Botswana Takes Part in ITU Plenipotentiary Conference Botswana is among 175 International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Member States, Sector Members and observer organisations currently meeting in Busan, Republic of Korea for the 2014 ITU Plenipotentiary Conference (PP14) that begun on 20 October and will end on 07 November 2014. The delegation of Botswana is led by Mr. Thari G. Pheko, BOCRA Chief Executive and includes Dr. Ditshupo Ecco Maje, BOCRA Board Member, Mr Cecil Masiga, Director Telecommunications and Postal Services (DTPS) as well as officials from BOCRA and DTPS. The Plenipotentiary Conference elected a new team of executive leadership to drive the business of the Union during the next four years until 2018. The incumbent Deputy Secretary General, Dr. Houlin Zhao of China was unanimously elected as the incoming Secretary General to succeed Dr Hamadoun Touré. Dr Zhao will be expected to manage the administrative and financial aspects of the Union’s activities, including the provision of conference services, planning and organisation of major meetings, information services, security, strategic planning as well as corporate functions. Dr Zhao who has been Deputy Secretary General of the ITU for the past eight years was unopposed. Delivering a Policy Statement on behalf of the Government and the delegation of Botswana to the PP14, Mr Pheko informed the Conference that since the 2010 Plenipotentiary Conference held in Guadalajara, Mexico, Botswana has made steady progress in the ICT sector. He highlighted the introduction of a converged communications regulatory environment, the implementation of e-Government Strategy and the development of laws such as the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act and the Electronic Evidence Act as some of the notable achievements. Mr Thari G. Pheko took the opportunity to congratulate Dr. Houlin Zhao on his election and pledged Botswana’s support to him and the work of the ITU. In the same spirit Mr Pheko acknowledged the outgoing Secretary General Dr Hamadoun Toure of Mali for his invaluable contribution to the work of the ITU over the past eight years. The PP14 also elected Mr Malcolm Johnson of the United Kingdom as Deputy Secretary General. Mr Johnson was elected over Shona Taylor of Nigeria in the fourth round of voting. Mr Johnson has been with the ITU as its Director of Telecommunication Standardisation Bureau since 2006. The highlights of his career include the convening of the landmark World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) that revised the important global treaty, the International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs) in 2012. PP14 re-elected Francois Rancy of France as Director of the Radiocommunication Bureau and Brahima Sanou of Burkina Faso as Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau. The two are incumbent position holders who stood unopposed having been elected for the first time at the Plenipotentiary Conference of 2010 in Mexico. The Conference further elected Chaesub Lee of Republic of Korea to the position of Director of Telecommunication Standardisation Bureau. On Tuesday 28 October the Conference will elect member countries to serve on the ITU Council. The ITU Council acts as the Union’s governing body in the four year period between Plenipotentiary Conferences and also prepares a report on the policy and strategic planning of the ITU. Eighteen (18) African Countries will contest the elections for thirteen (13) Council positions allocated for the African Region. South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia will contest the elections from the Southern Region. -ENDS- Contact: Aaron Nyelesi [email protected] Additional Information The Plenipotentiary Conference is the highest policy decision making body that brings together all the 192 Member States of the ITU to decide on the future role of the organisation, thereby determining the organisations ability to influence and affect the development of information and communication technologies (ICTs) worldwide. The Plenipotentiary Conference is the top policy-making body of the ITU. Held every four years, the Conference: • sets the Unions general policies; • adopts four-year strategic and financial plans; and • elects the senior management team of the organization, the members of Council, and the members of the Radio Regulations Board.
Posted on: Sun, 26 Oct 2014 13:00:56 +0000
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