United Nations

WSIS+10 Final Statement (25-27 Feb 13)

FINAL STATEMENT

INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE FOR ALL: AN EXPANDED VISION AND A RENEWED COMMITMENT

Introduction

Ten years ago, the representatives of the peoples of the world, assembled in Geneva in 2003 and in Tunis in 2005 for the first and second phases of the World Summit on the Information Society adopted a common vision of the Information Society, identified its key principles and outlined the main challenges towards an Information Society for All based on shared Knowledge.

Agenda for the Plenary Thursday

1. Opening of Plenary

2. COM 5 Chairman: Approval of Resolution 1, B-1, CAN-1 and Recommendation ITU-T A.5 and closing remarks

4.35

Resolution 1 - Rules of procedure of the ITU Telecommunication
Standardization Sector (ITU-T)

Doc116

4.55

Draft New Resolution [B-1]: Acknowledging the active involvement of the membership in the development of ITU-T deliverables

“

4.56

Draft New Resolution [CAN-1]: Strengthening Collaboration

“

4.58

Recommendation ITU-T A.5: Generic procedures for including references to documents of other organizations in ITU‑T Recommendations

“

The highlights and low points of WCIT

by .Nxt | 15 Dec 2012 |

It was both very fast and painfully slow. The key moments


Iran forces a vote, and presages the end of WCIT. Credit: ITU

One thing that everyone could agree on in the build-up to the World Conference on International Telecommunications was that anything could happen during the two weeks in Dubai.

The logic of forcing the world's governments into a box to rewrite a global treaty that has stood for 24 years in just 14 days may be questionable, but it definitely creates an event and along with that moments that stand out and set the general tone and atmosphere of the meeting itself.

Here are that main ones from WCIT 2012:

Highlights

Opening ceremony

Internet humbles UN telecoms agency

by Kieren McCarthy | 13 Dec 2012 |

ITU forced to face modern realities as WCIT conference implodes

Having turned industries and governments upside down, the Internet has claimed its first organizational scalp, subjecting the United Nations' International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to a humiliating failure at the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) in Dubai earlier today.

No sooner had applause run out after a vote on what to include in the preamble to an updated global telecoms treaty than the United States took the floor and announced it would not sign it.

"It's with a heavy heart and a sense of missed opportunities that the U.S. must communicate that it's not able to sign the agreement in the current form," said Ambassador Terry Kramer. "The Internet has given the world unimaginable economic and social benefit during these past 24 years. All without UN regulation. We candidly cannot support an ITU Treaty that is inconsistent with the multi-stakeholder model of Internet governance."

Internet power-grab looms large as world conference enters final day

by Kieren McCarthy | 12 Dec 2012 |

Vote taboo broken at WCIT as chair asks for "feel of the room"


Moment of the non-vote vote at 1am. Credit: Dominique Lazanski

Fears that the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) will award itself a role in governance of the Internet, despite the promises of its Secretary-General, are looming large on the last day of the World Teleconference on International Telecommunications (WCIT).

At the end of a confusing and fast-paced day of discussions yesterday, the issue that has haunted for the conference for the past six months finally exploded into the open with discussion of a new proposed resolution that would see the ITU "play an active and constructive role" in deciding the evolution of the global communications network.

Second series of texts submitted by editorial committee to the plenary meeting

Annex: 3 pages

ADD B2/49/1

RESOLUTION plen/1

Special measures for landlocked developing countries and small island developing states for access to international optical fibre networks

The World Conference on International Telecommunications (Dubai, 2012),

considering

a) Resolution 65/172 of 20 December 2010 of the United Nations General Assembly, on specific actions related to the particular needs and problems of landlocked developing countries (LLDCs);

b) Resolution 30 (Rev. Guadalajara, 2010) of the Plenipotentiary Conference, on special measures for the least developed countries (LDCs), small island developing states (SIDS), LLDCs and countries with economies in transition;

c) the Millennium Declaration and the 2005 World Summit Outcome;

d) the outcome of the Geneva (2003) and Tunis (2005) phases of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS);

Second series of texts submitted by plenary meeting to the editorial committee

Summary: 

This is a revised version of the document.

Annex: 3 pages

ADD PL/45/1

DRAFT NEW RESOLUTION

Special measures for landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) and small island developing states (SIDSs) for access to international optical fibre networks

The World Conference on International Telecommunications (Dubai, 2012),

considering

a) Resolution 65/172 of 20 December 2010 of the United Nations General Assembly on specific actions related to the particular needs and problems of landlocked developing countries;

b) Resolution 30 (Rev. Guadalajara, 2010) of the Plenipotentiary Conference on special measures for the least developed countries, small island developing states, landlocked developing countries and countries with economies in transition;

c) the Millennium Declaration and the 2005 World Summit Outcome;

d) the outcome of the Geneva (2003) and Tunis (2005) phases of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS);

First series of texts submitted by editorial committee to the plenary meeting

Annex: 4 pages

NOC R1/46/1

INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION
REGULATIONS

NOC R1/46/2

Article 1

Purpose and Scope of the Regulations

NOC R1/46/3

Article 2

Definitions

NOC R1/46/4

13 For the purpose of these Regulations, the following definitions shall apply. These terms and definitions do not, however, necessarily apply for other purposes.

NOC R1/46/5

14 2.1 Telecommunication: Any transmission, emission or reception of signs, signals, writing, images and sounds or intelligence of any nature by wire, radio, optical or other electromagnetic systems.

NOC R1/46/6

Article 3

International Network

NOC R1/46/7

Article 4

International Telecommunication Services

NOC R1/46/8

Article 5

Safety of Life and Priority of Telecommunications

NOC R1/46/9

Article 7

Suspension of Services

MOD R1/46/10

[Revised] Draft International Telecommunication Regulations

Summary: 

This is the first revision of this document. Changes include:

* A new article 3.9
* A new article 6.X
* Some minor editorial changes

INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION REGULATIONS

PREAMBLE

While the sovereign right of each State to regulate its telecommunications is fully recognized, the provisions of the present International Telecommunication Regulations (hereafter referred to as “Regulations”) complement the Constitution and Convention of the International Telecommunication Union, with a view to attaining the purposes of the International Telecommunication Union in promoting the development of telecommunication services and their most efficient operation while harmonizing the development of facilities for world-wide telecommunications.

[While implementing these Regulations Member States shall take into account their international obligations in relation to universal human rights].

Article 1

Purpose and Scope of the Regulations

1.1 a) These Regulations establish general principles which relate to the provision and operation of international telecommunication services offered to the public as well as to the underlying international telecommunication transport means used to provide such services.

Draft ITR text seeks role for ITU in Internet governance

by Kieren McCarthy | 11 Dec 2012 |

Key concern of WCIT conference lives on

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is seeking to give itself a role in Internet governance, despite strong resistance and an earlier promise by its Secretary-General that it would not do so.

According to draft text of a revised version of the International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs), being discussed currently at the WCIT conference in Dubai, the ITU would take an "active and constructive role in the multi-stakeholder model of the Internet". The draft resolution also notes that "all governments should have an equal role and responsibility for international Internet governance".

Additionally, a proposed new article 3.8 argues that countries should have the choice to opt-out of the global Internet addressing system and "be able to manage the naming, numbering, addressing and identification resources used within their territories".

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