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Tonderai Rutsito Tech Spot
Zimbabwe is hosting the fourth session of a strategic two-week African Telecommunication Union conference, which is expected to attract ICT ministers, permanent secretaries and telecommunication regulators from 42 African countries. As of yesterday 307 delegates from 37 African countries were in attendance. The conference started with remarks from the Union’s secretary-general, Mr  Abdoulkarim Soumaila.

Vice President Joice Mujuru will officially open the conference today. The African Telecommunications Union, is an affiliation of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), which was born out of the need to develop telecommunication networks and services in an integrated and concerted way and the need for speed in developing telecommunications in Africa.

The ATU seeks to among other issues

• Promote and develop appropriate African Telecommunications policies and frameworks

• The funding of telecommunications development

• Development of rural telecommunications

• Co-ordination of the strategies and position of member states in preparation for and at international meetings and

• The undertaking of studies in the field of inter-communication for the benefit of members states and associate members

It is important for Zimbabwe to be part of the Union so that its not left out in terms of the development of telecommunication systems and for purposes of ensuring that we do not act out of sync with other countries, as telecommunications systems for different countries are interdependent on each other.

Being a member of the Union will also ensure that when Zimbabwe takes a particular position in relation to international telecommunications, and mobilise support from its African counterparts. A delegation of the Conference of Plenipotentiaries (CPL14), which consists of duly accredited delegations of member states headed by the Ministers in charge of Telecommunications or any other Plenipotentiaries designated by member states, will also be meeting on the sidelines of the conference.

This Conference is convened in an Ordinary Session every four (4) years at the request of the Administrative Council or a Member State.
It can also be subject to the agreement of 2/3 (two-thirds) majority of the members, meet in an Extraordinary Session.

This conference also serves as a preparatory meeting for International telecommunications Union Plenipotentiary conference scheduled for October 2014, in Busan, South Korea .

The Plenipotentiary Conference is the top policy making body and supreme organ of the International Telecommunications Union which adopts the underlying policies of the organisation, determine its structures and activities, establish the financial plan of the organisation and revises the constitution and convention as well as governing rules of the organisation.

There will also a Conference Preparatory Committee meeting. This is a meeting of experts to consider recommendations of the ATU Special Admin Council meeting and resolutions, before a Meeting of Heads of delegation.

The conference will close with elections to choose members of the Admin Council where each region will provide 5 members. There shall also be an election for the secretary-general.

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