Abu Dhabi: The UAE was elected unanimously as the vice president on behalf of the Arab Group at the 18th Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) which opened on October 4 and runs until October 22.
Tarek Al Awadi, executive director of Spectrum management and international affairs with the UAE's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) was elected president of the Arab Group in charge of preparation for the conference in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The UAE is participating with a high-level delegation headed by UAE Minister of State Reem Al Hashemi, UAE Ambassador to Mexico Saeed Rashid Al Za'abi, UAE Permanent Representative to United Nations in Geneva Ambassador Obaid Salem Al Za'abi, TRA Deputy Director General Majid Al Mismar and other members from TRA, armed forces, etisalat, du, Thuraya and Yahsat.
Al Hashemi delivered the UAE's speech to the conference, addressing the importance of the conference as it comess after the last one in Turkey in 2006.
Agenda topics
Her speech focused on the topics listed in the conference's agenda this year and issues at the regional and international levels such as the role and means of communication in climate change, internet policy, secure communications and protection of children on the internet.
Al Hashemi praised the efforts of the Mexican government in hosting the conference and its hospitality.
She also commented on the participation of the UAE in this event, saying: "It is an honour for the UAE government to be nominated for two key positions in the ITU in such a great conference and gathering.
"The first position is the membership of the ITU Council for a second term in addition to the nomination for the first time of one of the TRA engineers for the membership of the Radio Regulation Board (RRB) for the same period."