Intelligent Transport Systems - Telenor

Einar Utvik (62) worked in Televerket/Telenor
ASA from 1970
to 2003. His responsibilities
included general and policy
matters related to inernational
organisations. He has been a
member of the Norwegian delegation
to ITU’s Plenipotentiary
Conferences in 1982, 1989,
1992, 1998 and 2002.
eutv@online.no
Anne Lise Lillebø (54) is
Adviser, Telenor Corporate
Communications. Her main
responsibilities include general
and policy matters related to
international standardisation
organisations. She has been a
member of the Norwegian delegation
to ITU’s Plenipotentiary
Conferences in 1989, 1992,
1994, 1998 and 2002. She
holds a Master of Arts degree
from the University of Oslo.
anne-lise.lillebo@telenor.com
138
ITU Plenipotentiary Conference PP-02,
Marrakesh, 23 September – 18 October 2002
An overview of main results of the conference
EINAR UTVIK AND ANNE LISE LILLEBØ
1 ITU – Historical Background
The International Telecommunication Union –
ITU – was established as an intergovernmental
organisation in 1865 with the aim of streamlining
interconnection of the national telegraph
networks. Norway was one of the 19 “founding
fathers”. In 1947 ITU became a Specialized
Agency of the United Nations. ITU’s main
objective is to promote connectivity and interoperability
between its member countries and to
foster the development of all kinds of telecommunications
worldwide.
Right up to the1980s the members of the ITU
were mainly administrations and government
agencies responsible for the operations of telecommunications
and for regulatory measures
within the telecommunication field in their
respective countries. With the separation of the
regulatory and operational functions and the
gradual liberalisation of the operational activities
in a large number of ITU’s Member States, the
present situation is very different from the environment
when the basic features of the Union
were drawn up. However, we find that this
change is not sufficiently reflected in the way
ITU is organised and managed.
Following the liberalisation of the telecom sector
in Norway, Telenor has for the past ten years
been a so-called Sector Member of ITU’s three
sectors – the Telecommunication Standardization
Sector (ITU-T), the Radiocommunication
Sector (ITU-R) and the Telecommunication
Development Sector (ITU-D). Norway is a
Member State of the ITU, and the Norwegian
Palais des Congrès, Marrakesh
Post and Telecommunications Authority is
responsible for the day-to-day management
of ITU related activities in Norway.
2 ITU Plenipotentiary
Conference
ITU’s Plenipotentiary Conference – PP – is the
top policy-making body of the Union and meets
every four years. The PP is the key event at
which ITU Member States decide on the future
role of the organisation, drawing up a strategic
plan and deciding on the budget. The PP is an
intergovernmental conference where only
sovereign Member States of the ITU have the
right to send delegations. Each Member State
has one vote. A number of international organisations
and Sector Members may attend the PP
as observers.
The ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2002 was
hosted by Morocco and was held at the Palais
des Congrès in Marrakesh from 23 September
till 18 October 2002. Some 162 delegations
representing Member States participated with
approximately 1700 delegates. In addition there
were observers from the United Nations and
their specialised agencies, regional telecommunication
organisations, intergovernmental organisations
operating satellite systems and Sector
Members. ETNO – the European Telecommunications
Network Operators’ Association – was
represented as an observer.
2.1 The Tasks of the PP
The agenda of the conference appears in Article
8 of ITU’s Constitution. The PP shall, i.a.:
Telektronikk 1.2003