NEWS RELEASE

International Amateur Radio Union
P.O. Box 310905
Newington, CT 06131-0905 USA
FAX: +1 860 594 0259
E-Mail: iaru@iaru.org

19 April 2000

For immediate release

IARU Administrative Council Meets

TOURS, FRANCE, Apr 19, 2000--Meeting in France in conjunction with the observance of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the International Amateur Radio Union, the Administrative Council of the IARU gathered April 18 and 19 in Tours at the headquarters of the IARU member-society for France, REF-Union. The meeting, the first of two scheduled for this year, was held principally to prepare final instructions for the IARU delegation to the World Radiocommunication Conference 2000 in Istanbul May 8 until June 2.

A ceremony attended by the presidents of several IARU member-societies and other distinguished guests was held at the Sorbonne in Paris, site of the founding of the IARU 75 years earlier. Robert W. Jones sent greetings and congratulations from the International Telecommunication Union. "During my 25 years of involvement with the ITU and now for the past more than five years as Director of its Radiocommunication Bureau, I have seen firsthand how effective the IARU can be in professionally representing the interests of radio amateurs the world over," Jones wrote.

In its meeting the Administrative Council took the following actions:

1. IARU positions on WRC-2000 agenda items were reviewed and approved. These form the basis for instructions to the LARU delegation to WRC-2000, Similarly, briefs for the IARU delegations to the 2000 Radiocommunication Assembly and the first Conference Preparatory Meeting for the next WRC to follow WRC-2000 were approved.

2. The ITU meetings at which IARU representation will be required for the remainder of the year were identified and the recommendations of the President and International Secretariat with regard to representatives to attend these meetings were accepted. Revised Terms of Reference for IARU delegates to ITU meetings were adopted.

3. Noting with considerable interest the subject of new technologies in the Amateur Service, the Administrative Council requested that the International Secretariat develop a draft plan for bringing new technologies into the Amateur Service and provide it to the Administrative Council at its next meeting.

4. Council representatives were urged to request their experts to review the status of data modes of various kinds in IARU band plans, in light of recent developments in this field.

5. A request from the United Nations Director for Outer Space Affairs, Mazlan Othman, that radio amateurs undertake special observance of UN World Space Week, October 4-10, 2000, was acknowledged with thanks and will be shared with the AMSAT organizations worldwide.

6. A progress report was received from the International Secretariat on efforts to document the desirability of an amateur allocation in the vicinity of 5 MHz. Interest was expressed in expanding experimental activity to countries outside the United States, site of the first authorized experiments.

7. An ad hoc group to review public relations activities was discharged. The Council observed that within available resources, no satisfactory means has been found to accomplish effective public relations from a central point on behalf of the IARU.

8. The second 2000 meeting of the Administrative Council will be held in Darwin, Australia, September 3-4, immediately following the Conference of IARU Region 3.

The members of the Administrative Council are IARU President Larry Price, W4RA, Vice President David Wardlaw, VK3ADW, Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ; and regional representatives Lou van de Nadort, PA0LOU, Tim Hughes, G3GVV; Tom Atkins, VE3CDM, Eduardo Estrada, HC2EE, Fred Johnson, ZL2AMJ; and Sangat Singh, 9M2SS. Ole Garpestad, LA2RR, and Noel Donawa, 9Y4NED, were invited to be present as observers for their respective regional organizations.

Letter to David Sumner, K1ZZ, from Robert W. Jones, VE3CTM, Director, Radiocommunication Bureau, International Telecommuncation Union Mr. David Summer, Secretary, International Amateur Radio Union Dear Mr. Secretary: Seventy-five years ago, radio amateurs from 23 countries displayed extraordinary foresight by gathering in Paris to found the International Amateur Radio Union. Ever since that time and to the present day, the IARU has been a valued participant in the work of the ITU and an effective advocate for the interests of radio amateurs the world over. During my 25 years of involvement with the ITU and now for the past more than 5 years as Director of its Radiocommunication Bureau, I have seen first hand how effective the IARU can be in professionally representing the interests of radio amateurs the world over. On the occasion of the celebration of this important anniversary, it is my pleasure to convey greetings and congratulations to the officials of the IARU and its member-societies on behalf of the Radiocommunication Bureau. I wish the IARU every success in the future as it continues to carry out its excellent work. Sincerely, {signed} Robert W. Jones Director Radiocommunication Bureau International Telecommunication Union VE3CTM