6th October, 2014
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) said it would hold talks on strategies to combat counterfeit and substandard devices in Information and Communications Technology (ICT).
The Secretary-General of ITU, Dr Hamadoun Toure, made this known in a statement issued in Lagos on Monday.
He said the high-level talks were in a bid to improve global coordination in the application of ICT.
According to him, the talks, which will feature discussions on combating counterfeit and substandard ICT devices, will hold at ITU Headquarters in Geneva, from 17 to 18 November.
He also said discussion would take stock of the global challenges posed by counterfeit and substandard ICT products and the role of ITU in checking counterfeiting.
“Consumers rely on brand names and international standards to provide an assurance of quality, and this assurance is relevant to consumers in developed and developing countries.
“Counterfeit and substandard ICT products demand international action.
“Such products raise the risk of network disruptions and interoperability challenges that result in poor quality of service, with potentially dire consequences in emergency situations,” Toure said.