Plenipotentiary Conference 2018: The end of the election week and the start of the decisions and policies phase

07/11/2018

In the course of his duties as the chairman of the Plenipotentiary Conference 2018, H.E. Eng. Majed Al Mesmar tours the conference halls to participate in discussions on research topics, where intensive talks are taking place to reach agreed final conclusions that reflect the views of all parties.

These tours come after the end of the first week of the conference, during which the ITU Secretary-General, his deputy, Member States of the ITU Council, and Radio Regulations Board have been elected.

During the plenaries, more than 200 decisions will be proposed for adoption by the ITU. These decisions will shape the future of the ICT sector for the next four years. Among the conference discussions topics is the adoption of the ITU strategy, which focuses this year on the United Nations sustainable development goals, which were adopted in 2015 and became part of the world work programs in various fields, including ICT.

Commenting on what has been accomplished so far, H.E. Majed Al Mesmar, Chairman of the Plenipotentiary Conference 2018, said: “The conference first week witnessed the elections of the ITU and Member States. At the same time, the meetings regarding ICT decisions and proposals have been taking place in closed sessions. Today, I have toured between the halls, witnessed the discussions on various topics, and ensured that everything is going in the right direction, to finalize the decisions and proposals that will be adopted in the plenaries.”

H.E. Al Mesmar emphasized on the importance of the discussions and dialogues taking place in the conference at this stage. He added: “The world today is on the brink of major changes, and the ITU is keen to enhance the humanity’s benefit of modern technologies worldwide. However, there are many challenges to achieving this goal, as nearly half of the world’s population is not connected to the internet, making them far from benefiting from digital economy we all aspire to.”

He added: “Internet connectivity is a prerequisite for the success of digital economy, where products and services are required to be provided through digital platforms for consumers to purchase through those internet-connected platforms. Working to bridge the gap and attract more people into the world of internet is a precondition for realizing ITU’s hope of digital markets spreading and enhancing the concepts of the digital knowledge economy.”

H.E. Al Mesmar confirmed that the UAE today represents a model for other countries in the use of communications technology to serve digital trends in government work as well as in economy. Furthermore, we work under the directions of our wise leadership to implement the 5G of communications technology during the next year to serve as a foundation for smart city and comprehensive digital transactions.

The plenipotentiary conference is held every four years, and gathers Member States under the ITU umbrella. The currently held conference will develop the 2020-2023 Plan related to the latest global developments in ICT.