International Organizations | Ministry of Communications and Informatization of the Republic of Belarus

In compliance with the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus resolution No.877 of November 21, 2017 "On Cooperation with International Organizations and Interstate Formations" the Ministry of Communications and Informatization is a head republican government body of the Republic of Belarus on issues affecting cooperation with the following intergovernmental organizations:

International Telecommunication Union;
Universal Postal Union;
The Intersputnik International Organization of Space Communications;
European Telecommunications Satellite Organization (EUTELSAT);
International Maritime Satellite Organization (INMARSAT).

International Telecommunication Union (ITU) (www.itu.int) is an international intergovernmental organization, members of which are governments of its member states. Since 1947 the ITU has become a Specialized Agency of the UN. The Headquarters of the organization are in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Republic of Belarus has been a full member of the ITU since 1947. Membership of the ITU provides the Republic of Belarus with the following possibilities:

cooperation of the Republic of Belarus with other countries on issues affecting international telephone, telegraphic, telex, facsimile communications, data communications; functioning of international telecommunication network of the republic conformed to the unified technological cycles and common norms and standards, possibility of interconnection with the telecommunication systems of the Member States of the ITU;
upholding the interests of the Republic of Belarus in the international allocation and assignments of radio-frequency spectrum; coordination of regimes and features of functioning of television and radio broadcasting stations and other radio-electronic devices on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, as well as moving crafts (airplanes, ships) which belong to the Republic of Belarus;
agreement and application of the unified order of reciprocal payments with international operators (organizations) of telecommunication on transit and final expenditures for international telecommunication exchange;
participation in planning and developing of the major objectives of the common policy of development of means of international telecommunication as well as activities of the ITU in formation of global IC infrastructure;
use of the results of the researches of the ITU's study groups and research projects of other countries for the development of the field of the republican telecommunication;
receiving of technical and consultation help;
possibility of coordination and fulfillment of other major objectives (orientations) of international policy of telecommunication development.

Universal Postal Union (UPU) (www.upu.int) is an international intergovernmental organization members of which are governments of its member states. Since 1947 the UPU has become a Specialized Agency of the UN. The Headquarters of the organization are in Bern, Switzerland.

The Republic of Belarus has been a full member of the UPU since 1947. Membership in the UPU provides the Republic of Belarus with effective cooperation in the field of postal communications with the Member States of the UPU:

possibility of international mail exchanges on the unified principles and technologies as well as freedom of its posting transit;
establishment and application of a uniform procedure of reciprocal payments for final expenditures for international postal communications exchange;
receiving of technical and consultation help;
possibility of coordination and fulfillment of other major objectives (orientations) of international policy of postal development.

The Intersputnik International Organization of Space Communications (www.intersputnik.ru) was established in 1971 with a view of creating and developing an international system of satellite communications in the interests of its Member States. The Headquarters of Intersputnik are situated in Moscow, the Russian Federation.

The Republic of Belarus joined the Agreement on the Establishment of the Intersputnik International System and Organization of Space Communications under the Resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 441 of July 7, 1993.

The Ministry of Communications and Informatization acts as the Representative of the Government of the Republic of Belarus in the main governing body of the Organization – the Board of Intersputik.

RUE Beltelecom was appointed a Signatory of the Intersputnik Operating Agreement by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 448 of April 3, 2003.

European Telecommunications Satellite Organization (EUTELSAT) (www.eutelsat.org) was set up in May 1977 and has its Headquarters in Paris, France. The organization's key priority is in developing and operating a satellite system EUTELSAT for fixed and cellular communications and broadcasting in Europe.

The Republic of Belarus joined EUTELSAT in 1994. At present the Ministry of Communications and Informatization functions as a Party of this organization. RUE Beltelecom in accordance with the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus No. 1033, dated February 2, 1999 functions as a Signatory to EUTELSAT.

The Republic of Belarus has been a member (Partner) of International Maritime Satellite Organization (INMARSAT) (www.inmarsat.org) since 1979. Subsequently, this international organization was reorganized into the International Mobile Satellite Organization (www.imso.org).

The Ministry of Communications and Informatization of the Republic of Belarus also acts as the Communications Administration in the Regional Commonwealth in the field of Communications and European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations.

Regional Commonwealth in the field of Communications (RCC) (www.rcc.org.ru) was set up on December 17, 1991 by the Ministries of Communications of 11 countries of the former U.S.S.R. with a view of cooperation and performing coordinated actions of these states in the field of telecommunication and postal communications. In accordance with the Agreement on coordination of interstate relations in the field of telecommunication and postal communications, signed by the Heads of Government of the CIS (Bishkek, December 9, 1992) the RCC became the interstate coordinating body. The RCC is officially recognized as an observer of the activities of the following Specialized Agencies: International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and Universal Postal Union (UPU) – specialized agencies of the United Nations.

Full members of the RCC are Communications Administrations, in such a way in international practice national bodies authorized to represent interests of their states in the field of communications on the international scene are called. Communications Administration of the Republic of Belarus (at present it is the Ministry of Communications and Informatization) has been a full member of the RCC since the establishment of the Commonwealth. Besides Communications Administrations, national operators of telecommunication and postal communications (they function as members of Telecommunication and Postal Operators Boards), leading producers of communication equipment.

The superior body of the RCC is the Council of Heads of Communications Administrations. All the preparatory work is carried out within the framework of its working bodies such as RCC specialized Commissions, Councils of Telecommunications and Postal Operators of the RCC, specialized working groups, which are covering all basic aspects of government and regulation of telecommunication, postal communications and informatization.

The Ministry of Communications and Informatization represents the Republic of Belarus at Coordination Council for Informatization (CCI) of the CIS member states attached to the RCC. The CCI was set up in October 2002 by the decision of the Heads of the Government of the CIS countries aiming at coordination of cooperation among CIS member states in the area of informatization and guaranteeing their integration into the world information society. Participation in the CCI gives the possibility of carrying out coordinated actions among the CIS member states in formation of common information space, participation in working out and implementation of intergovernmental programs in the field of informatization, team work on providing informational security for CIS member states, developing and assertion the position of the RCC at the international activities in the field of informatization.