Busan is good

Busan to Host ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in 2014

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<Photo: from left Director General for International Cooperation of Korea Communications Commission La Bong-ha, ITU Secretary-General Dr Hamadoun Toure, Policy Planning Officer of Busan Metropolitan City Lee Young-hwal>

 

Busan City has been selected to host the ITU’s 19^th Plenipotentiary Conference in 2014. The three-week conference will be held in Busan from October 20 until November 7, 2014 with the participation of minister-level delegates from 193 member countries.

 

The 2014 Conference will mark the second time for it to be hosted in the Asia-Pacific region. Kyoto, Japan, was the first Asia-Pacific host of the meeting in 1994.

In October 2010, at the 18th plenipotentiary conference in Guadalajara Mexico, the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) received enough votes to win the right to hold the conference. Busan, Seoul and Jeju were the three candidate cities. After the ITU evaluation committee visited the sites this August, Busan was picked as the best fit for the 2014 Conference.

 

Busan received a high score for the city’s rich convention and tourism infrastructure along with its convention center at BEXCO, its hotels, its proven track record of successfully hosting various international events, such as the 2005 APEC Leaders’ Meeting, and its state-of-the-art ubiquitous information and communication systems.

 

The decision, along with the conference schedule, however, will need the approval of all members in 193 nations by the beginning of next year in order for everything to be finalized.

The 2014 Conference is expected to bring tremendous economic impact directly and indirectly to the city of Busan.

 

The Plenipotentiary Conference is the top policy-making body of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The conference, held every four years, sets the Union's general policies, adopts four-year strategic and financial plans and elects the senior management team of the organization, the members of Council and the members of the Radio Regulations Board. It is the key event at which ITU member states decide on the future role of the organization, thereby determining the organization's ability to influence and affect the development of issues such as convergence, telephone tariffs, the Internet, universal service and electronic commerce

 

Previously, Busan successfully hosted ITU Telecom Asia 2004.