Dear Colleagues,

Today, the 18th of July 2017, marks yet another important milestone in the roadmap of ITSO’s contribution towards achieving the objectives of the global ICT development agenda.

As I take up my new role of Director General of ITSO in fulfillment of the electoral process that took place in October 2016 at the Thirty Seventh meeting of the Assembly of Parties (AP-37), I am humbled and challenged by the task ahead of me. Nonetheless, I am excited and fully committed to delivering on the expectations of the member States over the coming 4 years.

I believe that the two issues, namely, (i) universal recognition by the global community of the role, value and contribution that ICT’s make towards the achievement of sustainable development and (ii) the continuously declining total cost of acquisition and use of ICT’s, have contributed greatly to the major changes taking place today in the telecommunications and ICT sector. And yet despite these phenomenal developments taking place, significant challenges still remain. At the forefront are issues such as: the shortfall in global universal broadband access; affordability concerns; and the need to make further improvement in the area of emergency communications, to mention but a few.

Coming from a developing country, I understand the challenges that the developing world faces in connecting the unconnected and as such I can assure you I will do everything I can to help in bridging the digital divide.

I am firmly convinced that with appropriate enablement and use of satellite communications, affordable and global connectivity can be made available to all the world’s citizens. And indeed, as we may all recall, this was one of the key considerations by the Parties in establishing ITSO and is still a big priority for us. During my term, I hope to establish new partnerships and projects that will bring us closer to our goal of connecting the unconnected.

Therefore, bearing in mind what I have stated above, my primary focus will be to ensure that ITSO delivers on its founding mandate as enshrined in the ITSO Treaty Agreement. The underlying strategy will be premised on three primary objectives, namely, (i) maintenance of continuity in the provision of international public telecommunications services through satellite; (ii) ensuring that the Parties’ Common Heritage orbital resources and associated frequency assignments continue to be used for the purpose they were intended for; and (iii) contributing to the promotion of global information and communications infrastructure. The choice of strategic actions to be implemented for executing the strategy will be aimed at ensuring that ITSO continues to effectively meet the expectations and decisions of member States.

As we start on this journey, I am confident that with your guidance and support, ITSO will make a significant contribution to the achievement of sustainable development for all mankind through the application and use of satellite technologies in telecommunications and ICT.

I am excited and honored to serve as the Director General of ITSO, and I hope that, together, we can usher in a new era of growth for the organization. I look forward to establishing a strong relationship with our member States and continue to fulfill our mission.

Thank you All,

Patrick Masambu
Director General and Chief Executive Officer
ITSO

Letter to All Parties A Commencement Address