Page 6 - SAMENA Trends - January 2022

SAMENA COUNCIL ACTIVITY SAMENA TRENDS

SAMENA COUNCIL ACTIVITY

SAMENA Council Emphasized on Two Key Implementable Areas of
Future-Oriented Policymaking at the WTPF, to Re-Energize Sustainable
Development and Universal Connectivity Drives

SAMENA Council, represented by its CEO - Deliberations at the WTPF-21 delved into identifying
Bocar BA, who also delivered a keynote in
support of the Private Sector, participated actions that can be taken to mobilize new and emerging
and contributed to the Opinions adopted technologies and ICTs for sustainable development, as
during the Sixth World Telecom/ICT Policy
Forum (WTPF-21), held virtually in well as practical measures to boost universal, affordable
December 2021. The Forum brought and secure connectivity. Delegates recognized the need to
together representatives from all
stakeholder groups belonging to 90 ITU re-energize sustainable development and drive faster and
Member States, 40 Sector Members, more inclusive connectivity, and to ramp up digital skills.
including SAMENA Council, and various
Observers. Deliberations at the WTPF-21 future, SAMENA Council stressed upon more effectively address the needs of the
delved into identifying actions that can be two particularly important aspects for Private Sector, in particular of Telecom
taken to mobilize new and emerging future policymaking and governance: One, Operators. The success of the Governments
technologies and ICTs for sustainable adopting innovative and sustainable and the success and sustainability of the
development, as well as practical measures funding, financing and investment models Private Sector are closely interlinked.
to boost universal, affordable and secure that need to be much broader and include Consequently, in support of the Opinions
connectivity. Delegates recognized the contributors apart from Telecom Operators adopted regarding future-oriented policy
need to re-energize sustainable alone and predictable and sustainable approaches, it is almost inevitable that
development and drive faster and more contributions from all those that benefit we’d also need to focus specifically on the
inclusive connectivity, and to ramp up from infrastructure investments. Two, need for reducing Taxation and incentives
digital skills. The essential requirement for understanding and meaningfully utilizing in investment, adopting future-friendly
setting best policies and practices for the vast data flow landscape that now Spectrum allocation approaches and
adopting and utilizing new and emerging exists, and for which Policymakers and rectification of Spectrum Interference
technologies and services to facilitate the Regulators should help in the issues and supporting innovation in the
use of ICTs for sustainable development harmonization of data categorizations creation, adoption, and championing by
was recognized as being crucial. It was such as global definitions and data-related the government sector of the adoption of
also agreed that an enabling environment concepts; developing common technical new digital services." WTPF-21 brought
for the development and deployment of data-related standards; exploring together policy-makers from across the
new and emerging telecommunication/ICT emerging forms of data governance, and globe, providing a venue for exchanging
services and technologies to agreeing on digital and data-related rights views and knowledge to create shared
advance sustainable development is and principles at the top of their data- vision on issues arising from the
critical for a sustainable digital future. centric policy and regulatory approaches. emergence of new telecommunication/ICT
(SAMENA Council noted that this was in Bocar BA, in his keynoted, stated that services and technologies. It is the sixth
accordance with the earlier ackno- "Focusing on these two aspects will help such Forum, previous having taken place
wledgement by the global community of establish a foundation on which the future in 1996, 1998, 2001, 2009 and 2013. The
the role that the Telecom/ICT industry, of connectivity can be built. SAMENA Forum was convened at the request of ITU
especially the Telecom Operator Council suggests that the Policymakers Membership to discuss new and emerging
community, has been playing in digital and Regulators consider extending the technologies. The Sixth World
development worldwide and more so regulatory sandbox approach to Telecommunication/ICT Policy Forum
throughout the 2020-to-date pandemic understand and address new challenges (WTPF-21) was due to be held on 16-18
response and future preparedness associated with cross-border data flows, December 2021 in Geneva, Switzerland.
processes.)Aligned with the Report which are an integral part of the global However, given the deterioration of the
presented by the ITU Secretary General, connectivity system we have recognized epidemiological situation and the
H.E. Mr. Houlin Zhao, and Opinions 3 & 4 today for building a sustainable digital announcement of travel restrictions and
agreed to during the WTPF-21 regarding future for all." BA also reiterated that "In quarantine requirements in Switzerland
the need to adopt effective future-oriented the age of collaborative regulation, policy and many other countries, WTPF-21 was
policy approaches for building the digital and regulatory approaches should aim to only held as a fully virtual event.
6 JANUARY 2022