Page 6 - SAMENA Trends - January 2022
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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
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