Eswatini host 1st SADC preparatory meeting for WRC-27

By Lwazi Dlamini

Eswatini will today play host to a four-day first SADC preparatory meeting for WRC-27.

The event will be held at the Happy Valley Hotel, starting on Tuesday and ending on Saturday.

Eswatini Communications Commission (ESCCOM) Director General Mvilawephi Dlamini is expected to officially open the conference with Dr. George Ah-Thew,

the Senior Programme Officer (SPO) ICT representing SADC Secretariat, delivering the first remarks and the keynote address will be delivered by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information Communication and Technology, Phesheya Dube.

Below is the concept note for the event.

1.0 Background

Radio Frequency (RF) spectrum and satellite orbital resources are finite and scarce natural resources that are vital for the provision of communications services, especially in the SADC Region where wireless mobile is predominant.

To facilitate equitable, rational and efficient use of spectrum, international coordination of spectrum planning is required.

Accordingly, the allocation of the usage of RF spectrum and Geostationary (GSO) satellite and Non-Geostationary (NGSO) satellite orbits are stipulated in the Radio Regulations (RR) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

The ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) plays an essential custodian role in the management of the RF spectrum and satellite orbits, finite natural resources that are increasingly in demand from a large number of services such as fixed, mobile, broadcasting, amateur, space research, meteorology, and global positioning.

To ensure the rational, equitable, efficient and economical use of the RF spectrum and satellite orbits, the ITU organises World Radiocommunications Conferences (WRCs) convened every four (4) years to review and revise the RR,

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which is a treaty-level legal instrument governing international coordination in the planning and harmonised utilisation of RF spectrum and satellite orbital resources.

In this respect, the RR specifies the rights and obligations of Governments regarding the use of spectrum in their territories relative to

spectrum use in all other countries. Alongside this, the RR also recognise the sovereign right of countries to manage and use spectrum, within their borders, the way they wish, subject to not causing interference to other countries’ use. 

The World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC-23) was convened from the 20th November to 15th December 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and was preceded by the Radiocommunications Assembly 2023 (RA-23) held from the 13th to 17th November 2023.

The SADC region’s preparations for the World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC-23) commenced with the convening of the First SADC Preparatory Meeting for WRC-23 in July 2020. A total of five (5) preparatory meetings for WRC-23 were convened, namely:

• First SADC Preparatory Meeting for WRC-23: 29th to 31st July 2020;
• Second SADC Preparatory Meeting for WRC-23: 23rd to 26th March 2021;
• Third SADC Preparatory Meeting for WRC-23: 24th to 27th August 2021;
• Fourth SADC Preparatory Meeting for WRC-23: 31st May to 3rd June 2022; and
• Fifth SADC Preparatory Meeting for WRC-23: 29th May to 2nd June 2023.

These meetings reflect the region’s endeavours and preparedness for continuous dialogue with all relevant stakeholders to build consensus and establish harmonised Common positions and proposals on the WRC-23 Agenda Items which also formed part of the overall continent position so as to influence the outcomes of WRC-23.

The SADC common positions and proposals on the WRC-23 is our regional strategy to ensure that the WRC-23 process delivers adequate RF spectrum to cater for the present and future communications systems that the SADC Members States needs to support regional integration and socio-economic development for the benefit of SADC citizens.

This is a SADC initiative to bring forth wireless technologies that will accelerate the digital transformation across the region.

Radiocommunications Experts of the SADC Region played their part to ensure that the SADC harmonised common positions and proposals for WRC-23 received the necessary support from other ITU Administrations.

Mr. Victor Kweka from the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) of the United Republic of Tanzania was appointed as Chair of the SADC WRC-23 preparatory process.

The SADC structure for the preparatory process included Chapter Coordinator and Vice-Chapter Coordinator for each Chapter and a Lead Rapporteur for each WRC-23 Agenda Item. In addition,

SADC was also well represented in leadership positions as Chair, Vice-Chiar-1 and Vice-Chair-2 in ATU Institutional Structure for WRC-23.

SADC was also well represented in the leadership positions at WRC-23 structure, namely:

• Botswana (Committee 2: Credentials Chair: Ms. Basebi Mosinyi). 
• Namibia (Committee 4 Working Groups and Topics: Working Group 4C – Agenda Item 1.5 – Rapporteur: Ms. Ronel Le Grange);
• South Africa (Committee 4:  Working Groups and Topics: Working Group 4B – Agenda Item 1.10 – Rapporteur: Ms. Lisa Cokisa Tele); and 
• United Republic of Tanzania (Committee 4: Working Groups and Topics: Working Group 4B – Agenda Item 1.11 Rapporteur: Ms. Stella Banyenza.

This was true demonstration of promoting the empowerment and participation of women by the SADC region in radiocommunications at the highest level of ITU WRC and we commend the four (4) SADC women for the charismatic role they played and hope more women and girls will pursue such an endeavour.

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The WRC-23 was attended by over 3,900 delegates from 163 Member States, including 88 ministerial-level participants.

There was 22% representation of women among the WRC-23 delegates compared to 18% at WRC-19. In overall, WRC-23 approved 43 new Resolutions, revised 56 existing ones, and suppressed 33 resolutions.

A total of 151​ Administrations signed the WRC-23 Final Acts which constitute a record of the decisions taken at the conference including both the new and revised provisions of the Radio Regulations,

all Appendices, and the new and revised Resolutions and ITU-R Recommendations. In general, the outcomes of the WRC-23 were overarching favourable for SADC and Africa.

A detailed report on the outcomes of WRC-23 is being prepared and will be presented to the First SADC Preparatory Meeting for WRC-27 by the Chair of the SADC WRC-23 preparatory process.

WRC-23 also approved the Agenda Items for the next WRC-27 and the provisional agenda for WRC-31. 

The First Conference Preparatory Meeting for WRC-27 (CPM27-1) was convened from the 18th to 19th December 2023 in Dubai. The CPM27-1 organised the preparatory studies for WRC-27 and proposed a structure for its Report to WRC-27.

The RA-23, WRC-23 and CMP27-1 were three (3) landmark global conferences held last year, collectively spanning over a month of productive discussions and decisions shaping the future of global communication.