1. Committed to connecting the world Bridging The Standardization Gap for Africa Africa Regional Preparatory Meeting for WTSA-12 Bridging the standardization gap in Africa Durban, South Africa 21 May 2012 Vijay Mauree Programme Coordinator - TSB

2. Committed to connecting the world 2 Outline Standardization gap Bridging the Standardization Gap ITU Activities to bridge the gap

3. Committed to connecting the world One of the three strategic goals of ITU-T Defined as the disparities in the ability of developing countries, relative to developed ones, to access, implement, contribute to and influence international ICT standards, specifically ITU T Recommendations. The standardization development gap is itself both a cause and a manifestation of the wider digital divide Bridging the standardization gap: PP Res 123, WTSA Res 44 and WTDC Res 47 3 The Standardization Gap

4. Committed to connecting the world Bridging The Standardization Gap 4

5. Committed to connecting the world Enhance Standardization Capability Develop Human Resources Set up Regional Groups Establish BSG Fund 5 ITU Activities to Bridge the Gap

6. Committed to connecting the world Enhance Standardization Capability 6 Mentoring programme for newcomers to Study Groups Mentor role in study group Research on measuring and reducing the standardization capability gap Free access to ITU-T Standards Increase remote participation and collaboration Reduced fees (CHF 3,975) for developing countries including academia

7. Committed to connecting the world Enhance Standardization Capability 7 Increase number of officials (Chairs / Rapporteurs) from developing countries in ITU-T Study Groups Increase SG meetings and workshops in developing countries Standards Q&A Online Forum

8. Committed to connecting the world Standards Q&A http://groups.itu.int/itu-t/StandardsQA.aspx Open to everyone Moderated Forum Objectives Enable developing countries to seek advice directly from ITU-T study group experts Ensure developing countries have a better understanding of ITU-T Recommendations Enhance the application of ITU-T Recommendations in developing countries 8

9. Committed to connecting the world Standards Q&A 26 Topics : some examples Naming, numbering IPv6 ICT and Climate Change Optical Transport Networks IPTV Cloud Computing Cybersecurity Future networks and NGN Home Networking Multimedia coding Accessibility Conformity and Interoperability 9

10. Committed to connecting the world Capacity Building In Depth Technical Manuals/ Tutorial Workshop Crash Courses/ Webinar E- Learning 10 Develop Human Resources

11. Committed to connecting the world Develop Human Resources 11 Manuals and handbooks Handbook on Testing (2011) Handbook on Testing (2011) Convergent Networks (2010), Convergent Networks (2010) ITU-T Manual on Optical Transport Networks from TDM to Packet (2010) ITU-T Manual on Optical Transport Networks from TDM to Packet (2010) DSL Story (2010), DSL Story (2010) Deployment of packet based networks (2009) Deployment of packet based networks (2009) Handbook on Fibre Optic Cables and Systems (2009), Handbook on Fibre Optic Cables and Systems (2009) Security in Telecommunications and IT (2009) Security in Telecommunications and IT (2009) E-learning course on ITU-T Meeting Procedures NEW!

12. Committed to connecting the world SG2 Groups for Arab and East Africa Regions SG3 Groups for Asia and Oceania, Africa, Europe and Mediterranean, Latin America and Caribbean (Tariff and accounting principles) SG5 Groups for Arab, Africa, Latin America and Caribbean (ICT and Climate Change) SG12 Group for Africa (Performance, QoS) Regional Groups 12

13. Committed to connecting the world BSG Fund : CHF 289,000 Objective Facilitate the participation of developing countries in the standards development process Allow developing countries to profit from access to new technology development Ensure that the requirements of developing countries are taken into account in the development of standards Korea Communications Commission, Nokia Siemens Networks, Microsoft, Cisco BSG Fund 13

14. Committed to connecting the world ICT Standardization Capability Study Understand the primary gaps that must be bridged to improve the standards development, implementation, and usage capacities of developing countries. Identify variables necessary for developing countries to effectively develop, access, and deploy standards. Develop a national profile of standards readiness and recommend best practices for national standards participation 14

15. Committed to connecting the world Methodology Tool for Assessing Standards Capability a questionnaire designed to elicit a self-assessment of standards capacity for effectively developing, accessing, and deploying ICT standards Distributed to LDCs/Developing Countries Scope limited to ICT standards Preliminary Report published in December 2009 Case Studies : China, Czech Rep., Lebanon, Mali, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Tanzania, Thailand, Zambia 15

16. Committed to connecting the world 16 Questionnaire Standards Development Capability Government Standards Policy Standardization Human Resources National Standards Use and Adoption

17. Committed to connecting the world National Standards Capability Scale 17

18. Committed to connecting the world 18 National Standards Capability Scale 18

19. Committed to connecting the world Strategies To Improve How to interface with ITU-T? Public-private partnership for ICT standardization activities at national level identify new ICT standards requirements define strategy for participation in regional and international standards-setting organizations. Capacity building programme on ICT standardization for officials of the national standards body and ICT regulatory authority 19

20. Committed to connecting the world Strategies To Improve Offer government-sponsored ICT standards training in collaboration with private industry and international standards-setting organizations Provide incentives towards hosting international ICT standards conferences and workshops in the country. 20

21. Committed to connecting the world Conclusions Bridging the Standardization Gap Enhanced co-ordination on ICT standardization at national level Increase the use of ITU-T Recommendations Capacity building on standardization and ITU-T Recommendations Increase participation in Study Groups, Workshops, Meetings and number of contributions 21

22. Committed to connecting the world vijay.mauree@itu.int Thank You