The Fourth Interregional Meeting of the Telecommunication Standardization Sector of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-T) in preparation for the ITU World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly 2020 (WTSA-20) was held on January 6, 2022 in a virtual format.
More than 190 representatives of regional and international telecommunications organizations took part in the event. Representatives of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation and the Executive Committee of the RCC took part in it from the Regional Commonwealth in the Field of Communications.
The above meeting was opened and welcomed by the Chairman of the ITU-T Advisory Group on Telecommunication Standardization (TSAG) Dr. Bruce Gracie.
Chae Sub Lee, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, welcomed the participants.
Following the adoption of the agenda, representatives of regional organizations reviewed the preparations for the Assembly: the Asia-Pacific Telecommunication Community (APT), the African Telecommunication Union (ASE), the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT), the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL) and the Arab groups.
On behalf of the RCC, Evgeny Tonkikh gave an overview of the preparations for the WTSA.
Following the presentation by the RCC representative, a number of questions were asked, in particular, about the timing of the submission of the final RCC contributions to WTSA-20. Chairman of the Working Group for Work with the ITU under the RCC Commission for the Coordination of International Cooperation A.S. Borodin assured that RCC proposals would be submitted by the end of January 2022.
Next, the participants considered the proposed changes to the ITU-T resolution, which are planned to be discussed by the Assembly. The changes introduced by regional organizations were presented by the Deputy Chairman of the Telecommunication Standardization Advisory Group V.M. Minkin.
Closing the meeting, Bruce Gracie summed up the event, emphasizing the importance of agreeing positions before the start of the Assembly.
In his closing remarks, the Director of the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, Chae Sub Lee, dwelled on the format of WTSA-20, noting that the situation with the coronavirus and the corresponding anti-epidemic restrictions may change in the coming months, but this will not affect the timing of the event and the fact that it will take place in physical form. Delegates will need to be present in Geneva in order to participate in decision-making, but there will be opportunities for experts to participate remotely, including in drafting groups.
* Meeting materials are posted on the WTSA-20 inter-regional coordination homepage: