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the world what we can do. nity and to involve every-
body?
Q: Are you talking about
more visibility for ITU's Actually, as WSIS demon -
work? strated, we are already
doing this. We do not want
I would say more visibility, to be the only ones doing
more opportunities for ITU, everything, but we do want
and more challenges of to be part of everything. So
course, because visibility we need to talk to each
comes with challenges. other. WSIS has given us
an opportunity to know
The philosophy of ITU itself each other and to find out
has been one of openness. In about each other's strengths
fact, by including the term, and weaknesses. So our
"Union" by its founding task now is to accumulate
fathers in 1865, ITU was those strengths and to redu-
given the vision from its very ce those weaknesses.
inception to achieve consen-
sus in everything we do: Q: I presume this will
making sure that all parties imply a lot of work?
talk to each other. I would
say that the idea behind the Yes, ITU has very compe-
World Summit on the tent staff and a very good
Information Society was to constituency: 191 Member
try and bridge the digital gap States. But there are also
by calling on all constituen- some 650 private compa-
cies. This was the first time a nies that are members, who
UN summit has been held have been contributing to
created when the means of issues and may not need to
without demonstrations by the organization for many
communication was the tele- know very much, but they do
civil society outside the buil- decades and who have a role
graph; you needed an inter- need to know about the poli-
ding -- because they had the to play. It is unique in the
national standard for the cy implications because any
opportunity of talking inside. United Nations System to
Morse Code so that every technical issue has such
It was an inclusive process, have private companies as
-body spoke the same lan- implications. That is why all
and that is the spirit of ITU. sector members and working
guage. The same thing has partners need to talk to each
There are a number of key together.
happened with telephones, other -- policy-makers, regu-
topics under discussion
universal country codes and lators, governments, minis-
worldwide that need this spi- Q: For some time now you
all those frequencies used by tries, manufacturers, opera-
rit: Internet governance; have already been carrying
satellites. Today, we are tors, service providers -- each
security in cyberspace; brid- out what the United
doing the same thing on of them has a role to play.
ging the digital divide. These Nations calls the UN
Internet standards so that all Governments and regulators
need the involvement of all Compact. Have you been at
partners are able to talk to have the role of referees on a
constituencies. Nobody can the forefront here too?
each other -- so that the level playing field, injecting
achieve all this on their own.
manufacturers in China are the necessary ingredients to
Absolutely! In order to
compatible with those in the stimulate the market, to crea-
It's a huge task and that's the achieve our goal, which is to
United States, or vice versa. te an environment for com-
reason why it has to be bridge the digital divide, we
petition. That is why you
shared by everyone. I think must ask: who is going to do
Q: Technology is advan- have seen tremendous
the conductor of an orchestra this work in the field? Is it
cing very quickly, but quite growth in some of the new
is important, but all the private citizens, the private
a lot of the work you are services recently, such as the
players with their different sector, private companies?
doing is not well known. mobile telephone industry.
instruments need to play in Yes, they are the ones doing
Do you think that the gene- Ten years ago we only had
harmony. it! Therefore, both govern-
ral public should be infor- about fifteen countries with
ments and private companies
med about technical an independent regulatory
Q: If I understand you have a role to play.
issues? authority. Today, there are
right, you want to put ITU International standards have
some 145 countries with
in the forefront, to mobilize been the core of our business
The general public is not such services. This is a
the international commu- from the outset. ITU was
informed about technical catalyst creating the rules of
1 2007 Diva 5

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