Why do we need international radio communications agreements?

The next preparatory event in the lead-up to WRC-23 is the ⁠ITU’s Global Symposium for Regulators 2023⁠, which will be hosted by the NTRA in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, from 5 to 8 June 2023 in the Tonino Lamborghini Convention Center. The Symposium will have “Regulation for a sustainable digital future” as a key discussion point.

NTRA’s Mohammed El-Moghazi has over 20 years of experience working with the ITU and is a co-author of The International Radio Regulations: The Case for Reform.

In this episode, El-Moghazi explains to us how the ITU works and what World Radiocommunications Conferences actually entail. He answers some key questions such as how are ITU regions divided, what is the role of the regional groups what are the preparatory steps towards WRC.

“The main idea of WRC is to agree on something. Although member states have the right to object or to vote there is a general tendency to agree. And let me tell you, it is something beautiful to have 193 countries sitting in the same room, discussing something until they agree,” he says.

As well as explaining how the process works, El-Moghazi and PolicyTracker’s Managing Director Martin Sims also discuss WRC-23 most anticipated agenda items and possible future agenda items and explore if the ITU is in need of reform.

You can listen to the new podcast below. It is also available on all major podcast platforms.

This episode was made in collaboration with the NTRA.