World Telecommunication Development Conference, Buenos Aires
21 March 1994 - 21 March 1994
Argentina
The first World Telecommunication Development Conference took place on 21-29 March 1994 in Buenos Aires. It was organized by the United Nation's International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and brought together delegations from the Union's 135 Member countries, as well as representatives of close to 50 telecommunications organizations and institutions plus 287 private sector companies. A delegation from the European Commission was also present in the role of observer.
The conference discussed the development of the Global Information Infrastructure (GII) and the wide range of benefits this infrastructure will bring at international, national and regional levels. Its objectives were:
- To assess the progress made in telecommunications since the December 1984 publication of the Report of the Independent Commission on the Development of World Telecommunications;
- To define telecommunications objectives up to the year 2000 as well as a common approach and strategies for balanced telecommunications development to the end of the century and beyond;
- To approve a Plan of Action to bring these objectives into the framework of a practical workprogramme covering the next four years, specifying the ITU's priorities and the domains in which it will cooperate with the partners involved in development.
At the conference, Mr. John Rietbroek, Chief Advisor of DG XIII of the European Commission, described the European Union's aim to encourage and develop an active telecommunications policy employing a balanced framework of shared decision making and coordinated action between the Community and the Member States.
The Community is an active observer of the ITU. Mr Rietbroek emphasised that the ITU's work in the development field has largely contributed to informing an increasing number of countries about the emerging new environment in telecommunications and to creating the conditions to merge different forms of experience, strengthening those countries which are implementing reforms.
He pointed out that, in this respect, international cooperation offers the opportunity to create a framework for coherence and for useful references in order to amplify the actions of the different actors by their synergies. The aim of the European Commission is to contribute to these orientations. The Commission intends to analyse the results of the Buenos Aires conference, with a view to proposing appropriate measures regarding the EC's general and sectoral policies, to re-evaluate the contribution of telecommunications and to consider increasing the priorities granted to actions of cooperation in this field.
Information on the ITU's Buenos Aries Declaration and Plan of Action is available from:
International Telecommunication Union
Press Office
Tel. +41-22-7305969/-7305192; Fax +41-22-7337256/-7305939
The conference discussed the development of the Global Information Infrastructure (GII) and the wide range of benefits this infrastructure will bring at international, national and regional levels. Its objectives were:
- To assess the progress made in telecommunications since the December 1984 publication of the Report of the Independent Commission on the Development of World Telecommunications;
- To define telecommunications objectives up to the year 2000 as well as a common approach and strategies for balanced telecommunications development to the end of the century and beyond;
- To approve a Plan of Action to bring these objectives into the framework of a practical workprogramme covering the next four years, specifying the ITU's priorities and the domains in which it will cooperate with the partners involved in development.
At the conference, Mr. John Rietbroek, Chief Advisor of DG XIII of the European Commission, described the European Union's aim to encourage and develop an active telecommunications policy employing a balanced framework of shared decision making and coordinated action between the Community and the Member States.
The Community is an active observer of the ITU. Mr Rietbroek emphasised that the ITU's work in the development field has largely contributed to informing an increasing number of countries about the emerging new environment in telecommunications and to creating the conditions to merge different forms of experience, strengthening those countries which are implementing reforms.
He pointed out that, in this respect, international cooperation offers the opportunity to create a framework for coherence and for useful references in order to amplify the actions of the different actors by their synergies. The aim of the European Commission is to contribute to these orientations. The Commission intends to analyse the results of the Buenos Aires conference, with a view to proposing appropriate measures regarding the EC's general and sectoral policies, to re-evaluate the contribution of telecommunications and to consider increasing the priorities granted to actions of cooperation in this field.
Information on the ITU's Buenos Aries Declaration and Plan of Action is available from:
International Telecommunication Union
Press Office
Tel. +41-22-7305969/-7305192; Fax +41-22-7337256/-7305939