Regional dialogue on “capabilities of telecommunications for disaster relief”

This workshop focused on the capabilities of telecommunications during emergency, disaster relief and mitigation operations and could be followed by webcast.

The specific objectives for the workshop were:

• Improve the understanding of current activities to develop emergency telecommunications capabilities and services.

• Status of international Conventions to facilitate the global circulation of radiocommunication equipment in emergency and disaster relief situations and, in particular, the Inter-American Conventions.

• Examine and summarize the critical legal, regulatory and policy aspects associated with disaster relief.

• Hear from experiences to better understand the operational needs and constraints, in particular, identifying areas where problems could have been avoided through the existence of a more suitable ICT infrastructure.

• Explain the roles of all parties affected, such as telecommunications service providers and equipment manufacturers as well as government and private sector representatives of applied sectors of broadcasting, remote sensing, Internet, Amateur Radio, etc.

To see the program of the event please click here.

Please find below the presentation done by Ambassador Albert Ramdin, Assistant Secretary General of the OAs. you can also see the video here.

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen,

It is an honor to welcome you to this very important event on the capabilities of telecommunications for disaster preparedness, prevention and relief.

As we all know, unexpected natural and man-made disasters can occur anywhere and at any time. The increased frequency and severity of natural disasters have made it clear just how much public safety and disaster relief agencies need high quality, effective telecommunications services to minimize the impact of disasters.

Disaster relief is good - disaster prevention is better. And where prevention is not possible, disaster preparedness can at least reduce the very painful consequences. Telecommunications technologies can play a vital role in all three areas.

We know that disaster relief activities depend upon the availability of and access to telecommunications resources. A rapid response to organize and coordinate recovery operations is essential to save lives and restore infrastructure. However, when a disaster occurs, the public telecommunications infrastructure generally suffers damage and experiences huge traffic loads that may limit the ability to respond. Obviously, special provisions to facilitate effective communications for emergency activities are necessary, such as priority establishment and processing of communications through the telecommunications resources that remain available. Features need to be in place to ensure that institutional users will have the communications channels they need, with appropriate security and with the best possible level of quality for their communications.

Many OAS Member States do not have any emergency capability today except for their public telecommunications infrastructure. When we speak of an emergency telecommunications capability, we therefore address, among other things, technical, operational, policy, legal, and regulatory aspects.

Disaster prevention includes both being prepared as well as mitigation of damage. It is too often human and institutional shortcomings that turn natural calamities into real disasters. Efficient disaster prevention systems can ensure that people are not hopelessly at the mercy of a disaster by strengthening the hands-on capability of experts and policy-makers, and supporting the establishment of national and regional networks.

Telecommunications can support disaster preparedness through broadcasting messages via radio and television, alerting the population before a disaster strikes and giving clear advice about what action should be taken. An effective disaster plan with an efficient use of telecommunications will help to minimize the impact of natural or man-made disasters, assist the delivery of aid to victims, and help return to normal conditions as quickly as possible. Here, the protection of critical telecommunications infrastructure to ensure its availability in case of physical disasters is one of the main aspects of disaster recovery scenarios.

Thanks to advances in science and technology, we can now put more emphasis on improved early warning and preparedness procedures as a way of reducing loss to human life and damage to the telecommunications infrastructure. This was demonstrated when Jamaica raised the alarm and broadcast messages alerting citizens to the threat of Hurricane Ivan even days before it was due to hit the island. More and more countries in the region are now routinely using tele­com­muni­ca­tions and broadcasting to coordinate pre-hurricane disaster activities.

For decades, the OAS has been one of several international organizations working with national governments, to improve the planning process for disasters. In particular, CITEL has been studying, through its technical committees, aspects of telecommunications and radiocommunications that are relevant to disaster mitigation and relief operations.

CITEL realizes that discussing technology alone is not sufficient and we need to advance our understanding of the regulatory and policy frameworks that are required.

For example, the necessity for absolute priority of distress signals has been recognized worldwide since the Titanic hit an iceberg in 1912. Maritime distress and safety communications have traditionally enjoyed privileges such as absolute priority and exemption from fees. The same rules apply for communication with and among aircraft. These privileges do not however apply to emergency tele­com­muni­ca­tions on land. So, after an earthquake, with persons still trapped under their houses, a customs official can theoretically prevent the rescue teams from importing their walkie-talkies. And an official can prevent the use of communication equipment, unless a license is first obtained from a national telecommunications authority, whose building might not exist anymore. Or, if a satellite terminal is used, the rescue team might later receive telephone bills for tens of thousands of dollars.

These legal and bureaucratic absurdities have led to the formulation of the Tampere Convention on the Provision of Telecommunication Resources for Mitigation and Relief Operations, which has as its main goal to expedite and facilitate the timely and effective provision of emergency telecommunications resources for rapid international humanitarian assistance and efficient information flows in disaster prevention and response. The implementation of this instrument may require changes to national laws, for whilst its application concerns primarily telecommunication authorities, it also impacts on a number of other government services.

CITEL has recommended that Governments sign and ratify the Tampere Convention to be able to make full use of the tools the telecommunications industry has put at our disposal. And CITEL can advise and offer support to Member States on the creation of enabling tele­com­mu­nica­tions regulations and legislation for the successful implementation of the Convention.

A major difficulty experienced by players involved in disaster management is the incompatibility of their telecommunications equipment and software. In order to deal with this challenge, standardization of telecommunications networks is essential to achieve compatibility and make the exchange of information possible. CITEL provides coordination of standards to assist Member States.

In addition, CITEL has studied and made recommendations regarding tele­com­mu­nica­tions applications ranging from remote sensing and global positioning systems (GPS) to the Internet and Global Mobile Personal Communications via Satellite (GMPCS), which have a critical role to play in tracking approaching hazards, alerting authorities, warning populations, coordinating relief operations, assessing damage and mobilizing support for reconstruction.

As you may know, CITEL developed the Inter-American Convention on Amateur Service that came into force on February 21, 1990; the Inter-American Convention on the International Amateur Radio Permit (IARP) that came into force on February 23, 1996, and a Protocol of Amendment to the Inter-American Convention on the International Amateur Radio Permit (IARP) that has not yet come into force.

The IARP Convention provides for temporary operation of amateur radio stations in one Member State by persons holding IARP permits issued by another Member State. This is of fundamental importance in emergency situations. We urge those Member States that have not yet done so, to ratify the IARP and its Protocol of Amendment.

CITEL is prepared to study any new information and communication technologies that would contribute to the early warning systems for disasters. And CITEL will continue to work to help countries and regions build resilient infrastructure to enhance preparedness, to provide human resource training and to intensify work on regulatory issues.

In closing, I would like to share three additional points with you today.

First, disaster preparedness, prevention and relief is everyone’s business. None of us, not even the strongest nation, is immune to the threats posed by nature. And in our inter-connected world, a local disaster can quickly have a global impact. I would go so far as to say that investing in disaster preparedness, prevention and relief is not only good business sense, but is also a moral imperative..

My second point is simple: cooperation is mutually beneficial. Let’s find ways to work together more effectively in saving lives. All of us here today would like to see a more systematic, streamlined approach to partnerships and the OAS can provide it.

This brings me to my third and final point: we need to define priorities and focus on applying technology effectively to provide useful telecommunication capabilities that will fulfil real operational requirements for disaster relief operations

Ladies and Gentlemen, this Regional Dialogue is an important step forward in bringing together the players who are addressing the different issues in Telecommunications for Emergency and Disaster Relief. We will hear from the users what their needs are. This will then allow us to have a meaningful and timely work plan to support those needs adequately.

I am sure that this event will help us to understand each other better and to see more clearly the different roads that lie ahead of us. I wish you a fruitful event, so that the dialogue does not end in the closing session, but may become an enduring relationship. At the OAS, we are committed to working with you.

Thank you for your attention.