Ursula Proposes Appointment of Five ITSO Administrations

Ghana’s Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has on behalf of the Africa continent made a proposal to the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (ITSO) – body responsible for communication by means of satellite to be available to nations of the world on a global and non-discriminatory standard to consider appointing 5 notifying administrations.

The appointment which would entail 3 new administrations to allow each ITSO Region has greater clarity and improvement on the already notifying Administration seeks to ensure a sustainable future for the International body.

“Appoint Five (5) notifying Administrations (entailing appointment of three (3) new Administrations) such that each ITSO Region will have 1 notifying Administration. We thank the USA and UK for holding the fort all these years but insist the other 3 regions have come of age and are ready to do their bit to secure our shared resources well into the future. A working group could be established to consider the modalities and the new strategic direction of ITSO. Greater clarity and improvement in the roles that the Notifying Administrations ought to play in representing the Parties’ interests” she made it known in the draft proposal summary at a recent fortieth meeting of the Assembly of Parties (AP40).

Strategic Investment

Also, the Ablekuma West lawmaker asked ITSO to consider strategic investment in a way to tactically retain and provide new direction to ensure protection of its Common Heritage.

She explained the new proposal has become necessary due to impact of emerging technologies and the need for the International body to accelerate global connectivity.

She added that, it would secure the sustainability of the ITSO-Intelsat relationship through institutionalized safeguards, such as obligating Intelsat to submit information to ITSO in a timely manner, as well as any relevant information required in light of the amended article.

“The African Region (Region D) therefore proposes: strategic direction and Sustainable funding for ITSO’s activities in order to ensure the protection of the Common Heritage through: Sustainable funding for ITSO in order to avoid a recurrence of the funding  impasse (which appears to be resolved for now) while at the same time guaranteeing the long-term survival of the organisation, and ensure that Intelsat would not be able to circumvent its legal obligations or dictate either the manner in which ITSO is to perform its core responsibilities or the level of funding to which the Organization should be entitled under the PSA ; including setting a minimum and maximum level of funding annually” the draft proposal further reads.

Support for Director General

In addition, Mrs. Ursula called for an all intensive support and extension of more years for its Director General, Mr. Patrick Masambu.

“We also propose and support the extension of the current Director General of ITSO’s appointment for an additional four (4) years”.

About ITSO  

ITSO is an intergovernmental organization with 149-member states, that incorporates the principle set forth in Resolution 1721 (XVI) of the General Assembly of the United Nations, which established that communication by means of satellite should be available to the nations of the world as soon as practicable on a global and non-discriminatory basis.

Originally established in 1973 as INTELSAT, the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization was restructured in 2001. The restructuring led to the creation of a private entity, Intelsat S.A. and to the continuation of the intergovernmental organization with a new acronym (ITSO).

ITSO´s mission is to monitor the performance of Intelsat’s public service obligations and to safeguard the Parties’ Common Heritage.

The creation of the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (ITSO), resulted from the efforts of a group of nations to join the United States in 1964 to establish a global communications satellite system.

The International Telecommunications Satellite Organization incorporates the principle set forth in Resolution 1721 (XVI) of the General Assembly of the United Nations, which establishes that communication by means of satellites should be available to the nations of the world as soon as practicable on a global and non-discriminatory basis.

It also incorporates the principle embedded in the “Outer Space Treaty,” which states that outer space shall be used for the benefit and in the interest of all countries.

The Organization underwent an important restructuring in 2001 in order to secure the long-term viability of its communications system in a market that is characterized by increasing competition, fast-paced innovations and rising capital costs, and in order to attract private investments.