30 May 2016, Geneva – The ITU and Tunisia's government have signed a Host Country Agreement that formalizes the preparations for the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-16-2016), an ITU administrative meeting conducted every four years to establish the ITU-T The T-strategic ITU's direction and structure. Mr. Houlin Zhao, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union, and Mr. Noaman Fihri, Tunisian Minister of Communication Technologies and Digital Economy, signed the agreement at the ITU Council's 2016 session.
The World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly 2016 will take place in Yasmine Hammamet from October 25 to November 3, 2016, for ITU-T members to ensure Tunisia. On October 24, the Global Standards Symposium will take place. The alliance offers a strong chance for the ITU's standards efforts to continue to assist the advancement of the advanced information society in 2020.
The Assembly will establish an ITU standardization plan to promote the development of ICT infrastructure that is crucial to successful innovation in areas such as IMT-2020 (5G) non-radio elements, the Internet of Things (IoT), and smart sustainable cities. A review of the ITU's procedures for collaboration with other standards organizations, SMEs, open source communities, and the various vertical industries that use ICTs as enabling technologies is one of the most important aspects.
"The World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly 2016, which will be held in Tunisia this year, will define the future direction of telecommunication networks, information and communication technologies, and services," stated ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao. "The global economy is projected to undergo substantial structural upheavals in the years running up to 2020," he continued, "and the ICT industry will be at the core of many of these transitions."
"International standardization is a tool that delivers essential assistance to technological progress," stated Mr. Chesabe Lee, Director of the ITU's Telecommunication Standardization Bureau. "WTSA 2016 will ensure that it serves the information and communication standardization sector." "Communication and its members have a well-equipped standardized toolbox to assist governments and businesses in achieving their 2020 and beyond goals, he continued”
"Tunisia is proud of its intellectual leadership culture, and we are hosting the next World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly because of the fundamental importance of international cooperation, which has plans for 2016 as an endorsement in the development of the information society," Mr. Noaman Fihri said. "Tunisia aspires to be at the forefront of ICT innovation by concentrating on e-learning and e-governance, as well as utilizing technology to provide a fair playing field for all," he said. The World Telecommunication Standardization Association is a critical tool for ensuring a level playing field for the growth of ICT infrastructure across the world.