April 25, 2008

Results of TELMIN 7

The 7th APEC Ministerial Meeting on Telecommunications and Information Industry (TELMIN 7) was held in Bangkok, Thailand, under the theme of "Digital Prosperity: Turning Challenges into Achievements" to discuss measures toward the realization of the Asia-Pacific Information Society, pro-competitive regulatory policies and development of a safe and trusted ICT environment, among others. The delegation from Japan, including Senior Vice-Minister Sato of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), who attended as one of the speakers, exchanged opinions with officials from other APEC economies on the administration of information and communications.

1. Meeting schedule
TELMIN 7 took place from April 23 to April 25, 2008, in Bangkok, Thailand.
* The Ministerial Meeting is held every 2 to 3 years. The last meeting was held in Lima, Peru in June 2005.

2. Participants
Ministers responsible for telecommunications and information industry and government officials, as well as private sector representatives, attended TELMIN 7 from APEC economies.

3. Outline
Participants, including the ministers responsible for telecommunications and information industry, exchanged opinions at the six plenary sessions shown below.

At Session 1, titled "ICT Capacity Building for a Prosperous Future," MIC Vice-Minister Sato emphasized the importance of information and communications infrastructure as a possible solution to a wide variety of challenges in the 21st century. He also proposed the need to discuss the use of such infrastructure from the perspective of individual users, bridging the digital divide, effective utilization of digital broadcasting, and addressing climate change through the use of ICTs as issues to be worked on through concerted efforts in the future.

Following these sessions, activities of the Telecommunications and Information Working Group (TEL) after TELMIN 6 were summarized, and the Bangkok Declaration, which covers issues to be worked in the future, was adopted.

Session 1: ICT Capacity Building for a Prosperous Future
Session 2: Challenges and Strategies to Promote Universal Services
Session 3: Changing Market Profiles and Flexible Regulatory Frameworks
Session 4: Promoting a Safe and Trusted ICT Environment for Digital Prosperity
Session 5: Enhancing Outreach Activities on Cyber Security
Session 6: Way Forward

At the Three-party Dialogue held prior to these sessions, private sector companies including telecommunications providers and manufacturers, research institutes, and the ministers responsible for telecommunications and information industry exchanged opinions. Mr. Misaki, a senior consultant at the Nomura Research Institute, Ltd., introduced the current situation of Japan's mobile industry on behalf of GBDe (Global Business Dialogue on Electronic Commerce).

4. Outline of the Bangkok Declaration
Based on Japan's proposal, the Declaration covers Asia-Pacific Information Society promotion for developing ubiquitous network societies in the APEC economies as well as the utilization of ICTs in combating climate change and natural disasters.

At the same time, with the goal of achieving universal broadband access using mobile, fixed and wireless networks by 2015, it also states that reviews of the Universal Service Fund System must be initiated and that APEC economies must enhance cooperation in ensuring information security, including effective measures against spam and cyber attacks.

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International Policy Division,
International Affairs Department
Telecommunications Bureau, MIC
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