The 2014 ITU Plenipotentiary Conference will be held at BEXCO in Busan, from October20 to November 7 this year.
About 3,000 officials, corporate executives and other figures in the world’s information, communication and technology industries of 193 ITU member countries are scheduled to attend the international conference to discuss pending global policy issues such as Internet governance, cyber security, the digital divide,and global climate change.
“As a global information and communication technology(ICT)powerhouse, Korea sees the conference as an opportunity to take the lead in setting rules and coordinating with other members for sustainable development and co-prosperity,” said Yim Chu-hwan, chairman of the advisory committee of the preparatory planning corps of the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference.
In an interview with Korea IT Times, Yim, former chairman of the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) said that ITU placed under the U.N. is a professional international organization in the ICT field.
“At the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, the world’s nineteenth and Asia’s second, the 193 state members will elect a secretary-general of the organization and directors to lead its three bureaus: ITU-T for ICT standards, ITU-R for radio frequency spectrums and satellite orbits, and ITU-D in charge of global telecommunications development,” he said.
“From Korea, Lee Chae-sub, a researcher at KAIST and a policy adviser for the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, will run for the ITU-T directorship. If Lee is selected, Korea can speed up its efforts for ICT standardization in such sectors as mobile communication and Internet television,” Yim explained.
Asked about the benefits of Korea hosting the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, which has been held every four years, Yim said, “It will upgrade Korea’s status in ICT diplomacy by one notch and give a chance to convert the country from a fast follower to a first mover by taking a lead in initiating the global ICT policy.
“At the same time, about ₩710 billion in economic effects are expected through direct production inducement, tourism effects and rising exports following enhancement of Korea’s brand image in global markets.”
On the meaning for the nation’s hosting of the 2014 ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, Yim said, “Since 1989 when Korea was selected as a director country, it has faithfully played the role, but it has no significant influence commensurate with its IT status.
“However, if KAIST researcher Lee, a well-known expert in the ITU standardization, is selected as general director for ITU-T this time, Korea can lead the world’s ICT sector with its advanced technology and industries,” he said.
He also said that key issues to be handled at the conference include information security, Internet governance, ICT-using protection of climate change, protection of children from Internet violence and offensive information such as pornography, as well as enhancement of women’s rights and interests.
Yim said, “Korea is a world-recognized ICT powerhouse ranked first among 157 countries in the ICT Development Index of ITU for the fourth consecutive year and secured the top position in the U.N. appraisal of e-government and ICT infrastructure of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
“However, China and India are chasing at a rapid pace. For instance, China ranked third in mobile phonesand second in communication equipment. Accordingly, Korea needs to cement its ICT status in the global market.”
As a U.N.-specialized agency on ICT, the ITU leads the development and global diffusion of ICT and networks by managing an international radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits and by developing technological standards in telecommunications.
ITU is the world’s oldest international organization, which started as the International Telegraph Union in 1865 to promote cooperation in Europe in the field of the wire telegraph and became a U.N.-specialized agency for telecommunications in 1947.
Korea joined ITU in 1952. The Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning is in charge of cooperation with ITU and thirteen private companies and organizations are working as members of each sector.
