A Nontechnical Overview of the 1979 WARC

The 1979 World Administrative Radio Conference (WARC-79) was the largest, most complex multilateral negotiation ever held in the field of telecommunications. The paper focuses on the nontechnical aspects of the Conference, including a brief history of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) leading up to the WARC. The preparatory activities of the United States, both domestic and international, are described. A brief account of the attitudes and views of several foreign country groups during the Conference and the difficulties in selecting a Chairman is given. The results of WARC, which are in general regarded as a success, are discussed in relation to three areas: accomplishment of the broad U.S. objectives, the program of future radio conferences, and technical cooperation and assistance. Finally, the paper describes the implementation process in the United States and comments on some important implications for the future.