The role of the International Telecommunication Union

The global telecommunications sector, and its associ- ated policy environment, has been subject to remark- able upheaval in recent decades. Throughout these reconfigurations of the very backbone of the global communications network, one institution has man- aged to survive, evolve and continue functioning: the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Originally established in 1865, it emerged as the out- come of an agreement between twenty European states, and was set up to ensure standardisation of international telegraph networks between its signa- tory members. However, nearly 150 years after its conception and over sixty years since it became a UN agency, the ITU plays an important role in the international telecommunications regime. However, the ITU has faced challenges from global develop- ments as its core tasks have seemingly dissipated into the ether. These questions are outlined below in this article, which will first provide a brief summary of the ITU’s operations and will then go on to describe the evol- ution of the telecommunications sector in recent years. Then the article will describe how these devel- opments have challenged the ITU’s role as a key player in the governance of the international tele- communications regime. The article will end with a brief description of the prospects for the ITU in the future governance of international telecommunica- tions, especially looking towards its focus on devel- oping countries.