ICT regional meet underway in PNG
The three-day preparatory conference, which ends on Wednesday, has drawn the participation of 60 delegates from countries including Australia, Japan, Singapore, China, Nepal, Iran, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Afghanistan, South Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Vanuatu, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.
This conference is being hosted by the National Information and Communication Technology Authority(NICTA) to discuss issues of interest in the region, as it prepares for the World Telecommunication Development Conference 2017 (WTDC-17).
This will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina from the 09th to the 20th of October.
APT Secretary General Areewan Haorangsi said the first meeting was held in Sinagpore, in August last year. Mr Haorangsi said it was targeted on the structure of the group and selection of office bearers of the group adding there are three more meetings for the APT preparatory group lined up.
The third and the fourth meetings of the preparatory group are scheduled to be held in Bangkok, Thailand and Malaysia in June and in August respectively.
“These meetings provide platforms for cooperation and oraganisation of regional concerns that are vital to our members that needs to be addressed in the world conference.
“To foster the development of telecommunications and ICTs and develop regional common proposals or submissions to the world conference and Asia Pacific, is the most struggling region in the world with many diverse countries,” she said.
Meanwhile, PNG has its list of proposals for the Asia Pacific Telecommunity (APT) to focus on.
Top of its agenda is the proposal on Cyber security, rural communications, increasing access to broad band services, enhancing emergency communications for disaster relief, standards, conformance and interoperability and regulatory and policy reforms was presented by the minister for Information and Communication Technology Jimmy Miringtoro Monday.
Miringtoro told the APT delegates that because the meeting would be discussing issues of common interest to the region as they prepare for the forthcoming WTDC-17 conference it is only fair that APT also consider PNG’s needs. “These themes will be repeated throughout many of the proposals to this meeting from several delegations.
As many of the issues are of common interest, I am confident that we can achieve consensus on outcomes,” he said.
“The meeting is an important milestone on the path to the WTDC-17 and we must work together, in the spirit of cooperation and collaboration to deliver results. I am confident that we can achieve a positive outcome,” the minister said.
National Information and Communication Authority (NICA) chief executive officer Charles Punaha in support of the minister said the country has already submitted its developmental projects and agendas.
Punaha said PNG is now hoping that the Asia Pacific region will endorse these projects for the ICT sector and then take right through to the WTDC-17 in October. Punaha reiterated that cybercrime is one component including other issues as per the minister’s statement on the proposals adding this is because PNG through NICTA has a timeline to meet.
“We are looking at by 2020 every PNG Citizen must have access to broadband services. We have done well in mobile service but for broadband we are not doing well,” he said.
Post Courier/PNG Today
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