Page 20 - SAMENA Trends - June-July 2020

SAMENA COUNCIL ACTIVITY SAMENA TRENDS

SAMENA Council Emphasized on the Importance of Private

Sector Engagement in the Work of ITU-D During ITU-D’s

Telecommunication Development Advisory Group (“TDAG”)

Meeting 2020 in ITU-D in Geneva, Switzerland

SAMENA Telecommunications Council, of the ITU and advises the Director of the Chief Regulatory Officers’ (“CRO”) meeting
represented by Bocar A. Ba, emphasized Telecommunication Development Bureau thanked the Secretariat for its good work
on the importance of private sector (BDT) on the implementation of the WTDC in relation to Membership engagement.
engagement in the work of ITU-D during Action Plan, including issues relating to Further, M. Ba informed the meeting that
ITU-D’s Telecommunication Development the budget and the operational plan of in an attempt to fully implement WTDC-
Advisory Group. TDAG reviews priorities, the Sector. In his intervention, Bocar Ba in 17 resolution 71, SAMENA Council took
strategies, operations and financial matters the capacity of Chair of the Private Sector the initiative to draft Terms of Reference
to guide the work to enhance ITU-D
membership in particular, as regards the
private sector, industry, associates and
academia. Bocar Ba outlined the process
involved in drafting the ToRs, which were
presented to a consultative meeting for
ITU-D membership organized by the
Director of the BDT last year. Bocar closed
his intervention by re-stating the need for
strengthening the role of the private sector
and industry in the work of ITU, to which
the ToRs can be used to fulfil this objective.

SAMENA Council Delivered Operators’ Perspectives at ITU’s
Virtual World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+15

Virtual Forum 2020)

SAMENA Telecommunications Council, In the context of the current COVID-19 to achieve key milestones on the way to
represented by its CEO M. Bocar Ba, and future crises, Bocar Ba highlighted fulfilling the SDGs are therefore needed.
provided key industry priorities and to a global audience of ministers,
perspectives on Succeeding in the Next government officials and private sector Mr. Ba closed his contribution by
Decade of Connectivity & Connectedness. leaders that in order to uphold the promise highlighting that to drive progress, new
In his Policy Statement delivered during of the Connect 2030 Agenda and close and innovative approaches to investment
WSIS High-Level Policy Sessions on 23 the Digital Divide, the availability and and financing, latest technologies and,
July 2020, M. Ba emphasized the need for accessibility of high-speed broadband a conducive business and regulatory
better approaches and incentives to roll- networks are vital. He emphasized that environment are required. Key priorities
out advanced, reliable and resilient digital the COVID-19 crisis highlights just how for the ICT stakeholder community,
network infrastructure. M. Ba stressed the use of ICTs can contribute to better in particular telecommunications
that universal, affordable and accessible managing and living through crises and operators and regulators, for the next
advanced communications networks are underlined that “our success between decade include relevant public-private-
key to better managing and overcoming 2020 and 2030 will be influenced by our people collaboration and partnerships,
the current and future crises. The Summit progress made in meaningfully leveraging a broader stakeholder basis for funding
was delivered virtually, bringing together digital communications technologies, and financing of infrastructure and better
key information and communication their application and the advanced digital investment incentives, market openness,
technology (ICT) experts and leaders from networks that they run and scale on”. M. Ba the facilitation of sufficient spectrum,
around the globe to advance technological further stated that regulators and operators increased deployment of fibre and
solutions to accelerate progress on the and the larger ICT community, together, infrastructure sharing, better tax regimes,
United Nations' Sustainable Development have demonstrated and can achieve major build-out and access to resilient and secure
Goals (SDGs). milestones effectively and efficiently when cloud infrastructure and, sustainability.
threats are tangible. Increased efforts
20 JUNE-JULY 2020