21.04.2022

The preparations for the organisation of the 21^st edition of the Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-22) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), to take place in Bucharest between 26 September – 14 October 2022, have entered in a straight line. As well, Romania submitted its candidacy for its eighth consecutive mandate in the ITU Council, in the elections to be held in the first part of the Conference.

The 21^st edition of ITU’s Plenipotentiary Conference in Romania

The 21^st edition of the ITU’s Plenipotentiary Conference will take place between 26 September – 14 October 2022, at the Palace of Parliament - Bucharest. Over 2,000 delegates from the 193 member states, including relevant ministers, presidents of regulatory authorities, high level representatives of profile companies, of relevant international organisations and of the academia are expected to attend the Conference. Considering the attending states, the number of participants and the length of the conference, this is the largest meeting organised by Romania since its acceptance as a Member State of the United Nations Organisation, in 1955.

According to the ITU Constitution, the Plenipotentiary Conference is the highest policy-making body of the Union whose role is to set the ITU’s general policies, adopt the organisation’s strategic and financial plans and elect the management of the organization (the ITU Council – the trustee of the Plenipotentiary Conference, the Secretary General, the Deputy Secretary General, the Director of the Radiocommunication Bureau, the Director of the Standardization Bureau, the Director of the Development Bureau and the members of the Radio Regulations Board). During this key event, held every four years, decisions are taken on the future of the organisation as a whole, its ability to influence specific directions in the IT&C field, such as technology convergence, internet development and universal service.  

By hosting the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in Bucharest, Romania benefits from the special opportunity to promote its national expertise, having the chance to get involved in a concrete way in the development of the IT&C sector worldwide.

As a host country, Romania has the possibility to designate the person who will conduct the works of the Conference, facilitating the negotiations between the 193 member states on complex topics such as internet governance, role of telecommunications in fighting the effects of the pandemic or evolution of the emergent technologies. With the support of the Government of Romania, in June 2021, Mr. Ioan-Sabin Sarmaș, President of the Committee for Information Technologies and Communications within the Chamber of Deputies was nominated Chair-designate of the ITU 2022 Plenipotentiary Conference and started the process of preparation in collaboration with the Union’s General Secretariat. While keeping the neutral and impartial character specific to this position, the priority of PP-22 Chair is to ensure that the decisions adopted in the Conference pursue the interest of the Union, of the member states and of the private sector, contributing to accelerating the progress in the IT&C field.  

ITU Council

The ITU Council is the Union’s governing body responsible for ensuring its smooth day-to-day running in the interval between Plenipotentiary Conferences. It prepares reports on the policy and strategic planning of the ITU, coordinates work programmes, approves budgets and controls finances and expenditure. The Council is composed of 48 elected member states representing all the regions of the world.

Currently, Romania holds its seventh consecutive mandate in the Council, and will run for a new mandate at the elections to be organised during the Plenipotentiary Conference in Bucharest.

Legal Framework

Following the approval, in the Government session of 3 April 2019, of the Memorandum on the “Approval of the presentation of Romania’s candidacy for the organization of PP-22”, Romania officially presented its candidacy during the works of the ITU Council in Geneva (10-20 June 2019), the 48 Member States represented on the Council unanimously expressing their agreement.

On 9 June 2021, the Government of Romania approved the Memorandum on the “Approval for the negotiation and signing of the Host Country Agreement between the Government of Romania and the International Telecommunication Union, regarding the organization of the 21^st Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunication Union in Bucharest, between September 26 and October 14, 2022, respectively the approval of some organisation aspects, incumbent on Romania”. Therefore, the Host Country Agreement was signed on 30 June in Geneva, and ANCOM was appointed as coordinator of the organisation of the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference.

Furthermore, the Government adopted a normative act today, namely the Emergency Ordinance on some budgetary measures for the organization and conduct of the 21^st ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, which establishes the mechanism for financing the expenses occasioned by the organization of PP-22 in Bucharest, so that each entity involved can perform its own tasks according to its competencies.

Institutions such as: the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Tourism, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Culture, the Romanian Television Company, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Special Telecommunications Service and the Protection and Guard Service are involved in organizing and conducting this event.

Background info

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies – ICTs. Founded in 1865, it is the oldest of the UN specialized agencies. Its membership currently registers 193 Member States and over 700 representatives of the private sector and of the academia. Romania has been an ITU member ever since 1866.