as appropriate, taking into account Article 44 of the ITU Constitution and the difficulties this developing country has and is experiencing bringing the frequency assignments into use. On an exceptional basis, it is also recommended that the Radiocommunication Bureau should take any appropriate action to facilitate consideration of the case by the 2015 World Radiocommunication Conference. While Colombia s immediate need was addressed on an exceptional basis, this issue will be raised at WRC 15 possibly both via a special request to address its own network, but also via proposals to modify regulations to take account of special needs of developing countries. 8

9 UNIDROIT While there was some support for PP 14 endorsing the ITU as the Supervisory Authority (SA) of the UNIDROIT space protocol, there was equal opposition, with the Europeans coming in strongly regarding the opposition of the space/satellite industry to the Protocol overall. Consensus reached was that, in part, since the Protocol was not yet in force, this decision was not time sensitive, and that the Council should continue considering the issue. The Secretary General was requested to provide further information on some of the outstanding questions raised by Member States regarding the legal, financial and strategic implications of ITU taking on this role. Importantly, Council was not empowered by the PP 14 to take a decision in this matter, so any decision about the ITU role would need to wait until PP 18. Essentially the status quo remains with ITU participating as an observer in any remaining Preparatory Commission activities and the Council considering in more detail the various issues at play regarding the ITU taking on the SA role. New Resolution on Satellite Interference Strengthening the ITU role with regard to transparency and confidence building measures in outer space activities A proposed new Resolution was developed by CEPT/Europe specifically to address issues of satellite jamming or intentional interference (in part related to issues between Iran and Eutelsat/BBC.) The Resolution guides ITU entry into possible cooperation agreements on use of satellite monitoring facilities, maintenance of a database on cases of harmful interference, and promoting access to information upon request by concerned Administrations, related to satellite monitoring facilities, to address cases of harmful interference in accordance with Article 15 of the Radio Regulations. In light of concerns about the role of the ITU in collecting data from monitoring stations and using it for other purposes, the implementation of this Resolution should be monitored through Council including reviewing any draft Cooperation Agreements the ITU seeks to sign with monitoring stations. New Resolution Global Flight Tracking for Civil Aviation Based on a merger of proposals addressing this topic from each of the regional groups (except RCC), consensus was reached on a new Resolution calling for a new WRC 15 agenda item to consider global flight tracking. Radio Regulations Board (RRB) Issues A CEPT proposal to define a procedure for appeals of RRB decisions and to require RRB members to make conflict of interest disclosures received some opposition. The outcome is a recommendation in the meeting report requesting the RRB and WRC 15 consider the conditions for reconsideration of a previous RRB decision on the basis of any proposals that may be made by Member States. Concerning the proposal regarding conflict of interests, PP 14 decided to require each RRB member to sign a declaration at the time of taking office. 9

10 Development Issues New Resolution Connectivity to broadband networks The CITEL IAP (initially proposed by Canada) on Connectivity to Mobile Broadband Networks highlighted the positive socio economic benefits of end user connectivity to mobile broadband networks and services, and encouraged Member States to support the development and deployment of mobile broadband networks as part of their national broadband strategies and policies. The IAP also proposed the ITU undertake capacity building activities related to the development of national strategies to facilitate the build out mobile broadband networks. The proposal was modified to consider broadband platforms more broadly and the new title reflects this change. Resolution 136 The use of telecommunications/information and communication technologies for monitoring and management in emergency and disaster situations for early warning, prevention, mitigation and relief A drafting group in the first week successfully reduced a proposal by India to add several provisions regarding standards for public safety features of IMT networks and interoperation between PPDR and IMT networks to a brief reference to use of public and private networks for disaster response. The Resolution provides overall guidance to the work of the ITU on disaster relief in all three sectors. New Resolution Facilitating Internet of Things (IoT) to prepare for a Globally Connected World Anew Resolution, was adopted following significant modifications to the original Korean/APT proposal. The new Resolution is about promoting investment and development in the IoT. It requires the Secretary General to facilitate the exchange of experiences and information with all relevant organizations and entities involved in IoT and IoT services, with the aim of creating opportunities for cooperative efforts to support the deployment of IoT and to submit annual reports to Council in sessions through 2018 with a final report to the 2018 PP. It also invites Member States to consider developing best practices to enhance the development of IoT. New Resolution Creating an enabling environment for the deployment and use of applications A rather far reaching Resolution from Korea/APT which had been focused on convergence has been significantly scaled back. In fact, convergence is no longer mentioned anywhere in the proposal. Resolution 123 Bridging the standardization gap between developing and developed countries Primary concerns with proposed modifications to this Resolution related to the RCC proposal that the ITU produce guiding principles to assist developing countries in codifying ITU T Recommendations in national standards. While countries have the sovereign right to write their own laws, U.S. industry 10

11 nonetheless pushes back on any attempt (perennial by Russia) to raise the status of ITU T standards beyond voluntary. The proposal was rejected and the Resolution remains fairly benign. Financial and Administrative Issues ITU Strategic and Financial Plans Resolution 71 (Strategic Plan) and Resolution 72 (Linkage of Strategic, Operational and Financial Planning) were both approved. Member States announced their choice of class of contribution (i.e., the number of Contributory Units they would pay) midway through the Plenipotentiary, resulting in a net reduction of about 13.5 MCHF for the 4 year period (Canada and France specifically were called out by the Secretary General in Plenary for reducing their fees.) 7MCHF of projected revenue from INR fees were also removed from the Financial Plan when it became clear there would be no agreement on new fees for numbering resources, for a net 4 year budget gap of about 20MCHF, or about 3% of the budget. After several meetings to discuss means to reduce expenditures, the budget was balanced based on efficiencies without need to withdraw funds from the Reserve Account. The actual impact on operations of the Sectors remains to be seen as each Bureau will try to implement a somewhat lower allocation of funds. International Numbering Resources (INRs) There was a deep divide and some confusion over the intent of the proposal to charge fees for INRs. Many supporters of charging for numbering resources kept talking about covering the ITU s costs for assigning or administering INRs, but the TSB continued recalling that they were asked by Council to look at revenue generation, not cost recovery. Most developed countries spoke strongly against the proposal and the more forthright supporters clearly equated the INR proposal with increasing revenues to help balance the ITU budget. Due to announced changes in Member State choice of Contributory Units, there was a 13.5 MCHF reduction in MS dues (over 4 years), increasing the pressure to use INR fees or other sources of revenues to help balance the budget. Discussions were so contentious that Committee 6 suspended its meeting to hold an informal information session of all interested parties with the Secretariat. In the end, there was no agreement to implement INR fees and 7MCHF of projected revenues from those fees, and 2MCHF of expenses to implement a charging system, were removed from the Financial Plan. The Committee 6 meeting report recognizes the differences of opinion and it approves the Secretariat to undertake further work, with participation of Sector Members and other interested parties, on the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing revenues from INRs to balance the budget, and to make a proposal to Council 2015 for decision, if appropriate. This issue is therefore not resolved, but only delayed. A blank line item for INRs had to be challenged in the closing sessions of Committee 6 and removed from the Financial Plan as some countries and the Secretariat were still holding out hope INR fees would be implemented by Council prior to the next PP. 11

12 Resolution 158 Financial issues for consideration by the Council A modified version of the Resolution was adopted. In addition to encouraging the Secretary General to find new sources of revenue to support the Union, it resolves to instruct the Council to study current methodologies and development of a future vision for the participation of Sector Members, Associates and Academia in the activities of ITU, including, inter alia, the analysis of the implications of various pricing methodologies, the current structure of membership and the benefits and participation rights of Sector Members, Associates and Academia, ways of increasing participation among non profit entities in the work of the Union, and review of the practice of exempting entities from membership fees. Importantly the instructions to the Secretary General to examine new sources of revenue, includes first a report to Council and that any new revenue generation would need to be approved by PP 18. Because any ITU revenue generation (see above) is likely to target private sector, or even to reopen the sensitive issue of satellite network filing cost recovery, USITUA should engage in the work related to this Resolution. New Resolution Review of the current methodologies and development of a future vision for the participation of Sector Members, Associates and Academia in the activities of ITU The USITUA authored proposal on ongoing studies was adopted without substantive change. Resolution COM 5/3 encourages the Council Working Group on Financial and Human Resources to continue ongoing studies regarding, among others: pricing methodologies for Sector Members and Associates, in terms of advantages and disadvantages, and consider additional benefits, including special status for Sector Members of all three Sectors; to study the current structure of membership and the benefits and participation rights of Sector Members, Associates and Academia, with a view to ensuring consistency and fairness between categories of membership; to review the practical application of the rights and obligations of Sector Members; One new item, proposed by the U.S. Delegation during the discussions, was to add review of the criteria for exemptions from membership fees. This Resolution will require detailed follow up by USITUA and Sector Members in the Council Working Group during the next four years. Resolution 169 Admission of Academia The Conference approved a modification to Resolution 169 based on the contributions of four regional groups. The U.S. did not have a proposal on this Resolution, but supported continuation of the trial period and study ongoing in the Council Working Group, per the draft new Resolution described above. The ad hoc group agreed to make the participation of Academia permanent, albeit still under review of the Council Working Group, and extended the participation to all of the Union, except for governance 12

13 activities such as treaty conferences. Moreover, it stated that Academia would to need only contribute at the amount currently set for Academia in a single sector. Resolution 152 Arrears All of the U.S. (and CITEL) revisions were agreed. This will make permanent the flexibility granted to the Secretary General to negotiate payment plans with Sector Members and Associates who were late in paying their dues, or who are working out new arrangements due to mergers or acquisitions, or whose payment just got lost in the mail. These revisions help address language adopted in Guadalajara which resulted in short, inflexible time frames after which the Sector Member or Associate would be first suspended and then terminated. Document Access The issue of document access was considered in three parts. (1) On the first day, the meeting agreed to make the input contributions and outputs of the PP 14 available to the public. (2) The Conference adopted modified Decision 12 on Free Online Access to ITU documents. The amendments make permanent the free online public access to certain documents that previously had been only available by sale like ITU T, R and D Recommendations, certain ITU publications and reports, the Basic Texts of the Union, and the final reports of WTDCs; the ITU Council Resolutions and decisions; the final acts of world and regional radiocommunication conferences; and the final acts of world conferences on international telecommunications. (3) The meeting recommended action on an overall document access policy for the Union including: Agreeing to provide public access to all input and output documents of all conferences and assemblies of the Union starting from the beginning of year 2015 (not including study group documents). This would include all WRC 15 documents. The Council Working Group on Financial and Human resources will prepare a draft document access policy for submission to Council for its consideration and provisional approval and implementation. The Council will submit the policy to 2018 Plenipotentiary Conference for final decision. Resolution 157 Strengthening the ITU Project Execution Function A modified Resolution 157 was adopted, in part based on modifications proposed by the U.S./CITEL. The updated Resolution is intended to provide greater instruction to ITU to collaborate and coordinate with other expert organizations and to provide greater involvement of Member states in ensuring that priorities and possible forms of funding are agreed prior to implementation of initiatives. 13

14 New Resolution ITU participation in memoranda of understanding with financial and/or strategic implications This new Resolution instructs Council to formulate criteria and guidelines for ITU participation in MoUs that have financial and/or strategic implication and gives Council a more clear oversight role of ITU entering into MoUs or cooperation agreements. The new Resolution will have direct relevance to some ITU activities in the area of cybersecurity, and to the new Resolution addressing satellite interference. Resolution 11 ITU TELECOM The revised Resolution removed alternating fixed venues with competitively selected venues. Instead, TELECOM will be held annually at venues based on competitive selection. Negotiations with the host should use the model host country agreement. Not much else changed, and a proposal from UAE for ITU TELECOM to only take place every other year was not accepted. New Resolution Options for the Union s Headquarter premises over the long term This matter not only continued under active debate during the Plenipot but it was expanded when it became known that the ITU Tower will also face maintenance and building code issues in the next few years. The Secretariat had presented several options, from a do nothing plan, to replacing Varembe and finding other, temporary space in Geneva during the construction phase. A new Resolution was approved with an urgent and aggressive timetable for the extraordinary session of Council on 7 November to set up a new Council Working Group open to all MSs to explore all options, including an option to relocate ITU Headquarters, and to make proposals to the next Plenipot for action. Alternatively, if Council feels that it has sufficient information, Council is authorized to take the decision and implement necessary administrative and financial arrangements without waiting for PP 18. Resolution 77 Scheduling and duration of Conferences, Forums and Assemblies and Council Sessions of the Union PP 14 adopted the following upcoming conference schedule: WTSA shall be held in the last quarter of 2016; WTDC shall be held in November December of 2017; Plenipotentiary Conference shall be held in the United Arab Emirates in the last quarter of 2018; RA and WRC shall be held in 2019; 14

15 ANNEX I: ELECTIONS PP 14 elected the five top officials of the ITU: Houlin Zhao (China) Secretary General Malcolm Johnson (UK) Deputy Secretary General Chaesub Lee (Korea) Director of the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau Francois Rancy (France) Director of the Radiocommunication Bureau Brahima Sanou (Burkina Faso) Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau Regarding Council elections, it is noted that Sweden, who has been a steadfast supporter of openness and transparency, did not run for another term in Council; the Caribbean again did not win a seat at Council (aside from Cuba which is not part of CITEL); Malaysia lost its seat by one vote, despite doubling its contributory units and neither South Africa nor Cameroon (who most recently was Chair of Council) were reelected. ITU Council Election Results Region A: The Americas (9 seats) Region B: Western Europe (8 seats) 1. Brazil Switzerland Argentina Italy Mexico Turkey Cuba Germany Costa Rica France USA Spain Canada Greece Paraguay Lithuania Venezuela 115 Barbados 113 Region C: Eastern Europe and N. Asia (5 Seats) 1. Poland Bulgaria Russian Federation Romania Azerbaijan 94 Kyrgyzstan 91 Macedonia 71 15

16 Region D: Africa (13 seats) Region : E: Asia and Australasia (13 seats) 1. Mali China Ghana Korea (Rep. of) Kenya Japan Burkina Faso Indonesia Uganda Kuwait Egypt UAE Tunisia Australia Morocco Bangladesh Rwanda Philippines Senegal Saudi Arabia Tanzania Thailand Nigeria India Algeria Pakistan 101 South Africa 105 Malaysia 100 Cameroon 102 Sri Lanka 83 Côte d'ivoire 99 Lebanon 80 Zambia 89 Iran 72 Bahrain 70 Radio Regulations Board Election Results Region A Ricardo Luis Teran (Argentina) Joanne Wilson (USA) Region B Alfredo Magenta (Italy) Lilian Jeanty (Netherlands) Region C Victor Strelets (Russia) Ievgen Khairov (Ukraine) Region D Stanley Kibe (Kenya) Simon Koffi (Cote d Ivoire) Mustapha Bessi (Morocco) Region E Yasuhiko Ito (Japan) Nasser Bin Hammad (UAE) Doan Quang Hoan (Vietnam) 16

17 ANNEX II: RESOLUTIONS AND DECISIONS New Decisions Decision[COM6/1] on Monitoring mechanism on ITU programmes and projects Decision [COM6/2] on Use of hyperlinks in ITU documents New Resolutions Resolution [COM5/1] on Global flight tracking for civil aviation Resolution [COM5/2] on Strengthening the role of ITU with regard to transparency and confidence building measures in outer space activities Resolution [COM5/3] on Review of the current methodologies and development of a future vision for the participation of Sector Members, Associates and Academia in the activities of ITU Resolution [COM5/4] on Combating counterfeit telecommunication/ict devices Resolution [COM5/5] on Assisting Member States to combat and deter mobile device theft Resolution [COM5/6] on Countering misappropriation and misuse of International Telecommunication Numbering Resources Resolution [COM6/1] on Strategy for the coordination of efforts among the three Sectors of the Union Resolution [COM6/2] on ITU participation in MoUs with financial/ strategic implications Resolution [COM6/4] on Support and assistance to the Republic of Iraq to rebuild its telecommunication sector Resolution [COM6/5] on Options for the Union s Headquarter premises over the long term Resolution [WG PL/1] on Implementation of Smart Africa Manifesto Resolution [WG PL/2] on Protecting Telecommunication Service Users/Consumers Resolution [WG PL/3] on Facilitating Internet of Things (IoT) to prepare for a Globally Connected World Resolution [WG PL/4] on Empowerment of youth through telecommunication/information and communication technology Resolution [WG PL/5] on To promote efforts for early adoption of Software Defined Networking (SDN) in developing countries Resolution [WG PL/6] on Creating an enabling environment for the deployment and use of ICT applications Resolution [WG PL/7] on Using ICTs to break the chain of health related emergencies such as Ebola virus transmission Resolution [WG PL/8] on Connectivity to Broadband Networks Resolution [WG PL/9] on Connect 2020 Agenda for Global Telecommunication/ICT Development Modified Decisions and Resolutions Decisions Decision 5 on Income and expenditure for the Union Decision 11 on Creation and management of Council working groups Decision 12 on Free online access to ITU Publications Resolutions Resolution 2 on World Telecommunication Policy Forum Resolution 11 on ITU Telecom events 17

18 Resolution 21 on Special measures concerning alternative calling procedures on international telecommunication networks Resolution 25 on Strengthening the regional presence Resolution 30 on Special measures for the least developed countries, small island developing states, landlocked developing countries and countries with economies in transition Resolution 34 on Assistance and support to countries in special need for rebuilding their telecommunication sector Resolution 41 on Arrears, special arrears accounts and cancelled special arrears account Resolution 48 on Human Resources management and development Resolution 58 on Financial issues for consideration by the Council Resolution 64 on Non discriminatory access to modern telecommunication/information and communication technology facilities, services and applications, including applied Research and transfer of technology, on mutually agreed terms Resolution 70 on Gender mainstreaming in ITU and promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women through information and communication technologies Resolution 71 on Strategic plan for the Union for Resolution 72 on Linking strategic, financial and operational planning in ITU Resolution 77 on Future conferences, assemblies and forums of the Union Resolution 94 on Auditing of the accounts of the Union Resolution 99 on Status of Palestine in ITU Resolution 101 on Internet Protocol based networks Resolution 102 on ITU's role with regard to international public policy issues pertaining to the Internet and the management of Internet Resources, including domain names and addresses Resolution 111 on Scheduling of ITU conferences and assemblies Resolution 123 on Bridging the standardization gap between developing and developed countries Resolution 125 on Assistance and support to Palestine for rebuilding its telecommunication networks Resolution 130 on Strengthening the role of ITU in building confidence and security in the use of information and communication technologies Resolution 131 on Measuring Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to build an integrating and inclusive information society Resolution 133 on Role of administrations of Member States in the management of internationalized (multilingual) domain names Resolution 135 on ITU s role in the development of telecommunication/ information and communication technologies, in providing technical assistance and advice to developing countries, and in implementing relevant national, regional and interregional projects Resolution 136 on The use of telecommunications/information and communication technologies for monitoring and management in emergency and disaster situations for early warning, prevention, mitigation and relief Resolution 137 on Next generation network deployment in developing countries Resolution 139 on Telecommunications/information and communication technologies to bridge the digital divide and build an inclusive information society Resolution 140 on ITU's role in implementing the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society and in the overall review by United Nations General Assembly of their implementation 18

19 Resolution 144 on Availability of model host country agreements in advance for conferences and assemblies of the Union held away from Geneva Resolution 146 on Review of the International Telecommunication Regulations Resolution 150 on Approval of the accounts of the Union for the years Resolution 151 on Implementation of Result based management in ITU Resolution 152 on Improvement of management and follow up of the defrayal of ITU expenses by Sector Members and Associates Resolution 154 on Use of the six official languages of the Union on an equal footing Resolution 157 on Strengthening of the project execution function in ITU Resolution 158 on Financial issues for consideration by the Council Resolution 159 on Assistance and support to Lebanon for rebuilding its telecommunication networks (fixed and mobile) Resolution 162 on Independent management advisory committee (IMAC) Resolution 166 on Number of vice chairmen of Sector advisory groups, study groups and other groups Resolution 167 on Strengthening ITU capabilities for electronic meetings and means to advance the work of the Union Resolution 169 on Admission of academia, universities and their associated Research establishments to participate in the work of the three Sectors of the Union Resolution 170 on Admission of Sector Members from developing countries to participate in the work of the ITU Radiocommunication Sector and the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector Resolution 174 on ITU's role with regard to international public policy issues relating to the risk of illicit use of information and communication technologies Resolution 175 on Telecommunication/information and communication technology accessibility for persons with disabilities, including age related disabilities Resolution 176 on Human exposure to and measurement of electromagnetic fields Resolution 177 on Conformance and interoperability Resolution 179 on ITU s role in child online protection Resolution 180 on Facilitating the transition from IPv4 to IPv6 Resolution 182 on The role of telecommunications/information and communication technologies in regard to climate change and the protection of the environment Resolution 183 on Telecommunication/ICT applications for e health Suppressed Resolutions Resolution 4 on Duration of plenipotentiary conferences of the Union Resolution 35 on Telecommunication support for the protection of the environment Resolution 93 on Special arrears accounts Resolution 153 on Scheduling of Council sessions and plenipotentiary conferences Resolution 163 on the Establishment of a Council Working Group on a stable ITU Constitution Resolution 171 on Preparations for the 2012 World Conference on International Telecommunications Resolution 172 on the Overall review of implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society 19