Founded in Paris in 1865 as the International Telegraph Union, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) took its present name in 1934 and became a specialized agency of the United Nations in 1947.

The ITU is an intergovernmental organization where the public and private sectors cooperate for the development of telecommunication and harmonization of national telecommunication policies. The ITU consists of 189 Member States and some 666 Sectors members representing public and private companies and organizations with an interest in telecommunications. The ITU's mission is 1) to promote the development and efficient operation of telecommunication facilities and the extension of the benefits of new information and communication technologies to people everywhere 2) to promote and offer technical assistance to developing countries in the field of information technology and telecommunication including the mobilization of the human and financial resources needed 3) to promote, at the international level, the adoption of a broader approach to the issues of telecommunication in the global information economy and society.

It fulfills its mission through 1) a programme of initiatives to promote the growth and expansion of electronic commerce and to facilitate the transition of the telecommunication community in the age of the Internet and the Information Society 2) strategic workshops designed to provide a focus on topics of high current interest to regulators, policy-makers and the broader ITU membership 3) the adoption of international regulations and treaties governing all terrestrial and space uses of the frequency spectrum including satellite orbits, within which countries adopt their national legislation 4) the adoption of technical standards that foster global interconnectivity and interoperability and 5) the provision of policy advice and technical assistance to developing countries.

COMPOSITION

STRUCTURE

The supreme authority of the ITU is the Plenipotentiary Conference, composed of representatives of all the members, which meets once every four years. It sets out the organization's general policy and determines its structure and activities. The Conference also elects members of the ITU Council, the Secretary-General, the Deputy Secretary-General and the Directors of the Radiocommunication, Standardization and Development Bureaux.

The ITU Council is composed of 46 members of the Union. Its role is to consider, in the interval between two plenipotentiary conferences, broad telecommunication policy issues in order to ensure that the Union's policies and strategies fully respond to the constantly changing telecommunication environment. In addition, the Council is responsible for ensuring the efficient coordination of the Union's work and for exercising an effective financial control over ITU, namely:

1. The Radiocommunication Sector, including World and Regional Radiocommunication Conferences, Radiocommunication Assemblies, the Radio Regulations Board, Study Groups, Radiocommunication Advisory Group and Radiocommunication Bureau.

2. The Telecommunication Standardization Sector, including World Telecommunication Standardization Assemblies, Study Groups, Telecommunication Standardization Advisory Group and Telecommunication Standardization Bureau.

3. The Telecommunication Development Sector, including World and Regional Telecommunication Development Conferences, Study Groups, Telecommunication Development Advisory Group and Telecommunication Development Bureau, and

4. The General Secretariat which is responsible for the management of administrative and financial aspects of the Union's activities (conference services, information technology services, strategic planning, and corporate functions such as communication, legal advice, finance, personnel and support services).

In addition, the Council is responsible for facilitating the implementation of the ITU Constitution and Convention.

Finally, World Conferences on international telecommunications are held at the request of the Plenipotentiary Conference, and are empowered to revise the International Telecommunication Regulations, an international treaty governing the provision and operation of public telecommunication services, as well as the underlying transport mechanisms used to provide them. The regulations provide a broad, basic framework for telecommunication administrations and operators in the provision of international telecommunication services.