Senator the Honourable Hassel Bacchus outlined the ICT Policy for Trinidad and Tobago in Bucharest Romania, where the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2022 is currently taking place from 26 September - 14 October.
Minister Bacchus, and Shelley-Ann Clarke-Hinds, Senior Executive Manager, External Relations, of the Ministry of Digital Transformation, comprise part of the 65-member Caribbean delegation representing 13 countries.
The Plenipotentiary Conference (PP), which meets every four (4) years, is the ITU’s primary policy-making body which is comprised of the Ministers of Member States with responsibility for ICT/telecommunications and digital transformation. The Conference is charged with adopting the Union’s four-year strategic and financial plans, establishing its general working policies; and electing the Senior Management Team (Secretary General, Deputy Secretary General, Directors of the Bureaux), the members of the Radio Regulations Board and the ITU Council which is comprised of representatives of Member States.
At the Commonwealth ITU Group Informal Heads of Delegation Meeting on Sunday September 25, 2022, Minister Bacchus addressed some 15 Commonwealth Ministers at a meeting to share their priorities for the ITU and to secure support for Commonwealth candidates for election to the ITU Management Team, Radio Regulation Board and ITU Council.
Trinidad and Tobago was nominated to be Vice Chair for the Americas Region of the Commonwealth ITU Group.
Heads of delegation attending include eight (8) ICT Ministers: Hon. Davidson Ishmael (Barbados); Hon. Michel Chebat (Belize); Hon. Wilfredo González Vidal (Cuba); Senator, the Hon. Oscar George (Dominica); Hon. Warren McCoy (Guyana); Hon. Konris Maynard (St. Kitts and Nevis); Hon. Michael Halkitis (The Bahamas); and Senator the Hon. Hassel Bacchus (Trinidad and Tobago).