The Global Standards Symposium (GSS) is a statutory meeting that precedes the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (a quadrennial conference of the International Telecommunication Union, ITU). GSS provides a high-level forum for discussion and coordination open to all. The GSS was created by the ITU's treaty-making conference, the Plenipotentiary Conference 2006 in Antalya, Turkey with Resolution 122.
 | |
| Date | 28 February 2022 |
|---|---|
| Location | Geneva, Switzerland |
| Also known as | GSS |
| Related event | World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly |
| Website | https://gss.itu.int |
GSS 20
GSS 20 was scheduled to be held in Hyderabad, India in 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic it was rescheduled and took place on 28 February 2022 at International Conference Centre Geneva (CICG) in Geneva, Switzerland. The theme of GSS-20 was "International standards to enable the digital transformation and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)". The GSS conclusions were forwarded to WTSA-20 for consideration.[1][2]
Speakers at the symposium included:
- Nele Leosk (Symposium Chair) Ambassador-at-Large for Digital Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Estonia
- Ghana Minister Ursula Owusu[3]
- Tunisia Minister Nizar Ben Néji
- South Africa Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni
- Costa Rica Vice Minister Teodoro Willink Castro
- UNECE Executive Secretary Oľga Algayerová
- ITU-T Director Chaesub Lee
- Valencia Major Joan Ribó
- Jean Todt, UN Special Envoy for Road Safety
- Fraunhofer HHI Executive Director Thomas Wiegand
- Marcus Shingles, CEO, Exponential Destiny
- Philippe Metzger, General Secretary, International Electrotechnical Commission
- Hossam El-Gamal, Executive President, National Telecom Regulatory Authority, Egypt
- Javier Garcia Diaz, Director General, Spanish Association for Standardization, Spain
- Jung Hae-Yong, Vice Mayor for Economic Affairs, Daegu, Republic of Korea
- Martín Olmos, Undersecretary of Information and Communications Technology, Argentina
- Gil Reichen, Mayor, Pully, Switzerland
GSS 16
The third Global Standards Symposium (GSS 16) was held on 24 October 2016 in Hammamet, Tunisia.[4][5] The symposium was opened by the Minister of Telecommunications of Tunisia Dr Anouar Maârouf. Speakers included:
GSS 12
The second Global Standards Symposium (GSS 12) was held on 18 November 2012 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.[6] The symposium was opened by ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré.[7]
GSS 08
The first Global Standards Symposium (GSS 08) was held on 20 October 2008 in Johannesburg, South Africa.[8] The Symposium was opened by Minister of Telecommunications of South Africa Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri.
ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2006
Upon the instruction of the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference (2006, Antalya) the organisation of a Global Standards Symposium as a public forum, to take place before any World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly, was decided (Resolution 122).