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SUMMARY RECORD, ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL
INTERNATIONAL AMATEUR RADIO UNION 1. The twenty-eighth meeting of the Administrative Council of the International Amateur Radio Union was called to order at 0900 local time Monday, 14 May 2007 at The Courtyard by Marriott Boston Tremont Hotel, Boston, Massachusetts, USA by IARU President Larry E. Price, W4RA. Also present were the following members: Tim Ellam, VE6SH/G4HUA, Vice President; David Sumner, K1ZZ, Secretary; Ole Garpestad, LA2RR, President and Don Beattie, G3BJ, Secretary, IARU Region 1; Rod Stafford, W6ROD, President and Reinaldo Leandro, YV5AMH, Secretary, IARU Region 2; and Michael J. Owen, VK3KI, Chairman, and Dr. Rhee Joong-Geun, HL1AQQ, Director, IARU Region 3. At the invitation of the Council, also present were Region 1 Executive Committee member Hans Blondeel Timmerman, PB2T, Region 2 Executive Committee member Daniel Lamoureux, VE2KA and ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN on behalf of the International Secretariat. Paul Rinaldo, W4RI was present as recording secretary. 2. Mr. Price welcomed Dr. Rhee and Messrs. Lamoureux and Harrison to their first meeting of the Administrative Council, and former IARU Vice President Owen in his new role on behalf of Region 3. A moment of silence was observed for radio amateurs and friends who had died since the previous meeting of Council, especially Doug Holeton, VE6AGV, Chris Jones, VK2ZDD, Erik Ludwig, F9LT, Ezzat Ramadan, SU1ER, Kees van Dijk, PA0QC, and Oscar Verbanck, ON5ME. 3. The following agenda was approved:
4. Reports of the officers 4.1. Mr. Price referred to his brief written report and elaborated on the new ITU leadership team that was elected at the 2006 Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-06) and took office at the first of the year. Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré was supportive of the Amateur Service in his former position as Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau and remains friendly to the IARU. Mr. Price anticipates that he will move the ITU forward in the field of emergency and disaster communication. 4.2. Mr. Ellam recapped his travel on behalf of the IARU since the Bangalore meeting, including PP-06, ITU Telecom World 2006 in Hong Kong, ITU Development Sector Study Group 2, the Telecommunication Development Advisory Group, and the Executive Council of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union in Anguilla. Mr. Ellam also serves as Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on IARU 2025. He concurred with Mr. Price’s observations about Dr. Touré. 4.3. The focus of Mr. Sumner’s report was on communications with the Administrative Council and its appointees, and with member-societies. In the future, circular letters from the Secretary to Council members and appointees will be distributed electronically, with hard-copy distribution only upon request. The IARU E-Letter is proving to be popular, especially when IARU activities are explained without excessive detail. Member-societies should be encouraged to translate and redistribute the E-Letter via their own Web sites and electronic mail. 5. Reports from the regional organizations 5.1. The report from Region 1, presented by Mr. Garpestad, covered the period July 2006 to March 2007 with a supplementary report prepared after its Executive Committee meeting in mid-April. Preparations are proceeding smoothly for the next Regional Conference in Cavtat, Croatia in November 2008. Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF) and High Speed Telegraphy (HST) championships were held successfully in Bulgaria in September 2006. An Amateur Radio exhibit was mounted at the European Parliament. The Region 1 African Development Program sponsored an event in Kinshasa that was attended by 35 representatives of four countries in Central Africa. Region 1 has been represented at WRC-07 preparatory meetings in Europe and Cairo. The report reviewed the status of several existing and potential member-societies in Region 1, with some discussion deferred in order to permit documents to be reviewed. Finally, the report expressed concern about operating standards, particularly during major DXpeditions. Region 1 recommended a paper written by Mark DeMeuleneere, ON4WW and available on his Web site as a good explanation of appropriate operating practices. After discussion it was agreed that Region 1 will use the ON4WW paper as a starting point for drafting an IARU operating guide that will be circulated to the other regions for comment. 5.2. Mr. Leandro presented the report of Region 2. The region’s Executive Committee met in Buenos Aires in September 2006 with Mr. Price present. Region 2 is working through CITEL on WRC-07 preparations and is also preparing for its regional conference in Brasilia in September 2007. There will be Inter-American Proposals for WRC-07 to maintain the existing 7-MHz amateur allocation in Region 2 and to create the new secondary allocation being sought at 136 kHz. 5.3. Mr. Owen presented the Region 3 report. The new team of Directors elected at the Bangalore conference has focused on the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT) as a matter of immediate priority, principally because of WRC-07. The Foundation license has had a positive impact in Australia in terms of both licensees and WIA membership. The Region 3 Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF) Championships will be held in August in Mongolia, a Region 1 country. Region 3 is grateful for the support provided by the Hong Kong Amateur Radio Transmitting Society for the IARU stand at ITU Telecom World 2006. The Council discussed the value of IARU participation in Telecom World exhibitions and forums. 6. Reports of International Coordinators and Advisers 6.1. Chuck Skolaut, K0BOG of the ARRL Headquarters staff continues to serve as interim International Coordinator of the IARU Monitoring System. His written report summarized the global situation with regard to non-amateur stations operating and causing interference in the exclusive amateur bands. The efforts of the three Regional Coordinators continue to be vital to the overall effort to rid the amateur bands of such intruders. 6.2. The written report of International Beacon Project Coordinator Peter Jennings, AB6WM/VE3SUN, noted several equipment and antenna failures that affected the beacon network between December 2006 and March 2007. He requested that the budgeted financial support of $1,000 per year, which is disbursed only as needed, be disbursed this year. 6.3. Satellite Adviser Hans van de Groenendaal, ZS6AKV submitted a written report summarizing his activity between July 2006 and March 2007. He recognized the hard work and dedication of his Advisory Panel, consisting of Graham Shirville, G3VZV, Norbert Notthoff, DF5DP, Ray Soifer, W2RS, Arthur Feller, W4ART, and Jan King, VK4GEY. He requested feedback from the Administrative Council with regard to the Global Educational Network for Satellite Operation; after discussion it was agreed that the Secretary would draft a letter overnight for review on the second day of the meeting. 6.4. The written report of EMC Adviser Christian Verholt, OZ8CY discussed the 2006 CISPR meeting in Stockholm, Sweden, at which he represented the IARU. Dr. Rhee was present at the meeting in another capacity. At its August 2006 meeting the Administrative Council had asked the EMC Adviser to provide input on a study, prepared at the request of the Council and distributed in December 2005 by the International Secretariat, the objective of which is to improve the coordination of amateur radio representation on EMC matters at national, regional and global forums. Mr. Verholt’s response was circulated to Council members in November 2006. After a brief discussion it was agreed to return to this subject on the second day of the meeting. 6.5. As his written report, IARU International Coordinator for Emergency Communications Hans Zimmermann, HB9AQS/F5VKP had submitted, in response to an Administrative Council request, a draft proposal for an IARU strategy paper on emergency communications. The draft, which included a list of issues proposed for consideration in connection with such a paper, was discussed. It was again noted that ITU Secretary-General Touré is personally committed to relieving suffering through improvements in disaster communications, and that he sees a role for the IARU. The Secretary was asked to formulate a practical way forward, based on the discussion. The Council was in recess for luncheon from 1200 to 1300 local time. 6.6. The Secretary reminded Council that the service of ARRL staff member Chuck Skolaut, K0BOG as IARU Monitoring System International Coordinator is on an interim basis, and that a qualified volunteer must be found to assume this role. The only previous International Coordinator, Bob Knowles, ZL1BAD, gave notice in 2004 of his intention to step down in 2005. Thus, it has been three years since the Council was put on notice of the vacancy. No nominations were forthcoming; thus, Mr. Skolaut’s service continues on an interim basis. The other Coordinators and Advisers were reappointed for additional three-year terms in accordance with Resolution 93-1 (Revised 2001). Returning to agenda item 5.1, the status of the IARU member-society for Bosnia & Herzegovina was reviewed. Region 1 had received documents that called into question the ability of the member-society to represent the radio amateurs of Bosnia & Herzegovina internationally. The member-society was asked to clarify the matter. No reply as yet had been received. After discussion it was agreed to hold the matter over until the following day. 7. Strategic planning 7.1. On behalf of the International Secretariat, Mr. Rinaldo presented a document entitled Plan for the Development of Support for Amateur Radio Frequency Allocations 2007-2011. This paper is designed to be the baseline document setting out priorities for the period between World Radiocommunication Conferences, with annual Action Plans adopted by the Administrative Council to guide implementation. Editorial suggestions were offered and incorporated in the document. 7.2. Progress was reviewed on the Action Plan for 2006-2007 that was approved by the Administrative Council in 2006. Mr. Garpestad noted that an IARU representative had been permitted to attend a meeting of the Arab Spectrum Management Group in Cairo. 7.3. An Action Plan for 2007-2008, developed by the International Secretariat and including updates provided by Region 1, was approved. 7.4. Mr. Ellam presented the Interim Report of the IARU 2025 Committee. The committee had met the previous day to continue work conducted by email since the Bangalore meeting. Work had been undertaken to develop and amplify the concepts set out by the IARU officers in previous papers, as a possible way ahead for the IARU. The basic concepts the officers had suggested had been further developed to test the practicality of the proposal. At this stage the direction appeared realistic, but more work remained to be done before the proposals could be confirmed as representing a viable way ahead. Consultation is also planned with member-societies to gain further input to the development of the proposals. The Council resolved that the detail presented at the meeting represented a realistic and necessary direction for the IARU and that the existing Committee should continue its work with the aim of a further report, addressing amongst other things the open issues, by the fourth quarter of 2007. The work of the Committee should also include, at the appropriate time, beginning the process of consultation so that member-societies may progressively participate in the development of the direction. 8. ITU and related issues 8.1. ITU policy and relationships 8.1.1. Mr. Ellam presented a brief paper to introduce the new ITU leadership team. In addition to Secretary-General Touré (Mali) the team consists of Deputy Secretary-General (and former Director of the Standardization Bureau) Houlin Zhao (China); Radiocommunication Bureau Director Valery Timofeev (Russian Federation), who was re-elected without opposition; Development Bureau Director Sami Al-Basheer (Saudi Arabia); and Standardization Bureau Director Malcolm Johnson (United Kingdom). Early indications are that the new team is committed to making the ITU work better and that staff morale has improved considerably since the departure of former Secretary-General Utsumi. All of the team members are familiar with the IARU and the amateur services. 8.1.2. Mr. Price noted that he had attended the only two sessions of the ITU Council at which a limited number of Sector Members had been permitted as observers. The IARU has applied to attend the 2007 session, scheduled for 4-14 September in Geneva. New rules for Sector Member attendance take effect in 2008. [Secretary’s note: in June, word was received that the IARU again had been selected as an ITU-R Sector observer at Council 07.] 8.1.3. Mr. Ellam reported briefly on the 2006 ITU Plenipotentiary Conference. He and Hans Zimmermann, HB9AQS/F5VKP shared the assignment to attend the three-week conference in Antalya, Turkey. Former Radiocommunication Bureau Director Bob Jones, VE7RWJ was elected to the Radio Regulations Board, a part-time body that assists the Radiocommunication Bureau in applying the provisions of the Radio Regulations. 8.2. ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) 8.2.1. President Price noted his attendance at the January 2007 meeting of the Radiocommunication Advisory Group (RAG). Chairman Bruce Gracie of Canada is not eligible for another term and will be replaced at the Radiocommunication Assembly (RA) in October. The RAG developed two recommended options for a new ITU-R Study Group structure that will be considered at the RA; either option is acceptable to the IARU because both keep the amateur and amateur-satellite services together, as requested in an IARU input paper to the RAG. 8.2.2. Working Party 8A, the “home” WP for the amateur services, will be meeting in June. The principal objective of the IARU at this meeting is to obtain approval for the Amateur Service and Amateur-Satellite Service Handbook that has been in preparation in Working Group 1 chaired by Mr. Rinaldo. It is intended principally to serve as a reference for administrations of countries where the amateur services are not yet well developed. Once approved, it will be published by the ITU. It is hoped that it will be made available in all six of the ITU’s official languages. 8.2.3. A paper prepared by the International Secretariat was presented, summarizing the status of work in other ITU-R Working Parties of interest to the IARU. 8.2.4. The key points relating to the Radiocommunication Assembly had been discussed under agenda item 8.2.1. The Council recessed for the evening at 1712 local time, resuming the following morning, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 at 0900 with all persons previously mentioned present. 8.2.5. Mr. Price announced the addition of Mr. Leandro to the IARU WRC-07 core team. His diplomatic and linguistic skills will be very helpful. There was a comprehensive discussion of the progress to date toward achieving IARU WRC-07 objectives, the prospects for additional proposals from administrations in support of these objectives, and plans for the inclusion of amateurs on national delegations. 8.3. Mr. Ellam reported briefly on his activities representing the IARU in the ITU Development Sector (ITU-D), particularly Study Group 2 and the Telecommunication Development Advisory Group (TDAG).
8.4.1. Plans for IARU representation at ITU meetings and events during the remainder of 2007 were reviewed briefly. 8.4.2. Because no schedule of ITU meetings was yet available for 2008, it was not possible to plan for attendance at specific events. The 2008 budget assumes that there will be the normal number of meetings at which attendance will be desirable. The Administrative Council then returned to earlier agenda items on which action had been deferred. 6.5. It was agreed that the International Coordinator for Emergency Communications is requested to:
The relationship of the IARU to the Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications (GAREC) Conference was discussed. Since its inception GAREC has been supported by the IARU and its regional organizations as well as by a number of member-societies. The first two were held in Tampere, Finland in 2005 and 2006. The third will be held in Huntsville, Alabama, USA immediately prior to the ARRL National Convention in mid-August 2007. The IARU International Coordinator for Emergency Communications has been a key figure in organizing each GAREC although it is not technically an IARU event. The sense of the meeting was that there is no compelling need to change the relationship at this time. 6.4. Mr. Verholt’s comments on the EMC study were reviewed and discussed. It was agreed that the study, originally distributed to the Administrative Council in December 2005, is adopted. Implementation of the first recommendation in the report, the review and possible revision of the title and terms of reference of the EMC Adviser, is to be carried out by a small drafting group to be appointed by the President. The Council was in recess for luncheon from 1220 to 1255 local time, at which point consideration moved to agenda item 11.1. 11.1. On behalf of the International Secretariat, Mr. Harrison opened the consultative process to identify qualified candidates for IARU President and Vice President for the 2009-2014 term. Mr. Price confirmed that he is not available for another term as IARU President. Mr. Harrison reviewed the timetable that culminates in new terms of office beginning on 9 May 2009. The normal period to begin the consultative process would be November 2007 to March 2008, but as there is no Administrative Council meeting scheduled for that time frame it is appropriate to begin now. According to Administrative Council Policy #5, a list of available candidates who the International Secretariat and the Administrative Council agree are suitably qualified is to be completed no later than 9 July 2008. No later than the meeting of the Administrative Council immediately following the completion of the list and after due consideration, the International Secretariat shall select its nominees from the list of available candidates and shall advise the Administrative Council of its selections together with supporting material. The nominations then will be submitted to the member-societies for vote in accordance with the IARU Constitution. Mr. Harrison emphasized that the process of identifying qualified candidates is open to member-societies. Returning to agenda item 6.3, Mr. Sumner distributed a draft letter to Mr. van de Groenendaal reflecting the previous day’s discussion. The letter was approved. Consideration then returned to the agenda items in the order published, beginning with item 9.
9.1. Plans for Telecom Europe 2007, scheduled for Sofia 3-6 December, appear to be unsettled. [Secretary’s note: on 25 May 2007 the ITU announced the cancellation of Telecom Europe 2007.] 9.2. Telecom World 2009 is moving back to Geneva and is scheduled for 5-9 October. While it is too early to make detailed plans for IARU participation, the dates should be noted and appropriate budgetary provisions made. 9.3. There were no announced dates or venues for future regional Telecoms.
10.1. Revisions to the “Spectrum Requirements of the Amateur and Amateur-Satellite Services” working document were approved, with minor corrections to the draft prepared by the International Secretariat. 10.2. Mr. Price reported briefly on the 2007 Annual General Meeting and Dinner of the International Amateur Radio Club, 4U1ITU, held during the Conference Preparatory Meeting in February. There were approximately 40 in attendance. Attila Matas, OM1AM was re-elected President. The roof of the building on which the 4U1ITU antennas are located is to be repaired this summer, which will require removal of the antennas. This provides an opportunity for upgrading of the towers and replacement of some of the antennas.
11.1. This item had been discussed earlier. 11.2. Mr. Price introduced a document setting out a budget for the years 2008-2010 and a review of expenditures and regional contributions for the year 2006. The main purpose of the document is to show that expenditures by the International Secretariat are well in excess of its Constitutional obligation after regional contributions are taken into account. The overall expenditures for 2006 were somewhat below budget. It is too early to tell how expenses for 2007 will match the budget. Region 1 suggested that, since its contribution is made in Swiss francs and some of the IARU expenses are also in Swiss francs, it may be desirable to investigate whether exchange charges can be avoided. 11.3. A paper prepared by Mr. Ellam was discussed. The paper identifies the need to expand the pool of potential volunteers who possess the appropriate expertise and are willing to assist the IARU as Technical Representatives and Expert Consultants and proposes that new appointees be paired with experienced volunteers for the purpose of training. It was agreed that this approach should be pursued. 11.4. Mr. Sumner presented a paper discussing the Worked All Continents (WAC) Award and possible ways to rejuvenate the program and to reverse declining popularity. The paper proposed adding Antarctica as a seventh continent with which contact would be required, but there was concern expressed that this might make the award too difficult for beginners to obtain; it was suggested that an endorsement for a contact with Antarctica be offered instead. The paper also proposed the elimination of the endorsement for 3.5 MHz since this has become a “normal” DX band, but this was not supported. Other proposed changes, including the addition of WAC to the ARRL’s Logbook of the World program and the offering of “digital” and “image” certificates in place of existing, more specialized certificates, were endorsed. 11.5. Mr. Sumner presented a paper noting the increasing popularity of the IARU HF World Championship and the challenge of adjudicating the event to the expected standard within available resources. After discussion, the Secretary was asked by the Council to continue to devote the resources necessary to maintain a high standard for the event. 11.6. Acting on a proposal from Mr. Ellam, the Council adopted the following theme for World Amateur Radio Day 2008 (18 April): “Amateur Radio: A Foundation for Technical Knowledge.” 11.7. At agenda item 12.2 of its 2006 meeting, the Administrative Council established an IARU exploratory committee for the purpose of investigating ways to progress a commonly adopted amateur license. Some candidates to serve on this committee have been identified, but more are needed. Mr. Price stated that the committee will be formed when a full complement of members has been identified. At 1500 local time, Mr. Blondeel Timmerman and Mr. Harrison left the meeting after expressing their gratitude at being able to attend. 11.8. There were no other operational or administrative matters brought before the Council.
12.1. The International Secretariat had conducted its regular annual review of the “Resolutions and Policies of the Administrative Council.” After discussion, it was agreed that no revisions are indicated at this time. 12.2. Under “Any other business,” Mr. Owen asked whether improvements could be made in the communication of IARU policy with regard to World Radiocommunication Conferences. He observed that information that could be useful to individuals who are representing the amateur services in national preparations does not always reach them. Better networking with and among those individuals was suggested. Mr. Owen also noted the desirability of updating the statistical information on the status of Amateur Radio licensing and the membership of member-societies worldwide. 13. After discussion of various alternatives, it was agreed that the next regular meeting of the Administrative Council will be held in Germany beginning on the afternoon of Tuesday, 24 June and ending no later than noon on Thursday, 26 June. Returning again to the status of the IARU member-society for Bosnia & Herzegovina, it was agreed that Messrs. Ellam and Owen would collaborate in defining a process by which the status of the member-society can be clarified. 14. It was agreed that a news release would be prepared for review and release on the following day. Participants made closing remarks. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 1704 local time. Respectfully submitted, David Sumner, K1ZZ
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