Editorial
Dr Hamadoun I. Touré
ITU Secretary-General
October was a very busy month for ITU and for
the information and communication technologies (ICT) industry at large. ITU TELECOM WORLD 2009
and this year’s session of our governing body, the
Council, were held almost back-to-back. This issue
of ITU News is mainly devoted to those two events.
ITU TELECOM WORLD is the most important global
event for the ICT industry, where leaders from the private and public sectors come together to forge partnerships to help connect the world. Throughout ITU
TELECOM WORLD 2009, I had the honour and pleasure
of meeting participants from government and from
all walks of the ICT industry and of welcoming United
Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and heads of
other UN agencies.
A tour through the exhibition halls confirmed that
rapid innovation continues, despite the economic
downturn. I was inspired with confidence that many
people around the world are committed to transforming lives through the power of ICT. This message
was clear from the prominent political leaders who
attended, including Heads of State and Government,
industry leaders and heads of international agencies
— as well as young people. They all recognize that
ICT are vital in addressing every one of the global issues faced today: from the financial crisis to climate
change, cybersecurity, emergency communications
and creating new jobs.
The success of ITU TELECOM WORLD 2009 was
followed by another: the 64th session of the ITU
Council. It had a very heavy agenda. But I am pleased
ITU/ J.M. Ferré
October 2009: A busy
month for the ICT world
to say that work was completed on schedule, and
with many decisions taken on issues of strategic importance to the Union.
Among those key decisions, the Council approved
ITU’s biennial budget for 2010–2011 in record time.
It created a working group to develop Strategic
and Financial Plans ahead of the Plenipotentiary
Conference in October next year. It adopted a resolution concerning international Internet-related public policy issues, and established a working group to
look at ITU’s role in creating a safer Internet environment for children. As a father and grandfather, I am
particularly pleased by the recognition of that very
serious issue.
The Council also approved a resolution highlighting the important role of ICT in mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change. In line with the
resolution, I call on our members to make proposals
aimed at having this role recognized in any agreement reached at the United Nations Climate Change
Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009.
Just before the Council session began, ITU approved a standard for a universal charger for mobile
phones. It enables the same device to be used with
all future handsets, regardless of make. As well as
dramatically cutting the number of chargers produced, the new standard reduces the energy consumed while charging. ITU is proud to have taken
the lead in finding a solution that will not only bring
more convenience for all mobile users, but will also
contribute to mitigating climate change.
ITU News  9 | 2009  November 2009
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