World Communications Year

 

Emblem of World Communications Year - ITU calling cardIn November 1981, the General Assembly of the United Nations proclaimed the year 1983 World Communications Year: Development of Communications Infrastructures.

 

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) was designated the lead UN Agency for the preparation and celebration, on a world-wide scale, of WCY 83, with responsibility for co-ordinating the inter-organizational aspects of the programmes and activities of other intergovernmental, governmental and non-governmental organizations.

 

The UN Resolution invited Member States, UN specialized Agencies, governmental and non-governmental organizations and users of communications services to participate actively in the fulfilment of the objectives of the Year and to cooperate closely with the ITU Secretary-General.

 

The Year was seen as an opportunity for a "quantum leap" in the development of a complete world communication network which will leave no one isolated from his local, national or international community. WCY focused on the development of communication infrastructures at the national level.

 

Papua New Guinea - stamp World Communications Year 1983The growth of communication facilities varies greatly from country to country. In some it is minimal. In some it is extremely fast. In some it is haphazard. In some it is unbalanced. With no "master plan" to be imposed, the Year was an opportunity for realistic, national analysis, review and planning to most speedily and effectively meet the communications needs of each country.

 

Special attention was being given to the communications needs of developing countries and the WCY promoted and accelerated the achievement of the objectives of the Transport and Communications Decade in Africa.

 

 

Links

 

The speech by president Ronald Reagan on signing the World Communications Year Proclamation, 16 December 1982.

All the International Years proclaimed by the General Assembly.

 

 

Stamp catalogue

 

Aitutaki                                                         29 September 1983

Austria                                                           18 February 1983

Bangladesh                                                     21 December 1983

Belgium                                                          23 April 1983

Benin                                                             17 May 1983

Benin                                                             27 August 1983

German Democratic Republic                           8 February 1983

Jersey                                                            21 June 1983

Liechtenstein                                                 4 June 1983

Netherlands                                                    17 May 1983

Netherlands Antilles                                        17 May 1983

Niger                                                             18 October 1983

Papua New Guinea                                          7 September 1983

Solomon Islands                                              19 December 1983

Tunisia                                                          17 May 1983

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics                   10 March 1983

 

 

Extra stamp catalogue - reproduced stamps

 

Bangladesh                                                     6 May 1990

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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last revised: 10 August 2009