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1. Background
Radiocommunication - including communications by
radio amateurs - is regulated on an international level by the
International Telecommunication Union, ITU, a United Nations body. The
ITU Radio Regulations definition of the Amateur Service is "A
radiocommunication service for the purpose of self-training,
intercommunication and technical investigations carried out by
amateurs, that is, by duly authorized persons interested in radio
technique solely with a personal aim and without pecuniary interest."
Amateurs have traditional role in public service by
being prepared for and providing communications in times of
emergencies, conducting experiments, providing training in radio
communications, and encouraging international comity. Amateur (Ham)
radio is not the Citizen’s Band (CB). Operators are strictly licensed
by governments and enjoy many more privileges than do "CB" operators.
Attached to the licence is a unique callsign, which is issued by the
licensing authority. A licence can only be obtained after successfully
passing an amateur radio examination, also conducted under the
scrutiny of the licensing authority. The licence permits the radio
amateur to carry out experiments in communications by radio, subject
to a set of conditions. It allows millions to communicate worldwide
using speech, computer data, and Morse code, just to name a few. Radio
Hams can transmit and receive using satellites, send TV pictures and
even 'bounce' their signals off the moon. Radio Amateurs have
contributed to the advances in technology that we all enjoy today.
Amateurs sometimes visit other countries and may
want to operate their amateur stations. The three types of reciprocal
operating authority are 1) an International Amateur Radio Permit (IARP);
2) a European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications
Administrations (CEPT) license; and 3) a reciprocal permit from a
country which does not participate in either of these two multilateral
agreements. To operate under CEPT or IARP, the amateur must be a
licensee in the country of citizenship.
The development of a simplified reciprocal
agreement for radio amateurs in this hemisphere has been the goal
since 1983, so it is critical to continue to aggressively follow-up
this question of ratification or accession of the IARP Convention and
the Protocol of Amendment, with those administrations that have not
already done so. In particular, we recall that the Protocol of
Amendment shall only enter into force on the thirtieth day following
the date on which two States have become Parties to it.
2. IARP and protocol of
amendment
The Inter-American Convention on the International
Amateur Radio Permit (IARP) was approved at the Second Meeting of
CITEL’s Permanent Executive Committee, held in December 1994 [COM/CITEL/RES.
5 (II-94)]. It was subsequently adopted in Montrouis, Haiti at the
twenty-fifth regular session of the General Assembly [AG/RES. 1316 (XXV-O/95)].
This Convention provides for temporary operation of
amateur radio stations in one Member State by persons holding IARP
permits issued by another Member State without need for further review.
Any Member State may issue permits to its citizens to operate in
another Member State. The IARP Convention came into force on February
23, 1996. The OAS General Secretariat is the depository for its
instruments of ratification, acceptance, and accession.
At the thirty third regular session of the OAS
General Assembly (Santiago, Chile, June 2003) the Protocol of
Amendment to the Inter-American Convention on an International Amateur
Radio Permit was adopted. This Protocol grants holders of radio
amateur permits of the member countries of the European Conference of
Postal and Telecommunications (CEPT) that have applied Recommendation
T/R 61-01 the same rights and privileges that are given to the holders
of IARP of the CITEL Member States, which then become States parties
to the Protocol, as long as the CEPT grants the holders of IARP the
same privileges and exemptions granted to the holders of the CEPT
radio amateur licenses of the CEPT Member States that have applied
Recommendation T/R 61-01. The Protocol is deposited with the General
Secretariat of the Organization of American States.
Several resolutions and recommendations have been
approved recommending to subscribe to the Convention on the IARP and
its Protocol of Amendment, as for example: PCC.III/RES.13 (III-95),
PCC.III/RES. 49 (VII-97), PCC.III/RES. 34 (XVI-00) and PCC.II/REC.3 (II-03).
Lately, the Member States participating at the
Fourth Assembly of CITEL in February 2006 in the Declaration of San
Jose agreed “To develop strategies for reducing the vulnerability to
natural disasters of telecommunication infrastructure and to promote
the use of all types and media of communications that may contribute
to access to communications in case of disaster. The member states are
urged to accede to the Inter-American Convention on an International
Amateur Radio Permit (IARP) and its Protocol of Amendment”.
This is an incomplete and ongoing project for the
benefit of all traveling amateurs in this hemisphere and for which the
active assistance of the Member States is urgently needed to bring
about ratification of the Convention and its Protocol of Amendment.
Please see the
document for details on the IARP and its Protocol of
Amendment.
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