The ITU is the UN specialised agency dealing specifically with telecommunications. It is responsible for the regulation, standardisation, coordination and development of international telecommunications, as well as for the harmonisation of national policies. Members include national governments and 'sector members' (i.e. the private sector and other agencies, but not NGOs).

Cooperation between ITU members is coordinated through Study Groups which assess policy and technical options in different areas of telecommunications.

ICT focus:

The ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau operates under a four-year plan established at the 1998 Valletta World Telecommunication Development Conference.

Programme activities:

The Valletta Action Plan includes:

• specific programmes focused on sector reform, technologies, rural development, financing, partnerships, and human resource development;
  
• a special programme for Least Developed Countries;
  
• other policy/technical assistance programmes on issues such as electronic commerce;
  
• and a variety of other projects and direct assistance initiatives.

  
  Other ITU activities include:

  • the establishment of Centres of Excellence for training telecommunications personnel;
    
  • the provision of information on regulation and other issues;
    
  • the publication of official statistics on telecommunications and analysis of trends and developments within the ICT sector.

    http://www.itu.int/home/index.html