Uganda Wins ITU Seat
Oct 17, 2002
Uganda has been elected as one of Africa’s representatives on the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Council.
By Gilbert Kadilo
Uganda has been elected as one of Africa’s representatives on the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Council.
This was during the ITU 16th Plenipotentiary Conference held in Marrakech, Morocco from September 23 to October 18.
The ITU is an international organisation in the UN system with 189 member states with its headquarters in Geneva.
Works, housing and communications minister, John Nasasira, who led the Ugandan delegation said in an interview yesterday, that Uganda was among 13 African countries elected to the council from the 25 that contested for election to the 46-member Council.
The ITU Council is the supreme administrative organ of the Union and is responsible for policies that include spectrum regulation for telecoms, aviation, military and Internet applications.
He said the election of Uganda to the council for the first time in over 30 years, was in recognition of her developments and reforms in the telecoms sector.
“Uganda’s election was recognition by the international community of our achievements in the telecommunications development at home and its active participation in Africa and global telecommunications,†he said.
Other countries included South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana and Mali. Also elected were Tunisia, Morocco, Senegal, Algeria, Burkina Faso and Cameroon.
Nasasira said the election of Uganda was a major achievement that offers the country a great opportunity to influence policy at the global level and to develop IT sector.
“Information Communication Technology is a vital aspect of our government’s development strategic plan which will help us leapfrog many hurdles in the development process,†he said.
He added that through Uganda’s close relationship to the ITU the country had received between sh.300m and sh.500m through the Directorate of Development for staff training, the establishment of rural Tele-centres, and the establishment of the Uganda Communications Commission.
“The current position of over capacity in the developed world and inadequate capacity in the developing world only serves to marginalise Africa globally,†he said.
Representatives to the conference included ministry officials Uganda Communications Commission and uganda telecom.
Ends
Uganda has been elected as one of Africa’s representatives on the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Council.
This was during the ITU 16th Plenipotentiary Conference held in Marrakech, Morocco from September 23 to October 18.
The ITU is an international organisation in the UN system with 189 member states with its headquarters in Geneva.
Works, housing and communications minister, John Nasasira, who led the Ugandan delegation said in an interview yesterday, that Uganda was among 13 African countries elected to the council from the 25 that contested for election to the 46-member Council.
The ITU Council is the supreme administrative organ of the Union and is responsible for policies that include spectrum regulation for telecoms, aviation, military and Internet applications.
He said the election of Uganda to the council for the first time in over 30 years, was in recognition of her developments and reforms in the telecoms sector.
“Uganda’s election was recognition by the international community of our achievements in the telecommunications development at home and its active participation in Africa and global telecommunications,†he said.
Other countries included South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana and Mali. Also elected were Tunisia, Morocco, Senegal, Algeria, Burkina Faso and Cameroon.
Nasasira said the election of Uganda was a major achievement that offers the country a great opportunity to influence policy at the global level and to develop IT sector.
“Information Communication Technology is a vital aspect of our government’s development strategic plan which will help us leapfrog many hurdles in the development process,†he said.
He added that through Uganda’s close relationship to the ITU the country had received between sh.300m and sh.500m through the Directorate of Development for staff training, the establishment of rural Tele-centres, and the establishment of the Uganda Communications Commission.
“The current position of over capacity in the developed world and inadequate capacity in the developing world only serves to marginalise Africa globally,†he said.
Representatives to the conference included ministry officials Uganda Communications Commission and uganda telecom.
Ends