Geneva, April 11, 2018 – SAMENA Telecommunications Council, represented by Bocar A. Ba, made a contribution to the Telecommunication Development Advisory Group (“TDAG”) on issues to strengthen the role of private industry in ITU Telecommunication Development Sector (“ITU-D”) at ITU headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. TDAG reviews priorities, strategies, operations and financial matters of the ITU and advises 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 Sector.
In its contribution, SAMENA Council proposed that the Industry Advisory Group on Development Issues (“IAGDI”) can address globally emerging issues and themes of telecommunication/ICT development and provide advisory support to the ITU-D with the ultimate purpose of strengthening the role of the private sector – industry in particular – to augment development endeavours of ITU-D in a form of industry manifesto or communique. The IAGDI was adopted to be created at the World Telecommunications Development Conference 2017 (“WTDC”) in Buenos Aires through Resolution 71.
In the context of the advancements that are taking place within the digital communications industry, Mr. Ba highlighted to TDAG participants from Member States, industry, ITU-D Study Groups, bilateral cooperation- and development aid agencies and multilateral development institutions the need to put into effect a platform for private industry to raise awareness of emerging technologies and associated issues in a converged and dynamic ecosystem and to bring private sector closer to the public sector and thereby help strengthen the development work of the ITU-D. SAMENA Council proposed that IAGDI can fulfill this role.
As Resolution 71 does not define the detailed scope of IAGDI, SAMENA Council’s contribution puts forward for consideration areas of importance and relevance, pertaining to and necessary for overcoming a wide array of issues faced globally by the industry and widely deemed important to all the stakeholders in being able to make progress in advancing the Agenda for Sustainable Development. These include:
• SDG-conform service definitions and categorization;
• Addressing imperils of broadband regulation on sustainable investment by telecom operators;
• Breaking away from regulatory and financial burdens;
• Creating new possibility in Public-Private-People partnerships for meeting global ICT goals.
SAMENA Telecommunications Council in its contribution encouraged active participation by the private sector in IAGDI in order to contribute to ITU-D’s mandate toward achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and invited TDAG to consider its proposal for the effective and timely outcome of IAGDI to meet the needs of a fast evolving and developing telecommunication/ICT sector.
About SAMENA Telecommunications Council:
SAMENA Telecommunications Council is South Asia - Middle East - North Africa (SAMENA) region’s premier industry association of telecom operators and service providers. SAMENA Council voices network operators’ issues and needs to regulators, policymakers, and international institutions. The most renowned regional telecom operators, including Saudi Telecom, Etisalat, Batelco Group, du, Viva Kuwait, Orange - MEA, Zain Group, Telecom Egypt, Sudatel, Omantel, and Alfa (managed by Orascom TMT), among other leading operators and technology companies, are a part of the Council’s membership. SAMENA Council is a sector development partner to the private and the public sectors, and empowers stakeholders to communicate together and addressing the most pressing industry issues, in order to help create a sustainable business environment for the industry, and to accelerate digital development in regional economies.
As an international non-profit organization, SAMENA Council is contributing to the understanding of cross-stakeholder priorities within the public and the private sectors. The Council has created a unique regional position as the regulatory reach and operator advocacy organization, promoting institution-level engagements with leading private and public-sector organizations.
SAMENA Council was founded in 2006. In February 2018 in Barcelona, Saudi Telecom Company, represented by Eng. Nasser Al Nasser as its GCEO, was re-elected to chair the Board of Directors of SAMENA Council.
Source: SAMENA Press Release