Global Symposium for Regulators: ITU to develop guidelines for effective regulation - Conference Reports

Information Superhighways Newsletter, Jan, 2002

The worldwide community of telecommunications regulators has called on ITU to be the repository of specialized and readily accessible data and documentation on regulation and to continue the global dialogue among regulators. Regulators also asked that ITU develop guidelines and benchmarks for effective regulation including interconnect models, access charge agreements and a code of conduct.

The second annual Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR) was organized around the theme of "effective regulation" and sought support for affordable and geographically-accessible skill-building for regulatory staff particularly in the legal, economic and accounting fields.

"In many ways, regulators are like a lighthouse, shining a path of light into a safe and prosperous harbor," says Hamadoun Toure, the director of ITU's Telcommunications Development Bureau. "It should come as no surprise that nearly half of the recognized telecommunications regulatory authorities in the world directly represent their country at the ITU; 51 at last count. In addition, four regulators are ITU sector members. This is a testimonial to the importance of the ITU as a neutral platform for regulators to converge, share and benchmark their experiences at the Global Symposium for Regulators."

The GSR attracted 369 delegates from 72 regulatory authorities and 21 sector members and other organizations representing a total of 102 Member States. The regulators present ranged from long-established agencies, like the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), to the regulatory body of Latvia, which was only created on December 1, 2001.

Anthony S.K. Wong, Director General of OFTA (Hong Kong) chaired the meeting. Mr. Wong stated in his closing remarks that "regulators are enablers and facilitators. It is not enough merely to create a regulatory body; they must be given the tools they needed to develop as effective regulators."

Maya Shankar Verma, chairman of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of India and a keynote speaker, adds, "GSR has proved itself again to be a useful and practical platform for regulators to discuss the pressing issues they are facing and to which they are seeking answers."

The GSR provided the opportunity for regulators to review the functioning of the electronic conference and hotline on the Global Regulators' Exchange (G-REX), which was implemented as a result of last year's symposium. G-REX has been well received by regulators. "It promises to reduce communication costs, create regulatory communities of interest and provide international visibility for the regulator," said Audrey Baudrier, of the French regulatory body Autorite de regulation des telecommunications (ART).

A consensus was reached to open the G-REX component of the conference on an experimental basis to learning institutions and consultants as a way of enriching the discussion. A steering group was tasked with reviewing the subjects presented on G-REX before the year-end and presenting action points to ITU's World Telecommunication Development Conference to be held in March 2002 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Part of the conference was dedicated to the presentation of country case studies by agency heads: Mr. Renato Guerreiro of Brazil's Anatel, Mr. Jorge Kunigami from Peru's Ospitel, Mr. Keng Thai Leong of the Info-Communication Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), Mr. Mostafa Terrab of Morocco's Agence nationale de reglementaion des telecommunications (ANRT), and Mr. Cuthbert Lekaukau from the Botswana Telecommunications Authority. There were also roundtable discussions on institutional frameworks for regulation, transparency and fairness, and regulatory functions, as well as staffing and financing issues.

There was also a call for more case studies from stakeholders in the regulatory process, including private sector vendors, operators and investment banks, on their experiences with regulation. Overwhelmingly, regulators called for regional sub-groupings and regional aggregation of expertise to enhance the credibility and effectiveness of individual regulators' decisions.

The first day of the symposium was open to the private sector. The remaining two days were reserved for the regulators and policy-makers, offering them the opportunity to discuss experiences, share their concerns and arrive at globally transferable solutions.

The third Global Symposium for Regulators will be held in Geneva in the fall of 2002. For more information, please contact Susan Schor or Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Regulatory Officers, Sector Reform Unit, Telecommunication Development Bureau, International Telecommunication Union.

SS. Phone: 41 22 730 5827, Fax: 41 22 730 6210, e-mail: susan.schorr@itu.int

DB-M: Phone: 41 22 7300 5643, Fax: 41 22 730 6210, e-mail: doreen.bogdan@itu.int