Hamadoun Touré

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.

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".

Leaked document confirms fears of UN Internet powergrab

by Kieren McCarthy | 8 Dec 2012 |

A leaked document has confirmed fears that a world conference held by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) will be used by some countries to expand government control over the Internet.

A draft of a document to be provided to the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) on Monday morning and provided to website WCITleaks includes a number of proposals that have prompted fierce disagreement during the first week of the two-week conference in Dubai. The draft also includes a number of previously unseen additions.

In particular, the document proposes:

  • That governments be given a "right to know" what route has been taken by information over data networks - something that civil society groups have warned would enable widespread online monitoring.

WCIT: Put off to tomorrow what you can't do today

by Kieren McCarthy | 4 Dec 2012 |


The Kenyans settle in at WCIT. Credit: ITU

After a busy start, WCIT started to settle down into a familiar mode on the second day of the conference. The main highlights were:

  • A bid by Canada and the US to get some key definitions agreed before work starts was pushed off until the end of the week
  • The meeting delegates all agreed that they agreed with freedom of expression and human rights but that they didn't want to write it into a telecoms treaty - a press release was produced instead
  • Russia's controversial new article covering the Internet was pushed into "informal discussions"
  • Ghana's idea to review the ITRs every eight years (rather than 24 years) was met aggressively by the United States.
  • The ITU's Secretary-General pushed access in developing countries and the high cost of Internet access, pointing to a likely strategy for the rest of the conference.

Our predictions for WCIT

by .Nxt | 3 Dec 2012 |
These predictions are part of a longer article on the conference covering how it will work and what has happened so far.

Foolish as it may be, we have some predictions for what will happen between now and the end of WCIT. Here they are:

  • Nothing radical will appear in the ITRs. Instead it will be agreed that they will be reviewed in four or eight years' time and a range of working groups will be formed to work on various issues and report to the Council next year, take it to the ITU Plenipotentiary for initial review in 2014, and onto the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA) in 2016.
  • The United States will push its hand incredibly hard (bolstered by its huge delegation of industry representatives and over-excited civil society/Internet groups who have all persuaded each other of their own truth). It will threaten to take a reservation once too often and will end up being saved by either Canada or a European country.

ICANN CEO and Chair to attend WCIT opening

by Kieren McCarthy | 30 Nov 2012 |

Chehade aims to "bring clarity" over organization's role

ICANN's CEO and chair will attend the opening ceremony of the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) as the guest of the ITU and the government of the United Arab Emirates.

The invitation, as well as the decision to accept, is noteworthy after more than a decade of barely concealed mistrust and contempt between the two organizations.

Clearly expecting some criticism from the Internet community for attending the event, CEO Fadi Chehade pre-recorded an interview in which he gave his reasons for attending.

"It’s time to engage," Chehade said in the ICANN-produced tape, arguing for a "new season of understanding" and pledging to avoid the "public wars" between the two organizations. He also stated that both the ITU and ICANN have roles that are "clearly separated and well-defined" but that they may be "confusion" over what those roles are. He would bring clarity to the situation.

WCIT: the battle for hearts, minds and the Internet

by .Nxt | 22 Nov 2012 |

A raft of changes, including cybersecurity, are under consideration at WCIT

It was just after the fifth meeting of the ITU Council Working Group in Geneva in September 2011 that a powerful group of ambassadors, former ambassadors and under-secretaries in the United States decided they had to build public awareness over a series of obscure telecoms regulations - the ITRs - drawn up back in 1988.

At that stage, the ITU working group had already been working for a year on preparations for a World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT). And some within the ITU had been working for several years before that to get agreement on the need to revise the International Telecommunication Regulations at all.

Agreement had finally been reached to revise the regulations, and everyone knew that meant a once-in-a-generation opportunity to restructure how telecoms are dealt with at a global level, and how communications will develop into the future for everyone on the planet. Some frantic activity ensued.

World's largest trade union rejects ITU overtures

by Kieren McCarthy | 22 Nov 2012 |

Unswayed by a meeting with the ITU Secretary-General, ITUC head tell us: "We will continue to oppose these proposals"

Burrow: Trade union federation will 'stay the distance' in opposing WCIT proposals.

The world's largest trade union organization, the ITUC, has rejected efforts to explain concerns over the WCIT conference next month as "misunderstandings" and will continue to oppose its proposals, Secretary-General Sharan Burrow told us.

Warning that the implications for e-commerce and jobs were "extraordinary" and slamming the conference proposals for "having been kept secret until a month ago", Burrow has promised that the ITUC will lobby hard within the United Nations to prevent was she termed "mandate creep" on the part of the ITU.

Transfer of powers: Republic of the Marshall Islands to United States of America

Summary: 

The United States will hold the Marshall Islands vote at the conference.

Implications: 

On 15 November, the ITU warned 17 states that they would not have a vote if they did not pay their annual fees. The Marshall Islands was one of them. That the United States immediately arranged to pick up the vote shows that there is a concern that the conference may at some point come down to a tight vote.

The Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands has informed me that the delegation of the United States of America is fully empowered to represent the Republic of the Marshall Islands without restrictions from 3 December 2012 until the end of the Conference and to sign the Final Acts on its behalf pursuant to No. 335 of the ITU Convention.

The instrument for the transfer of powers has been deposited with the Secretary-General.

Dr Hamadoun I. TOURÉ
Secretary-General

Agenda of the Conference

  1. Opening
  2. Election of the Chairman and Vice-Chairmen
  3. Other administrative issues including requests for participation received from international organizations, observers, etc.
  4. Discussion and decisions regarding the structure of the Conference
  5. Introduction of the Report of the preparatory process
  6. Examination of the outputs of the preparatory process
  7. Examination of proposals from Member States
  8. Discussion of the proposed revisions to the ITRs, as appropriate
  9. Discussion of WATTC-88 Resolutions, Recommendations, and Opinion
  10. Adoption of the Final Acts of the Conference, including revised ITRs and Resolutions, Recommendations, and Opinions, as appropriate
  11. Determine the date of coming into force of the Final Acts of the Conference and, if necessary, on the provisional application of certain part(s) of the Final Acts
  12. Closure (including signing ceremony)

Dr Hamadoun I. TOURÉ
Secretary-General

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