Current Issues on Enforcing Telecommunications Law, Policy and Regulation for the Americas Region Rio de Janeiro, Brazil  -  19-20 April 2004

This seminar was organized by the Telecommunication Development Bureau of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), together with the National Telecommunication Agency (ANATEL) of Brazil.

The purpose of the seminar was to bring together regulators from the Americas region to foster an exchange of views on the current challenges in enforcing telecommunications law, policy and regulations.  The seminar was divided into four main sessions:

• Legislation: The Power to Enforce (Regulators, Legislators, and the Judiciary)

• Enforcement Practices (monitoring, investigation, inspection, sanctions)

• Enforcing Telecom Laws and Regulations (interconnection, spectrum issues, dispute resolution, VoIP and network security)

• Enforcing Telecom Laws and Regulations (license obligations, consumer issues, and gender)

The seminar was targeted for those responsible for regulatory or policy activities in telecommunication-related ministries and regulatory agencies.

ITU-D RAPPORTEUR�S GROUP ON ENFORCEMENT

On 21 and 22 April, immediately following the seminar, ANATEL hosted a meeting of the ITU-D Rapporteur�s Group working on guidelines for �Domestic Enforcement of Telecommunications Laws, Rules and Regulations by National Telecommunication Regulatory Authorities� (ITU-D Question 18/1).  During this meeting, best practice guidelines for enforcement to be presented at the ITU-D Study Group meetings in September 2004 were proposed and discussed.  The results of the seminar are an excellent input to the work of this important Rapporteur's Group.