ITU chief pays courtesy call on minister

THE Director of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Telecommunication Development Bureau, yesterday paid a courtesy call to Minister of Communications Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia Hj Abu Bakar Hj Apong at his office in Jalan Menteri Besar.

Sami Al-Bashir is in Brunei for the ITU Regional Human Capacity Development Forum for Asia Pacific being held in the country.

During the courtesy call, the minister and the director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau discussed the active participation of Brunei in ITU, in light with the opening ceremony of the forum which was held at the Rizqun International Hotel yesterday.

Also present during the courtesy call were Hj Mahmud Hj Mohd Daud, Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Communications and Pg Hj Mohd Zain Pg Hj Abd Razak, Chief Executive Authority for Info-Technology Industry of Brunei (AITI).

ITU is the leading United Nations agency for information and communication technology issues, and the global focal point for governments and the private sector in developing networks and services.

For nearly 145 years, ITU has coordinated the shared global use of the radio spectrum, promoted international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, worked to improve telecommunication infrastructure in the developing world, established the worldwide standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communications systems and addressed the global challenges of our times, such as mitigating climate change and strengthening cyber security.

Based in Geneva, Switzerland, its membership includes 191 Member States and more than 700 Sector Members and Associates.

Brunei has been a member of the (ITU) since 1984 and has actively participated in programmes and initiatives held by ITU. Among the key programmes under ITU is the World Telecommunications and Information Society Day (WTISD) which is celebrated every May 17.

In line with the theme "Protecting Children in Cyberspace", AITI has organised several rounds of Internet Security Awareness Seminars for WTISD 2009 in the effort to raise awareness among parents on children's online activities and cyber protection. The Brunei Times