ITU to open its India Office in New Delhi
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) will set up its South Asia regional office in New Delhi to support neighbouring countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
It was announced recently in a meeting held in Durban, South Africa by Houlin Zhao, ITU Secretary General during the 4th BRICS summit.
Ina statement, Telecom minister Manoj Sinha said that the establishment of this ITU local office will be an important milestone for India, as it signifies global recognition of the progress the country has made in the field of ICT. "It also places on us the responsibility to work with our neighbouring countries to take the benefits of the rapid developments in this technology-driven industry to the people in the South Asia region," he said.
ITU is a United Nations specialized agency for Information and Communication Technologies, with membership of 193 countries and nearly 800 private sector entities and academic institutions.
As a member of the ITU since 1869, India has traditionally played a harmonising role in the deliberations and exchanges of the body, always respecting the core principles of equality and consensus-building. The country has also been a regular member of the ITU Council since 1952. The ITU South Asia Office will serve nine countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, in addition to the host country – which together account for nearly 24% of the global population.
"This local office will play a key role in organising capacity and capability building programmes for the region, and in accelerating the structured implementation of ITU’s development programs with focus on Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Land-Locked Developed Countries (LLDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and other similarly placed nations in the region," says, Aruna Sundararajan, telecom secretary, GOI.
The ITU Local Area Office will also impart a significant boost to technological reach and benefits for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) which act as catalysts in the inclusive growth of a region’s economy and employment. “We are thankful to our neighbouring countries for supporting the establishment of this office in India, and look forward to further strengthening our partnership with them,” says, Manoj Sinha.
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