The background to CITEL as it is today

Summary. Although interest in inter-American telecommunication affairs dates back 114 years to 1890, at the time of the First American International Conference, the predecessor of the current Organization of American States, OAS, it was not until 42 years ago, in 1962, that telecommunications experts of the Americas recommended to the organs of the OAS the creation of the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission, CITEL. That Commission met yearly to take its decisions. In 1972, the Commission was transformed into the Inter-American Telecommunications Conference (CITEL), which met every four years. Between conferences, its activities were headed by a telecommunications official elected by the nine members (11 since 1987) of the Permanent Executive Committee of the CITEL, COM/CITEL. The COM/CITEL met annually at the headquarters of its president. In 1993 the OAS transformed CITEL into the current Inter-American Telecommunications Commission.

1890-1958

From the beginnings of the Organization of American States, OAS, telecommunications issues have occupied a prime place on its agenda. The First International American Conference of 1890 adopted two resolutions, one of which called for laying a submarine telegraphic cable between the countries of the Americas, and in 1923 the Fifth International American Conference established the Inter-American Electrical Communication Commission, under the Pan American Union, which held its first conference, chaired by the President of Mexico, General Alvaro Obregon, in 1924. That conference lasted nearly two months and produced the first convention on electrical communication, followed by a series of inter-American agreements on radio and radio communications.

In December 1937, the First Inter-American Conference on Radio Communications established the Inter-American Radio Communications Office (OIR) in Havana, Cuba. That office may be regarded as the predecessor of the current Executive Secretariat of Inter-American Telecommunications Commission, CITEL. Its annual budget of US$25,000 was paid by member countries of the Pan American Union. It produced a series of valuable international agreements. During the Fourth Inter-American Radio Conference in 1949, the need for a study of Latin America's telecommunications problems was recognized, and an Inter-American Plenipotentiary Conference on Telecommunications was planned for 1952. That meeting was never held.

1959-1971.

By the end of the 1950s, countries had concluded that it was essential to establish a communications network linking all the countries of the Americas. International communications in Central and South America, even those between the capitals of neighboring countries such as Tegucigalpa and San Salvador, were routed through equipment located in White Plains, New York,. At the initiative of the President of the Inter-American Council for the Alliance for Progress, CIAP, and the Inter-American Economic and Social Council, CIES, the Organization of American States, OAS, the new name of the Pan American Union, convened meetings of telecommunication experts in Mexico and in Washington, in 1960 and 1962 respectively, to make recommendations to the OAS for the construction and operation of the Inter-American Telecommunications Network (ITN). In 1962, at their Washington meeting, the experts drew up the statutes of an Inter-American Telecommunications Commission, known by its acronym CITEL, with the primary objective of coordinating inter-American efforts relating to telecommunications.

At its ministerial meeting in 1963, the CIES adopted the recommendations of the 1962 experts meeting and, through resolution 9-M/63, created the CITEL, consisting of telecommunications experts from member countries of the OAS, and made provision for locating the CITEL secretariat within the Transport and Communications Unit, together with the Highways and Ports programs of the CIES. The Commission's initial functions were to serve as an information and consultation center for member countries, to promote telecommunications development in member states, and to coordinate efforts in this field with other existing or future regional agencies. In 1964 the CIAP took the steps necessary to launch two projects: the Inter-American Telecommunication Network and the Central American Telecommunication Network.

With the advice of the CITEL and financial assistance from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the World Bank and the United Nations Development Program, the OAS undertook the planning, construction and operation of the ITN and the Central American network. At the request of CITEL (1966), the OAS obtained the IDB's agreement to finance and conduct the feasibility studies for the ITN. The IDB created a telecommunications office for this project and negotiated contracts with telecommunications firms to develop the standards that the ITN must meet, and to do the planning for the ITN and its component national networks. Central American countries created the Central American Regional Telecommunication Commission (COMTELCA) to supervise and operate the Central American network.

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) provided substantial technical assistance in all of these stages, and conducted seminars. The ITU posted an expert to the ITN program offices at the IDB during preparation of the above-mentioned contracts, and also fielded experts for the CITEL meetings. To facilitate this assistance, the OAS and the ITU signed an agreement, and some time later the ITU created offices in Latin America to work with government telecommunications authorities in the region.

A succession of annually elected presidents of CITEL also provided effective and timely assistance during all the activities referred to above. The first president of the Commission was Carlos Nuñez Arellano, of Mexico, who, with the support of Latin American countries, arranged for the ITU (1959) and the OAS (1959) to include the planning and construction of the ITN in their short-term programming.

During the 1960s, in addition to the institutional activities described above, the CITEL worked to encourage the preparation of proposals from CITEL countries to the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference (1965); to negotiate financing for improving telecommunications services for aviation, meteorology, maritime transport, rural telephony, rural radio broadcasting, and distance education; it supported the creation of government international affairs offices; compiled an inventory of telecommunications education institutes and centers. It pressed for preparation of the ITU plan for allocating frequencies in the 535-1605 kHz bandwidth, and the establishment of ground stations for satellite communications. To achieve these goals, the CITEL constituted 8 subcommissions on space communications (chaired by the USA), educational radio and television (Colombia), rural telephony, maritime, aviation and meteorological telecommunications (Brazil), ITN (Mexico) and a subcommittee on financing, technical administration, and personnel training.

One of the most important decisions of CITEL during this time was its adoption (1967) of the R2 signaling system of the ITU for Latin American radio telecommunication networks. Other significant work included the "ITN tariffs system" (1969).

Through its CITEL office, the OAS provided secretarial services and coordinated the activities of the Commission, preparing and organizing the CITEL's international meetings, and publishing a periodic newsletter on telecommunications activities in member countries. One very useful program involved the award of fellowships in the telecommunications field, conducted through the OAS Fellowships Program. For the international meetings of the CITEL, the OAS paid travel costs for the head of the transport and communications unit, the telecommunications expert, a conference adviser, and translation and interpretation staff. All other expenses of these meetings were covered by the host country.

At this point in the development of CITEL, the OAS began (1966) to invite observer countries that had an interest in CITEL affairs.

At the request of CITEL (1969) the CIES, by resolution 8-M/69, adopted the “System and Functioning of the CITEL", prepared by CITEL, converting the Commission into a Specialized Conference of the OAS, and requested the OAS General Assembly to convened the First Inter-American Telecommunications Conference (CITEL).

1971-1993

The First CITEL conference was held in Caracas, September 5-11, 1971, and was chaired by Domingo Valladares Lima, president of the Compañia Anonima Nacional Telefonos de Venezuela, CANTV.

As a result of decisions at that first conference, the CITEL operational structure was headed by a Permanent Executive Committee (COM/CITEL), consisting of nine countries that were to elect a president, a vice president and seven members. Its functions included coordinating the activities of CITEL, carrying out and enforcing its decisions, establishing the agenda for its meetings and submitting them for consideration by the CIES. Three permanent technical commissions were established: I, on the objectives of the Inter-American Telecommunications Network, subsequently renamed Public Telecommunications Services; II, dealing with radio broadcasting; and III on radio communications.

Among the highlights of the new CITEL were: the entry of Canada as a member of CITEL (1981). The number of agencies, entities, and conferences invited to the CITEL conferences rose to 77. The inter-American tariffs system. Letter of Equivalent Ground Conductivity. Preparation of the World Radio Communication Conference of 1979. Seminars. At the end of the 1980s, the OAS allowed observer states and private telecommunications entities to participate in CITEL activities and meetings, with the right to speak but not to vote.

During the first half of the 1970s, the CITEL Permanent Secretariat was housed in the Regional Development Division of the OAS and participated in that division's economic development programs in various countries. As part of these activities, in addition to those of the CITEL Secretariat, the Permanent Secretary prepared development plans and feasibility studies for telecommunications networks in Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, Panama, and the Dominican Republic.

In 1974 CITEL launched a study to identify a structure that would meet the aspirations of member countries, and to adapt it to the techniques of the new telecommunications systems that were around the corner, and to reinforce the Permanent Secretariat, so that it could provide more services. To this end, CITEL created a working group in 1983 to consider the reorganization of the CITEL.

The OAS did not come through with the financial support for CITEL's operations and secretariat that the member countries were hoping for. CITEL suffered its worst budget crisis in 1983, when the OAS cut funding for the year to $64,300, down from $145,900 in the previous year. In 1982, the Executive Secretary of the CIES, Diogo de Figueiredo, requested Canada's delegation to the OAS to prepare proposals to the OAS for restructuring the CITEL. This useful and detailed study was prepared by the Ryerson Polytechnical Institute’s International Development and Industrial Development Centers of Canada. The study contained 20 recommendations, including: to maximize the level and expand the sources of financing for CITEL (as the study noted, in 1973 nine member countries contributed US$16,000 to CITEL activities). The Permanent Secretariat should report for administrative purposes to the Executive Secretary of the CIES, and for technical purposes to the President of the COM/CITEL. It reorganized the technical commissions. Telecommunications service operators, scientific and industrial organizations could join CITEL, with the right to speak but not to vote, and they would be asked for an annual voluntary contribution to CITEL. The CITEL Permanent Secretariat was given permanent offices at OAS headquarters in Washington DC. CITEL was to become an autonomous Specialized Agency of the OAS. The annual budget for CITEL was estimated at US$250,000 (1983). The position of Permanent Secretary of the CITEL, which had been eliminated, was reinstated.

During these difficult years for CITEL and the Permanent Secretariat itself, valuable support was received from the presidents of the COM/CITEL and from the officials of the various telecommunications administrations, who cooperated generously to overcome all the administrative and financial difficulties in play.

Following detailed studies on the strengthening and financing of CITEL activities over a period of nearly 10 years, CITEL submitted a proposal to the OAS bodies that included the following topics: transforming the Conference into the Inter-American Telecommunications Commission, CITEL; establishing a Executive Secretariat for CITEL, with an Executive Director, two telecommunications specialists, and secretarial staff. Direct administrative reporting by the CITEL Executive Secretary to the OAS Secretary General. An OAS-funded budget adequate for this new structure and its activities. General Assemblies of CITEL to be held every four years. Between the ordinary sessions of the Assembly, a Executive Committee (COM/CITEL) consisting of 11 member countries, working in cooperation with the consultative committees created by COM/CITEL. Nominal fees for associate members drawn from private business, scientific and industrial circles to participate in the work of the CITEL consultative committees.

On June 11, 1993, the Ninth Plenary Session of the 23rd OAS General Assembly adopted resolution AG/RES 1224 (XXIII-O/93) establishing the Inter-American Telecommunications Commission, CITEL, to replace the Inter-American Telecommunications Conference (CITEL), and approved a charter that included, among other things, the above-listed suggestions proposed by CITEL. On the advice of CITEL, the OAS Secretary General appointed Mr. Roberto Blois Montes de Souza as Executive Secretary of the CITEL.

And so CITEL was launched towards a new and brilliant future!

PRESIDENTS AND SECRETARIES OF CITEL, 1962-1994
 

Presidents, Inter-American Telecommunication Commission, CITEL.
 

.Presidents, Permanent Executive Committee of CITEL, COM/CITEL
 

Permanent Secretaries of CITEL
 

Mario Pachajoa Burbano
Permanent Secretary of CITEL,
Period 1972-1993