ITU:

RECOMMENDATION  12

Consideration of disaster telecommunication needs
in telecommunication development activities

The World Telecommunication Development Conference (Istanbul, 2002),

considering

a)              the increasing number of disasters causing human suffering;

b)              the particular needs of developing countries and the special requirements of the inhabitants of remote areas;

c)              the potential of modern telecommunication technologies as an essential tool for disaster mitigation and relief operations,

considering further

the provisions of Nos. 17 and 191 of the Constitution of the International Telecommunication Union which state, respectively, that the Union shall promote the adoption of measures for ensuring the safety of life through the cooperation of telecommunication services, and that international telecommunication services must give absolute priority to all telecommunication concerning the safety of life,

noting

that the resilience of all telecommunication infrastructure depends on proper continuity planning at every stage of development and implementation of a network,

noting further

the necessity of an appropriate regulatory environment to ensure the full utilization of telecommunication networks in the above sense,

recommends

1                that administrations ensure proper consideration of disaster telecommunications by the telecommunication service providers;

2                that the regulators ensure the inclusion of provision of telecommunications as part of disaster mitigation and relief operations through appropriate national regulations;

3                that the ITU Telecommunication Development Sector study, as a matter of urgency, those aspects of telecommunications that are relevant to disaster resilience and continuity,

instructs the Director of BDT

to support administrators and regulators in the recommended activities by including appropriate measures into the work plan,

invites the Secretary-General

to bring this matter to the attention of the Plenipotentiary Conference for consideration.  

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