International Telecommunication Union

Overview

Founded in 1865, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has been an integral part of the United Nations since its inception in 1947.

"The ITU has the widest decisionmaking scope among international ICT organizations, in terms both of issues addressed and types of decisions made. The ITU treaties provide an international legal framework for cooperation between governments, the private sector, and other actors. They also lay down the legal and regulatory principles that govern the international exchange of telecom services, as well as the allocation and use of radio frequencies and satellite orbital positions. Within this framework, the ITU's main responsibilities include coordination and registry of frequency and orbital assignments and telecom numbering plans, development of technical, operational, tariff and revenue-sharing standards, the provision of policy, regulatory, technical and capacity-building assistance to developing countries, and fora for coordinating national approaches to global telecommunications policy and regulatory issues."

Its mission includes developing technical standards, allocating the radio spectrum, and providing technical assistance and capacity-building to developing countries. According to ITU, three sectors carry out these missions by promoting recommendations: the ITU-Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T), the ITU-Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R), and the ITU-Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D). In addition, the ITU General-Secretariat provides top-level leadership to ensure that institutional strategies are harmonized across all sectors. ITU members include delegations from 191 nations, as well as more than 700 members from the private sector.

The ITU has also developed technical standards for security and, more recently, engaged in other cybersecurity activities. For example, ITU-T has established a study group for telecommunications security to focus on developing standards and recommendations associated with network and information security, application security, and identity management. Similarly, ITU-D, through its members' efforts, prepared a report on cybersecurity best practices for countries seeking to organize national cybersecurity efforts.

While this effort was underway, the ITU General-Secretariat separately issued a Global Cybersecurity Agenda (GCA) designed to promote a comprehensive and coordinated international approach to cybersecurity across all ITU sectors. The GCA has five specific focus areas: legal measures, technical and procedural measures, organizational structures, capacity-building, and international cooperation.

In addition, the ITU Secretary General signed a memorandum of understanding with the International Multilateral Partnership Against Cyber Threats (IMPACT) that is to establish an operations center to coordinate incident response and to provide cyber threat information to member countries and the private sector.

Publications

The following ITU applications are summarized in this wiki:

• Challenges to the Network 1997: Telecoms and the Internet
• Challenges to the Network 1999: Internet for Development
• Compendium of Approved ITU-T Security Definitions
• Cybercrimes/e-Crimes: Assessment Report
• Cybersecurity Guide for Developing Countries
• FG Cloud Technical Report
• Geneva Declaration of Principles
• Global Strategic Report
• Internet as a Catalyst for Change: Access, Development, Freedoms and Innovations
• Internet Global Growth: Lessons for the Future
• ICT Regulation Toolkit
• ITU Botnet Mitigation Toolkit
• ITU Internet Reports 2001: IP Telephony
• ITU Internet Reports 2002: Internet for a Mobile Generation
• ITU Internet Reports 2003: Birth of Broadband
• ITU Internet Reports 2004: The Portable Internet
• ITU Internet Reports 2005: The Internet of Things
• ITU Internet Reports 2006: digital.life
• ITU Study on the Financial Aspects of Network Security: Malware and Spam
• ITU Survey on Anti-Spam Legislation Worldwide 2005
• ITU World Administrative Radio Conference Geneva 1979
• Study on the Financial Aspects of Network Security: Malware and Spam
• The Internet of Things
• Toolkit for Cybercrime Legislation
• Tunis Commitment
• Ubiquitous Network Societies and their Impact on the Telecommunication Industry
• Understanding Cybercrime: Phenomena, Challenges and Legal Response
• World Information Society Report 2006
• World Information Society Report 2007
• World Radiocommunication Conference 2015

Sources

• Cyberspace: United States Faces Challenges in Addressing Global Cybersecurity and Governance, at 13.
• ROADMAP: Global Policymaking for Information and Communications Technologies, at 22.

See also

• Broadcasting Satellite Service
• Digital Opportunity Platform
• International Multilateral Partnership Against Cyber Threats
• International Radio Consultative Committee
• ITU Botnet Mitigation Toolkit
• ITU Plenipotentiary Conference
• ITU-Radiocommunication Sector
• ITU-Telecommunication Development Sector
• ITU-Telecommunication Standardization Sector
• ITU Year 2000 Task Force
• Master International Frequency Register
• Radio Regulations Board
• Telecommunication Standardization Advisory Group
• International Radio Consultative Committee