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.
1962-1966 |
Mexico |
Carlos Núñez Arellano |
1966-1968 |
Argentina |
Oscar Rodolfo Juan Dietrich |
1968-1969 |
Brazil |
Dr. Joao Arístides Wiltgen |
1969-1970 |
Paraguay |
Miguel Cirilo Guanes |
1970-1971 |
Colombia |
Dr. Francisco Lozano Valcárcel |
.Presidents, Permanent Executive Committee of
CITEL, COM/CITEL
1971-1975 |
Venezuela |
Domingo Valladares Lima |
1975-1979 |
Brazil |
Rômulo Villar Furtado |
1979-1982 |
Argentina |
Roberto Juan Pablo Severini |
1982-1983 |
Argentina |
Nicolás Joaquín Mazzaro |
1983-1987 |
Mexico |
José Antonio Padilla Longoria |
1987-1989 |
Peru |
Juan Félix Bartet Rosas |
1989-1989 |
Peru |
Rafael Hernán Avalos Manco |
1990-1991 |
Peru |
Dr. Luis Alberto Maraví Sáez |
1991-1994 |
Chile |
Roberto Pliscoff Vásquez |
Permanent Secretaries of CITEL
1962-1973 |
OAS |
Hugo Jorge Seifart Centurión |
1973-1993 |
OAS |
Mario Pachajoa Burbano |
Mario Pachajoa Burbano
Permanent Secretary of CITEL,
Period 1972-1993
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