In The Presence Of The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority Of The UAE (TRA) World Telecommunications Standardization Assembly

In the presence of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of the UAE (TRA), His Excellency Dr. Hamadoun I. Touré, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) , the World Telecommunications Standardization Assembly (WTSA) opened today at the Dubai World Trade Center. The Assembly, which will convene till the 29th of November 2012, is taking place for the first time in the Middle East. Hosted by the TRA, this United Nations event takes place once every four years and is organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN’s specialized agency for ICTs.

During his opening address, on behalf of H.E. Mohamad Ahmad Al-Qamzi, Chairman of the TRA, H.E. Al Ghanim said: “The UAE is proud to be hosting this defining event that reflects the growing status and role the country is now playing in regional and global telecommunications”.

“I call on everyone involved to spare no effort and work in tandem with the ITU, make good on your commitments, and overcome any obstacles that may prevent us from achieving our goal of building a connected and prosperous world”.

WTSA’s mandate is to define the roadmap for standardization in the world telecommunications. The over 500 participants from member states, industry, and academia will discuss the areas that need to be further studied to produce new or amended standards for world telecommunications. These standards cover everything from core network functionality and broadband to next-generation services like IPTV. Side events on issues such as E-Health, ICT innovations, Disaster Relief Systems, Network Resiliency and Recovery will also take place.

Mr. Mohammed Gheyath, Executive Director of the Technology Development Affairs, has been elected Chairman of the WTSA. In his opening remarks to the Assembly, he said: “The work we are doing in the field of standardization grows in importance and complexity every day given the unrelenting pace of technological developments and the growing dependence on ICTs around the world”.

He added “What we need today is the same spirit that drives us on here in the UAE. The UAE is known for its diversity; it is a country with many different peoples from different backgrounds and nationalities, and with different hopes, dreams and aspirations. We have learned that the fastest way to achieve those dreams is to work together, hand in hand, respecting each other and finding common ground. The numerous achievements and spectacular growth of the UAE in such a short period can be attributed to this spirit, the spirit of the UAE and the spirit of our union, which we will celebrate in the coming days under the same slogan. This spirit was engrained in us by the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan al Nhyan and his brothers the Rulers of the Emirates. I hope that this spirit will guide our meetings in this assembly over the coming days”.

As an agenda-setting conference, WTSA will decide on the need to maintain, terminate or establish study groups and allocate to each of them the areas that are to be studied. The Assembly will also review working methods including approval processes, the work programme, and the structure of the study groups. These issues will determine the future standards of international telecommunications.

“There is a new generation of youth who will inhabit a world that is very different from the one we lived in. We have to be certain that the principals and guidelines we put in place form a solid foundation for their new world, not an obstacle for its conception,” concluded Mr. Gheyath.

Emirate:  Dubai

Date: Nov 20, 2012

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