Submitted by Seán Ó Siochrú on Fri, 2007-06-15 07:45.
This is not the first time that NGOs have knocked on the door of the ITU. As early as 1995 I naively agreed to see about getting membership of the ITU for the Platform for Democratic Communication (an NGO and precursor to CRIS campaign). I soon discovered that I would first have to change the ITU rules! Being a devil for punishment I set about it with zeal.
To cut a (very) long story short, after preparing reports and rounds of meetings with the then ITU Secretariat General, Pekka Tarjanne, an official Study Group was set up at a ITU’s World Telecoms Development Conference in 1998 under ITU-D Study Group 2, with myself as Rapporteur. (They were happy to turn a blind eye to the fact that I did not represent an ITU member.) Working with about a dozen NGOs, including APC, AMARC, RITS, AMARC and Panos, we produced a very creditable report and presented it to the Study Group meeting in Geneva in August 1999.
Our report came up with a number of recommendations, one of which was to set up a Task Force to move relations with NGOs forward. This idea was to be taken up by the then Director of BDT (ITU-D), who “at his discretion” could consider forwarding the Report to the Telecommunication Development Advisory Group (TDAG), with the intention of forwarding it to the ITU Reform Group for its consideration. (Did I suspect a run around?) The Director specifically assured the Study Group meeting that he would forward the relevant part of the report to TDAG for consideration. After the meeting, he told me personally that he would follow this through, and that he was “not afraid of rocking boats”.
Well done Willie and Bill. But prepare yourself for being given
Submitted by Seán Ó Siochrú on Fri, 2007-06-15 07:45.
This is not the first time that NGOs have knocked on the door of the ITU. As early as 1995 I naively agreed to see about getting membership of the ITU for the Platform for Democratic Communication (an NGO and precursor to CRIS campaign). I soon discovered that I would first have to change the ITU rules! Being a devil for punishment I set about it with zeal.
The whole saga can be read about at this Website: http://www.comunica.org/itu_ngo/
To cut a (very) long story short, after preparing reports and rounds of meetings with the then ITU Secretariat General, Pekka Tarjanne, an official Study Group was set up at a ITU’s World Telecoms Development Conference in 1998 under ITU-D Study Group 2, with myself as Rapporteur. (They were happy to turn a blind eye to the fact that I did not represent an ITU member.) Working with about a dozen NGOs, including APC, AMARC, RITS, AMARC and Panos, we produced a very creditable report and presented it to the Study Group meeting in Geneva in August 1999.
Our report came up with a number of recommendations, one of which was to set up a Task Force to move relations with NGOs forward. This idea was to be taken up by the then Director of BDT (ITU-D), who “at his discretion” could consider forwarding the Report to the Telecommunication Development Advisory Group (TDAG), with the intention of forwarding it to the ITU Reform Group for its consideration. (Did I suspect a run around?) The Director specifically assured the Study Group meeting that he would forward the relevant part of the report to TDAG for consideration. After the meeting, he told me personally that he would follow this through, and that he was “not afraid of rocking boats”.
That was the last we heard of it. I met him soon afterwards – and again during the WSIS many times. Who was the Director of the ITU Development Sector at that time? None other than Hamadoun Touré, now the ITUs Secretary General.
Please give him my best regards and remind him he still has a task to do for me.
All the above reports are available at the http://www.comunica.org/itu_ngo/
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