Coordinates	35°0′41.69″N135°46′5.47″N
name	International Telecommunication UnionUnion internationale des télécommunicationsUnión Internacional de TelecomunicacionesМеждународный союз электросвязиالاتحاد الدولي للاتصالات国际电信联盟
image size	200px
type	UN agency
acronyms	ITUUIT
head	Hamadoun Touré
status	Active
established	17 May 1865
headquarters	Geneva, Switzerland
website	http://www.itu.int/
footnotes	}}

The International Telecommunication Union (''Union internationale des télécommunications'', in French) is the specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for information and communication technologies. ITU coordinates the shared global use of the radio spectrum, promotes international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, works to improve telecommunication infrastructure in the developing world and establishes worldwide standards.

ITU also organizes worldwide and regional exhibitions and forums, such as ITU TELECOM WORLD, bringing together representatives of government and the telecommunications and ICT industry to exchange ideas, knowledge and technology.

The ITU is active in areas including broadband Internet, latest-generation wireless technologies, aeronautical and maritime navigation, radio astronomy, satellite-based meteorology, convergence in fixed-mobile phone, Internet access, data, voice, TV broadcasting, and next-generation networks.

ITU is based in Geneva, Switzerland, is a member of the United Nations Development Group and its membership includes 192 Member States and around 700 Sector Members and Associates.

ITU sectors

The ITU comprises three sectors, each managing a different aspect of the matters handled by the Union, as well as ITU Telecom: ;Radiocommunication (ITU-R): Managing the international radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbit resources is at the heart of the work of the ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R). ;Standardization (ITU-T): ITU's standards-making efforts are its best-known — and oldest — activity; known prior to 1992 as the International Telephone and Telegraph Consultative Committee or CCITT (from its French name "Comité consultatif international téléphonique et télégraphique") ;Development (ITU-D): Established to help spread equitable, sustainable and affordable access to information and communication technologies (ICT). ;ITU TELECOM: ITU Telecom organizes major events for the world's ICT community. ITU Telecom World 2011 is ITU Telecom's 40th Anniversary with the first event in 1971.

A permanent General Secretariat, headed by the Secretary General, manages the day-to-day work of the Union and its sectors.

The ITU's mission

The ITU's mission is to enable the growth and sustained development of telecommunications and information networks, and to facilitate universal access so that people everywhere can participate in, and benefit from, the emerging information society and global economy. The ITU assists in mobilizing the technical, financial, and human resources required to make this vision real.

A major priority of the ITU is bridging the so-called "digital divide" by building adequate and safe information and communication infrastructure and developing confidence in the use of cyberspace through enhanced online security.

The ITU also concentrates on strengthening emergency communications for disaster prevention and mitigation, especially in less developed regions.

Legal framework of ITU

The basic texts of the ITU are adopted by the Plenipotentiary Conference. In addition to the Constitution and Convention, the consolidated basic texts include the Optional Protocol on the settlement of disputes, the Decisions, Resolutions and Recommendations in force, as well as the General Rules of Conferences, Assemblies and Meetings of the Union.

Leadership

The ITU is headed by a Secretary-General, who is elected to a four-year term by the member states at the plenipotentiary conference.

At the 17th Plenipotentiary Conference (2006) in Antalya, Turkey, the ITU's member states elected Dr Hamadoun Touré of Mali as Secretary-General of the Union. He was re-elected for a second four-year term at the 18th Plenipotentiary Conference (2010) in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Directors and Secretaries-General of ITU

Directors of ITU
!Name	!Beginning of Term	!End of Term	!Country
Louis Curchod	1 January 1869	24 May 1872
Karl Lendi	24 May 1872	12 January 1873
Louis Curchod	23 February 1873	18 October 1889
August Frey	25 February 1890	28 June 1890
Timotheus Rothen	25 November 1890	11 February 1897
Emil Frey	11 March 1897	1 August 1921
Henri Étienne	2 August 1921	16 December 1927
Joseph Räder	1 February 1928	30 October 1934
Franz von Ernst	1 January 1935	1 January 1949
Secretaries general
Léon Mulatier	1 January 1950	1 January 1953
Marco Aurelio Andrada	1 January 1954	18 June 1958
Gerald C. Cross	1 January 1964	29 October 1965
Manohar Balaji Sarwate	30 October 1965	19 February 1967
Mohamed Ezzedine Mili	20 October 1967	31 December 1982
Richard E. Butler	1 January 1983	31 October 1989
Pekka Tarjanne	1 November 1989	31 January 1999
Yoshio Utsumi	1 February 1999	31 December 2006
Hamadoun Touré	1 January 2007	present

Membership

Members states of the ITU are 192 of the 193 UN members states and the Vatican City.

Observers are: Palestinian territories

Non-members are: Palau (the only UN member state not to be a member), Cook Islands, Niue, and the states with limited recognition.

The most recent member to join is South Sudan, which became a member on 14 July 2011.

Membership of ITU is open to governments, which may join the Union as Member States, as well as to private organizations like carriers, equipment manufacturers, funding bodies, research and development organizations and international and regional telecommunication organizations, which can join ITU as Sector Members.

Private companies and other organizations may elect to join one or more of the Union’s three Sectors, according to their particular sphere of interest. ITU Sector Members also develop the technical standards which will underpin future telecommunication systems and shape tomorrow’s networks and services.

Finally, Sector Members gain privileged access to restricted first-hand information which can prove highly valuable in their business planning.

World Summit on the Information Society

The ITU was the lead organizing agency of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), a United Nations summit aiming at bridging the digital divide and turning it into digital opportunity for all. WSIS provided a global forum on the theme of ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) for development. WSIS was a pledge for building a people-centered development-oriented Information Society. Other big themes of the Summit were Internet governance and Financial mechanisms for meeting the challenges of ICTs for development.

The idea of holding WSIS came from the Tunisian President Ben Ali on the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in Minneapolis in 1998. The process was launched late in 2002 on the initiative of Kofi Annan. The first phase of the WSIS summit took place in December 2003 in Geneva and the second and final phase took place in Tunis in November 2005.

WSIS Stocktaking Process was initiated in 2004. The WSIS Stocktaking Process is a follow-up to WSIS. Its purpose is to provide a register of activities carried out by governments, international organizations, the business sector, civil society and other entities, in order to highlight the progress made since that landmark event. Following § 120 of TAIS, ITU has been maintaining the WSIS Stocktaking database as a publicly accessible system providing information on ICT-related initiatives and projects with reference to the 11 WSIS Action Lines.

See also

Global Cybersecurity Agenda (GCA)

Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL)

ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R)

ITU Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D)

ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T)

ITU-R Recommendations

ITU-T Recommendations

Telephone numbers in the European Union

X.509

Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG)

WSIS Stocktaking Platform

Notes

External links

ITU official site

ITU history from the official site

ITU Telecom World 2011

ITU defines the future of mobile communications

''U.N. Summit to Focus on Internet'' – Washington Post article about ICANN and the United Nations' ITU relationship

Category:Organizations established in 1865 Category:Digital divide Category:Organisations based in Geneva Category:Telecommunications for development Category:United Nations Development Group Category:United Nations specialized agencies Category:Radio organizations

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Coordinates	35°0′41.69″N135°46′5.47″N
name	Bevan Docherty
country	New Zealand
nickname	BeeDoc
birth date	March 29, 1977
birth place	Taupo, New Zealand
height
weight
pb
coach	Mark Elliot
show-medals	yes
medaltemplates	}}

}} Bevan John Docherty (born 29 March 1977) is a triathlete from New Zealand who twice won medals at the Olympic Games. Docherty attended Tauhara College, Taupo.

In 2004 he won the ITU world championship and the silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens behind fellow New Zealander Hamish Carter. At the 2006 Commonwealth Games Docherty again won silver. At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, he finished 3rd, winning the bronze medal. The former world champion has started a new initiative, called "The Docherty Dares programme", aimed at supporting Kiwis to achieve goals they previously never thought possible.

The programme was inspired when Bevan saw Christchurch man Scott Kotoul cross the finish line at the Round Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge. Near exhaustion after only doing half the distance (80km), Kotoul said he was only going to do 40 km next year. But Docherty dared Kotoul to enter the entire 160 km next year. He accepted the challenge.

Docherty this year hopes to help five Kiwis in a similar vein.

Docherty is currently sponsored by Avanti Bikes, and at the end of 2008 was ranked 2^nd in the world.

References

Profile at Triathlon.org

Avanti Bicycles

Bevan Docherty Official Website

(video) Final sprint at the 2005 New Plymouth ITU World Cup triathlon.

sports-reference

Category:1977 births Category:Living people Category:New Zealand triathletes Category:Olympic silver medalists for New Zealand Category:Olympic bronze medalists for New Zealand Category:Triathletes at the 2004 Summer Olympics Category:Triathletes at the 2008 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic triathletes of New Zealand Category:Commonwealth Games competitors for New Zealand Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for New Zealand Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2006 Commonwealth Games Category:People from the Waikato Region Category:Olympic medalists in triathlon

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