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GUIDELINES ON THE PREPARATION OF MEMBER STATES TO PARTICIPATE EFFECTIVELY IN THE WORLD RADIOCOMMUNICATION CONFERENCE SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE IN 2003.

November 2000

1. INTRODUCTION

The Vision of the Union as enshrined in the Constitution is to make Africa an equal and active participant in the Global Information Society. Its Mission is to promote the rapid development of infocommunications in Africa in order to achieve universal service and access, in addition to, full inter-country connectivity, in the most effective manner. Objective (g) of the Union states, ' To co-ordinate the strategies and position of Member States in the preparation for and at international meetings'.

The General Secretariat is issuing ATU Draft Guideline No. WRC-03/01/00 in conformity with the above provisions of the Constitution. The Technical Committee of the Administrative Council will consider the Guideline for adoption with or without amendments in their next meeting scheduled to be held in February 2001 and a Final Guideline will be issued thereafter.

2. CONTENTS OF ITU-R ADMINISTRATIVE CIRCULAR CA/81

ITU-R sent the above circular to Member States of the ITU and Radiocommunication Sector Members to inform them that the process for the preparation of the World Radiocommunication Conference scheduled to take place in 2003 had started with the convening of the first Conference Preparatory Meeting (CPM02-1) in Istanbul, Turkey on 7-8 June 2000.The meeting was preceded by the World Radiocommunication Conference (Istanbul,2000) that recommended to Council the agenda for the WRC-03 and a preliminary agenda for WRC-06. The two agenda are Annexes 1 and 2 respectively of the above circular. In addition the Conference reconfirmed the CPM process that was established by the 2000 Radiocommunication Assembly and this process is attached as Annex 3 of the above circular.
The results of the above CPM meeting are contained in the following annexes of the circular:

Annex 4 Annex 5 Annex 6 Annex 7 Annex 8 Annex 9 Annex 10 Annex 11

Report on CMP02-1 for the WRC-03 and WRC-06 Chapter structure and working procedure Draft table of contents of the CPM Report to the WRC-03 CPM preparation for the WRC-03 Resolution 800 (WRC-2000) CPM preparation for the WRC-03 in accordance with the Resolution 801 (WRC-2000) Organization of the work of the Special Committee on regulatory matters List of Chairpersons and Vice-Chairpersons and Chapter Rapporteurs Timetable for the preparation of the WRC-03

3. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL CONFERENCE PREPARATORY WORKING GROUP

It is proposed that each country establishes a National Conference Preparatory Working Group (NCPWG) on the basis of the following principles:

a) The NCPWG should be established as a permanent working group;

b) NCPWG should be composed of participants from Ministries users of radio frequency spectrum, the Communications Regulator, Telecommunications Operators (both fixed and mobile), Corporate Companies that are users of radio spectrum, Researchers in radio frequency propagation etc;

c) It should address, if not all the topics on the Conference agenda, topics of interest to the country concerned;

d) Participants should participate in at least one of the ITU-R Study Groups and their mission reports copied to the General Secretariat of ATU;

e) Delegates to the WRC-03 should aim to participate for at least 80% of the meetings of the Study Group of interest.

f) NCPWG will establish its own rules of procedure for conducting meetings and will send a copy of these rules to the General Secretariat.

g) The names of participants in the bureau as well as all other participants will be communicated to the General Secretariat for information and support. The Chairperson will be called the National Coordinator and be the principal focal point into the Union;

h) NCPWG will send a copy of all meetings to the General Secretariat.

4. PARTICIPATION OF MEMBER STATES IN ITU-R STUDY GROUPS

NCPWG will be guided by Annex 7 in identifying the ITU-R Study Groups in which the country will participate and will let the General Secretariat know these groups. At the moment the ITU-R has the following Study Groups:
i) Study Group 1 - Spectrum Management
ii) Study Group 3 - Radiowave Propagation
iii) Study Group 4 - Fixed Satellite Services
iv) Study Group 6 - Broadcasting Services ( terrestrial and satellite)
v) Study Group 7 - Science Services
vi) Study Group 8 - Mobile, Radiodetermination, Amateur and related Satellite Services and Systems
vii) Study Group 9 - Fixed Services

The ITU-R timetable for the preparation of the WRC-03 is in Annex 11. NCPWG will send their final contributions for the various agenda items to the General Secretariat by 29th February 2002.

5. CONVENING OF TECHNICAL AND DEVELOPMNT CONFERENCE FOCUS ON WRC-03

i) The General Secretariat will study and collate the various contributions received from Member States.
It will then prepare a draft continental position that will form a basis for convening the ATU Technical and Development Conference (TDC) focus on WRC-03 that will finalize the document for submission to the CPM by May 2002.

ii) Another ATU Technical and Development Conference focus on WRC-03 will be held in 2003 when the final CPM report is out in order to find strategies for articulating the Member States position at the WRC-03.

iii) Review Extraordinary meetings of TDC will be convened at the venue of the WRC-03.

iv) The Head of Delegation will be the Minister or a Senior Government Official. The Deputy Head of Delegation will be the Chief Executive of the Regulatory Body or a Senior Staff in the Government or Regulatory Body. The National Coordinator and delegates will be Members of the NCPWG who have fulfilled part 3. e) of these guidelines.