Page 92 - SAMENA Trends - June-August 2021

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

REGULATORY NEWS

ITU Director-BDT Opens Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR 2021) and

Highlights the Need for 5th Generation Regulation for Fostering Sustainable
Growth of the ICT Ecosystem

and optimize the functioning of the digital markets that
are now so vital to every segment of our economies,
and our societies. Ms. Bogdan-Martin emphasized that
regulators require relevant tools that ensure protection
of citizen interests while also ensuring predictability
and business protection for the ICT ecosystem players.
It is the principles of ensuring protection of interests at
both ends and to put in place future-proof regulatory
frameworks, which should be flexible enough to respond
to the challenges of digital transformation requirements
of the evolving digital economies, which lie at the
foundation of the 5th generation of regulation and it is
this next generation of regulatory approaches, combined
with customized approaches which should reflect the
enormous diversity of our six global regions, that would
Director, Telecommunication Development Bureau of the International help mitigate global crises situations of the future. In
Telecommunication Union (ITU), Doreen Bogdan-Martin, opened the order to move forward, stakeholder priorities should
core program of the GSR-21 sessions yesterday, with a strong message be aligned, with the willingness that old rules that are
signifying the importance of digital technologies and emphasizing the no longer relevant should be revoked. Moreover, new
criticality of a new wave of policy and regulatory leadership required strategic priorities should be carefully set on addressing
to implement people-centered connectivity initiatives. Acknowledging the short-to-medium term outlook for national and
the contributions and collaboration demonstrated by the regulatory global markets, complemented by longer-term strategies
authorities and the private sector over the last year, particularly telecom that are aligned with relevant national policies, and help
operators, including measures taken such as expanding access to ensure a coordinated approach to advancing regional
spectrum resources from the regulatory front to unbuckling usage limits development priorities. The importance of multi-
at the user end, Director BDT drew attention to the prevailing climate stakeholder coordination and consultation, regulatory
of global uncertainty and how the role of policymakers and regulators adjustments through an iterative process were also
to empower, to enable, and to connect is now ever more important to highlighted in the Director BDT's address. Since 2000, the
contend with digital divides. Director BDT linked the way forward to closer Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR) brings together
collaboration - collaboration among countries and regions, among public- heads of national telecom/ICT regulatory authorities
sector entities, telecom operators, and digital platform providers, as well from around the world and has earned a reputation as the
as among other digital space players. Doreen Bogdan-Martin defined global annual venue for regulators to share their views
the role of the new or fifth generation of regulators as that of architects and experiences on the most pressing regulatory issues
who can enable "fit-for-purpose, collaborative regulation", helping shape
they have identified. GSR also fosters a dynamic global
industry regulators dialogue, between regulators, policy
makers, industry leaders and other key ICT stakeholders.
GSR’s Global Dialogue provides a neutral platform for
ITU-D Sector Members to share their views on major
issues facing the ICT sector. GSR concludes with the
adoption by regulators of a set of regulatory best practice
guidelines. Over the next three days the GSR program will
seek to address many of the most pressing issues facing
regulators working within today’s complex and inter-
dependent digital ecosystem. GSR-21 will also showcase
the ITU's new G5 Accelerator Platform, which brings
together new ICT Regulatory Tracker, ICT Policy Impact
Lab, and, soon, the new G5 Benchmark, in which SAMENA
Council also has had the opportunity to contribute.
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