May 30, 2017
Information and Communication Technologies Authority President Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan attended the meeting of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Council held in Geneva on May 15, 2017.
In the meeting, current topics in the field of information and communication technologies were discussed, reports of the Council Working Groups were evaluated, relevant Council Resolution Decisions were reviewed, discussions were held on matters related to the implementation of decisions taken at ITU conferences, and the Union's business plan for the 2018-2021 period was addressed, with its two-year budget prepared.
In the 2017 Council meeting, BTK was also represented by a delegation headed by Authority President Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan. Authority President Dr. Sayan also attended the dinner hosted by ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao on May 22, 2017.
Our country is among the 8 members representing the Western Europe Region in the Council, which consists of 48 members forming 25% of ITU member countries. Our country, which has been an ITU member since its establishment, was first elected as an ITU Council member from the European Region (Region B) at the Plenipotentiary Conference held in Marrakech in 2002. Our country, elected to Council membership at the Plenipotentiary Conferences held in 2006, 2010, and 2014, continues to have a say in ITU's management for 4 consecutive terms.
WORLD TELECOMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION SOCIETY DAY CELEBRATED
May 17, the anniversary of the establishment of ITU founded in 1865, is celebrated every year as World Telecommunication and Information Society Day. In line with the decision taken at the 2016 Council, a panel was organized during the Council 2017 meeting as part of the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day events celebrated this year under the theme “Big Data for Big Impact.”
On the other hand, Council 2017 decided that World Telecommunication and Information Society Day in 2018 will be celebrated under the theme “Enabling the positive use of Artificial Intelligence for all.”