The second Interregional Meeting of the Telecommunication Standardization Sector of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-T) in preparation for the ITU World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly 2020 (WTSA-20) was held on 8 January 2021 in a virtual format.

The above meeting was opened by the Chairman of the ITU-T Telecommunication Standardization Advisory Group (TSAG), Dr. Bruce Gracie, and wished all participants a Happy New Year.

Chae Sub Lee, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, addressed the participants with a welcoming speech.

At the 2nd ITU-T Interregional Meeting in preparation for the ITU World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly 2020, the following agenda was approved:

- ITU-T information on the situation with WTSA-20;

- News from Regional Telecommunications Organizations;

- Update on the TSAG Rapporteur Group Meeting;

- Updating of WTSA Resolutions;

- The schedule of approval of the meetings for 2021-2022 - taking into account the preparatory meetings of the WTDC;

- Summarizing.

Billel Jamoussi, Head of ITU-T Study Groups Department, made a presentation on ITU-T preparations for WTSA-20.

In his speech, Bilel Jamoussi confirmed that the ITU World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly 2020 has been postponed to March 1-9, 2022, as well as the retention of the name WTSA-20.

At the same time, it was reported that the next ITU World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly after WTSA-20 will be held in 2024.

Due to the format of the event, the ITU-T event was attended by over 130 representatives of the communications field, including representatives of the Regional Commonwealth in the field of communications.

Representatives of the RCC Communications Administrations of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as the leadership of the RCC Executive Committee took part in the ITU-T interregional meeting.

The agenda of the meeting included reports on the preparation for WTSA-20 of the following ITU Regional Organizations:

- The Asia Pacific Telecommunication Community (APT);

- Arab Group (Arab Region);

- African Telecommunication Union (ATU);

- European Conference of Postal and Communications Administrations (CEPT);

- the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL);

- Regional Commonwealth in the field of communications (RCC).

Information on the preparation of the RCC General Proposals to WTSA-20 was presented by the Chairman of the Working Group on work with ITU at the CCM, Chief Researcher of FSUE NIIR Vladimir Markovich Minkin.

In addition, the following dates for ITU preparatory meetings for the 2022 World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly were determined.

At the close, Dr. Bruce Gracie, Chairman of the 2nd Interregional Meeting of the Telecommunication Standardization Sector of the International Telecommunication Union in preparation for WTSA-20, summed up the event and thanked all the participants in the meeting for their constructive and fruitful work.

Work in the ITU Regional Organizations on the preparation and holding of the Regional Preparatory Meetings for the ITU World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly 2022 will continue.

* Meeting documents are available for review on the WTSA-20 interregional coordination home page https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-T/wtsa20/irc/Pages/default.aspx.