ITU meetings lay groundwork for world conference in 2014

Broadcasting and telecommunications experts from across the Asia-Pacific have been meeting in Cambodia this week to prepare for an important world conference in 2014.

More than 175 delegates from 31 countries attended the Asia-Pacific Regional Development Forum (RDF) and the Regional Preparatory Meeting (RPM) for next year’s World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-14).

The meetings in Phnom Penh were organised by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as part of its preparations for WTDC-14 and were launched by the Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia.  

At the opening session, the Director of the ITU’s Development Bureau, Mr Brahima Sanou, outlined the ITU’s development efforts around the world and underlined the importance of equal broadband access to all. The Secretary General of the ITU, Dr Hamadoun Touré, also addressed the meeting.

The RDF, with the theme “Asia-Pacific: Smartly Digital”, provided a platform for delegates from the telecommunication and information technology sector and beyond to address the key challenges and opportunities for sustainable, inclusive, innovative and creative development in the Asia-Pacific region.

Then the three-day RPM on WTDC-14 provided a forum to engage the ITU members in the WTDC process and to consider, at the regional level, appropriate development strategies and priority areas that need to be addressed to foster the development of telecommunication and information sectors.

The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) presented proposals including implementing digital services, human resource development in broadcasting, closer interaction between regulators and broadcasters and setting up an Asia-Pacific Regional Initiative for the Implementation of Digital Broadcasting.