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Internet Governance 23 May 2016

New Background Paper on ITU World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA) 2016

Elizabeth Oluoch – Do Canto
By Elizabeth Oluoch – Do CantoFormer Director, International Institutions and Relations

On 25 October to 3 November 2016, the ITU will host the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA) in Yasmine Hammamet, Tunisia. This is the peak meeting of the Telecommunications Standardization Sector (ITU-T) that brings together Member States and Sectors Members in order to define the work program and structure of ITU-T for the next four years. The Internet Society is engaged in preparations and we want our membership to be part this engagement. For this purpose, we’ve put together this background document to help you, our community, navigate through WTSA 2016.

What are some of the key topics at WTSA-2016?

Some of the Internet public policy related issues likely to be addressed at WTSA-16 include important topics such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Cybersecurity, and Over the Top Communications (OTT).

Our objectives at WTSA-16 are to encourage greater collaboration and coordination of all relevant stakeholders on activities related to the Internet’s technical, social and economic development, and that technical recommendations within ITU-T take into consideration Open Standards. As our preparations progress we will continue to keep our community informed.

Disclaimer: Viewpoints expressed in this post are those of the author and may or may not reflect official Internet Society positions.

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