ITU worried over perceived “cold war” among members

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has denied but also worried about the growing perception that its membership is becoming polarized on a number of key issues.

The UN specialized ICT agency is therefore keen on avoiding what it described as cold war among its membership.

Giving the State of the Union address at the ITU Council 2012 in Geneva July 4, the ITU Secretary-General, Dr Hamadoun I. Touré who referred to the perceived polarization said, that culture is not entertained within the Union.

“I am referring to the growing perception that ITU’s membership is becoming somewhat polarized on a number of key issues. This is not at all in our culture, as a technical rather than a political organization, which has been a culture of consensus and trust, over close to 150 years – and I am very keen to see us avoid entering into some kind of new cold war, which would be absolutely unnecessary!” Touré said.

The ITU, he says, has always “been – and continues to be – the sum and product of its membership, which of course is so much more powerful and mighty than any individual can be”.

He admitted that the perception “affects us all” and sought the ITU Council’s guidance over the coming days on how they can work together to resolve it.

“We work best when we work together – and when we trust one another,” he added.

The ITU Boss encouraged the strengthening of bonds of trust between the “Councillors, between our delegations, between all our members, and between all of us” who are working with the goals of the Union as a common ambition.

“As I have said before, the best way to win a war is to avoid a war – and the shape of the world we live in today makes this a terrible time to start a fight!”

“So”, Dr Touré said “let’s not be divisive. And let’s see this session of Council as a test of our willingness to avoid a war, and to work together in the honourable ITU traditions of trust and consensus.”

We have done it before. Indeed we have done it very often before – and most recently at RA-12 and WRC-12, earlier this year, Dr Touré stated adding “I have every confidence that we can do it again”.

He highlighted some of the events that was organized prior to the ITU Council 2012. Some were the ITU Telecom World 2011 & Broadband Leadership Summit, Radiocommunication Assembly and the World Radiocommunication Conference (RA-12 & WRC-12), ITU Connect Arab Summit, Fifth Broadband Commission meeting, ‘Girls in ICT Day’ and others.

By Ekow Quandzie