The United Arab Emirates has won membership of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Council for the third time in a row.
The elections, held yesterday, witnessed strong competition from 18 countries on 13 memberships reserved for the Asia region out of 48 memberships constituting the ITU Council.
Nasser bin Hammad, Senior Manager of International Affairs at the Telecommunication Regulation Authority, TRA, also won membership of the ITU Radio Regulations Board, one of the most important bodies at the ITU, adding another milestone for the U.A.E. delegation participating in the three-week Plenipotentiary Conference of the ITU in Busan, South Korea.
Naming Nasser bin Hammad became the first representative from the GCC to win this position after 20 candidates representing different regions, competed for 12 seats constituting the entire board, while six candidates representing the Asia region competed on three seats reserved for this region.
The U.A.E. received 120 out of 168 votes. Nasser bin Hammad gained 108 votes out of 167, thus garnering the second highest number of votes after the Japanese candidate who won 136 votes, reflecting the profound trust and confidence given by Asian states for the U.A.E. candidates.
This victory is also a great testament on the great efforts of the TRA team and management in establishing and strengthening relationships with ICT ministries and authorities in the Asian countries.
"On behalf of the TRA management and staff, I am honoured to offer my sincere congratulations to H.H Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the U.A.E., H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the U.A.E. and Ruler of Dubai and H.H Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the U.A.E. Armed Forces, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, on the great achievements attained by the U.A.E. during its participation in the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference," said Mohamad Ahmad Al-Qamzi, Chairman of TRA Board of Directors. "We at the TRA will continue working and intensifying efforts to consolidate the U.A.E.'s prominent stature within the ICT and Mobile Government international scene.
"These two achievements are very significant since the International Telecommunication Union is one of the most prestigious international organisations in charge of developing the ICT sector, which is the most dynamic sector in today’s knowledge based economy, relying heavily on digital data and smart cities. Naming our country in these two important positions comes in recognition of the high stature achieved by the U.A.E. within the knowledge economy arena, which comes in compliance with the directives of our wise leadership and in line with the national vision and our commitment to maintain the prestigious position of the U.A.E. on the ICT international map," he added.
"In addition to these two accomplishments, the U.A.E. was announced as official hosts of the 20th Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunications Union in 2018 with the consent of ITU member states. We feel proud that the U.A.E.’s bid to the presidency of the conference was met with great acceptance and support reflected by the warm applause received after the U.A.E.’s announcement," said Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, Director General of the TRA.
"I would like to thank the members of the national team, formed to prepare for the Plenipotentiary Conference of the ITU, for their efforts and endeavours as they worked hard during a full year to garner the necessary support. I assure them that they are real partners in this success and victory," he added.
The Radio Regulation Board which belongs to the Radio Communication Sector (ITU-R) of the International Telecommunication Union, one of the largest ITU sectors, is considered one of the high-level councils within the Union, where the election of its members takes place at the Union’s Plenipotentiary Conference, held once every four years. Once elected, members of the Council have no bias towards any other management in the Union, making its outcome of activities, resolutions and performance highly objective.