International Telecommunication Union (ITU) International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU, International Telecommunication Union — ITU) is specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) in the field of telecommunication. Growth, sustainable development and universality of access to telecommunication and information networks for the population of the whole world is intended to provide ITU. The organization defines standards and makes the recommendations concerning the radio sphere - and telecommunications.

The union received the name in 1934, and in 1947 became specialized department of the United Nations (UN). The headquarters is located in Geneva (Switzerland).

The standards approved by the organization are not obligatory, however the recommendations of this union are widely supported by all member countries. The main objective of UTI - distribution of frequencies and standardization of the telecommunication equipment and equipment.

For more than 145 years the ITU performs coordination of sharing of a radio frequency spectrum on a global basis, promotes the international cooperation at distribution of orbital positions for satellites, promotes improvement of infrastructure of telecommunication in developing countries and creates the world standards which provide free interaction of broad range of communication systems. From broadband networks to wireless technologies of new generation, air and sea navigation, radio astronomy, meteorology using satellites and convergence of the fixed and mobile telephone communication, the Internet and technologies of broadcasting.

Structure

For 2014 193 countries including the Russian Federation are a part of the International Telecommunications Union.

Structurally the ITU is subdivided into 3 sectors:

• The ITU-R is the sector of a radio communication
• ITU-T — the Telecommunication Standardisation Sector
• The ITU-D is the sector of development of a radio communication

2018: In Russia the radio regulations of the International Telecommunication Union are approved

The Government of the Russian Federation approved radio regulations of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in April, 2018. New edition of the document is accepted according to the results of the world conferences of the union in Geneva in 2012 and 2015, said in the order of the Cabinet of Ministers^[1].

The regulations are a component of the charter of the international organization and set the general principles of effective use at the international level of a radio frequency spectrum and orbital and frequency resource for spacecrafts on a geostationary earth orbit, elimination of origins of noises between different radio services. Taking into account development of modern radio technologies the Radio regulations were reviewed at conferences of ITU in Geneva in 2012 and 2015.

As noted in the reference to the order of the government, new edition of radio regulations corresponds to the Russian legislation and does not require ratification.

"The made decision is equitable to the interests of Russia at distribution and management of a limited natural resource – a radio frequency spectrum, will promote settlement of use of a radio frequency spectrum in territories, border with the adjacent states, to providing and protection of a national orbital and frequency resource", said in an explanation.

2017: The concept of the new convention of the UN from the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications

The Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications developed at the beginning of 2017 the concept of the new convention of the UN in which it is about management of the Internet and also about its security and development. The ministry reported about it on the website. Department notes that the concept should promote development of the Internet, increase its security and guarantee to net surfers of their right and freedom. Besides, the document stipulates equal international cooperation in management of the Internet and offers a number of the principles on which this management should be based^[2].

2014: The representative of China Houlin Zhao is elected the head of the union

In October, 2014 the representative of People's Republic of China Houlin Zhao who since 2015 releases the native of Mali Hamadoun Toure who worked as eight years from this duty is elected the secretary general of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

In total for the first week of an authorized conference of ITU which started on October 20, 2014 in South Korean Busan delegates selected the secretary general of the Union, his deputy and also three directors of bureau. All of them started new responsibilities on January 1, 2015 and will be in these positions until the end of 2018.

Elections to ITU happen by the principle "one country – one voice", irrespective of the size of the state. The ITU includes 193 countries, however not all of them could send delegations to an authorized conference (generally because of financial difficulties, and several African states – because of fever epidemic Ebola).

According to ComNews, 168 national delegations reached Busan, and three more beforehand delegated powers to others (Iceland – Denmark, Malta – to the Netherlands, and the Republic Guinea – Mali).

The intrigue with the choice of the new secretary general was not expected – on this position the uncontested candidate, the representative of China Houlin Zhao who for the last eight years held a post of the deputy secretary general of the Union was proposed. At the same time it received all 152 votes from the countries which were taking part in vote on his candidate.

Hamadoun Toure submitted the new secretary general the cases and powers till December 23, 2014 Hamadoun Toure is sure that his successor will pay the main attention to the subject ShPD which is at the head of a corner for ITU also at this time.

"The future of telecommunications  –  ​ behind mobile communication and broadband access, and first of all behind service on their joint, i.e. behind broadband wireless access, - he argues. – In the next period work of ITU will be focused on selection of a radio frequency spectrum for mobile broadband access and on creation of new standards of wireless networks. At the same time the organization of Internet access  –  ​ only a half put, as an absolute victory it is possible to consider only ensuring complete security in Network".

At a press conference in Busan, right after announcement of results of vote on the candidate for the secretary general, Houlin Zhao recognized:

"To the representative of China to take the highest position in such large international body as ITU, very not easy. I needed for this purpose 28 years".

Houlin Zhao since 1986 was the senior regular specialist of the International advisory committee on telegraph and telephone communication (MKKTT, nowadays - Bureau of standardization of telecommunication). In 1999-2006 he during two terms in a row was the director of Bureau of standardization of telecommunication.

"I was number 2 in the Hamaduna command of Toure, and it would be strange if I announced essentially other policy. But the new ideas are always good, and we still will discuss them".

He added that he is going to start in ITU the project which will open access to the international experience and information resources to the enterprises of small and medium business in developing countries.

"I also want to increase the number of the academic and scientific organizations - members of ITU - from present 80 to more than 200", - the elected secretary general of ITU concluded.

During the authorized conference underwent also elections of the deputy secretary general, and here fight was persistent. Five candidates – from Great Britain, Canada, Poland, Nigeria and Mauritania applied for this position. In the first round, in the morning on October 23, none of applicants gathered a necessary majority of voices (50% of all participants of vote), and the second round was appointed to the middle of the same day. By its beginning it became clear that the representative of Mauritania Fatimeta Mohammed-Salek who gathered least of all voices in the first round (19 of 156), withdrew the candidacy.

The second round also did not define the winner, and the third round of elections was appointed on October 24 to morning. It turned out that the representative of Canada Bruce Gracie who gained the minimum quantity of voices in the second round refused further fight (22 of 171).

The third round also did not bring a victory to any of applicants for a position of the deputy secretary general of ITU. 169 delegations took part in this round of vote, and votes were distributed so: British Malcolm Johnson – 71 voice, the Nigerian Shola Taylor – 51, and Pole Magdaléna Guy – 47 (at a necessary majority in 85 voices).

Article 32 "Special Rules of Procedure of Elections of the Secretary General, Deputy Secretary General and Directors of Bureau" of the General rules of conferences, assemblies and meetings of ITU regulates that if according to the results of three rounds of vote any applicant did not gather a necessary majority, only two candidates who got the maximum number of votes succeed to the fourth round.

Therefore in the fourth round which took place on October 24 at 2:30 p.m. on the Korean time, there passed Malcolm Johnson and Shola Taylor. Ballots in ballot boxes were cast by 168 countries from which 104 voted for Malcolm Johnson, and 64 – for Shola Taylor. Thus, the next four years Malcolm Johnson before heading in ITU of Bureau of standardization of telecommunication was elected the deputy secretary general. By the way, Malcolm Johnson in all four rounds of vote collected more than all votes.

Also on October 24 elections of directors of three bureaus ITU took place: radio communications, standardization of telecommunication and development of telecommunication. To the first and third positions uncontested candidates were also provided: respectively Frenchman Francois Runcie and Brahim to Sang from Burkina Faso (both hold these posts since 2010 and moved forward for the second term).

But for a chair of the director of Bureau of standardization of telecommunication three applicants competed at once: Ahmet Erdinç Cavusoglu from Turkey, Chey-Cub Li from South Korea and Bilel Dzhamussi from Tunisia. The authorized conference predictably selected to Francois Runcie and Brahim Sang (each of them received on 166 voices at 169 submitted bulletins), and Chey-Cub Li who collected 87 votes from 169 (Dzhamussi received 50 votes, and Cavusoglu – 32)^[3] became the new head of Bureau of standardization of telecommunication].

Notes