 Mr. President, Mr. Prime Minister, Mr. Minister, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Secretary General, Deputy Secretary General, Directors of TSB and BDT, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my great honor and pleasure to welcome you to the 2019 World Radio Communication Conference in this beautiful city of Sharem Sheikh. I take this opportunity to thank the Administration of Egypt for hosting us today. Being in one of the cradles of civilization leads us to reflect upon Egypt's legacy in terms of communication and technology. Ancient Egyptians communicated through writing, drawing, pictures and art. The hieroglyphic symbols recorded much of their history, the rituals, ceremonies, prophecies and even their everyday life. Currently, we post on social media walls images of important dates and celebrations, of important moments in our lives. We post about everything, from our political preferences to our favorite food. In ancient times, information encoded using hieroglyphics was then inscribed on papyrus and transmitted to others by hand. Over the centuries, humankind has continually evolved its formats and media for the storage of data arriving today at various electronic formats of audio, video and image files. Transmission of information also evolved considerably, developed into the telecommunication systems that we know today. We are fortunate to have inherited such a rich history, culture and technology from ancient Egypt. Even more so, we are fortunate to be in a land where time is measured in millennia to make decisions that will affect the future generations and the future of our planet. We are now moving into an era of both digital and environmental transformation. Billions of people and devices are connected to the internet, increasing the efficiency of industries and companies. However, half of the world is still unconnected. Moreover, economic development of nations has come at a price of increased carbon emissions, climate change and related natural disasters. On the agenda of WRC 19, there are radio communication services that have the potential to address all these pressing issues. We will discuss during these next four weeks the availability and conditions for the use of spectrum for land mobile and fixed services, broadband applications for the mobile service, satellite services, science services, maritime aeronautical and amateur services, as well as determine the draft and preliminary agendas of the WRC 23 and WRC 27 respectively. All of these decisions, including the agendas of future conferences, have the potential to impact our society, the global economy and the environment. While there is great focus on the innovations brought by new technologies such as IMT 2020, HABS and non-GSO satellites, we must make sure that we take decisions that extend the benefits of technological advancements to all the citizens of the world. The WRC will update the radio regulations, taking into account that this treaty should ensure the rational, equitable, efficient and economical use of the radio frequency spectrum and satellite orbit resources, ensure operations of radio communication systems free of harmful interference, ensure necessary performance and quality in operating radio communication systems, create regulatory certainty for trillions of dollars of combined investment and economic activity that play an increasingly important role in the development of our societies, promote regional and global spectrum harmonization that are essential to creating economies of scale, interoperability and enabling global services and roaming. I cannot stress enough the relevance of the radio regulations. This international treaty on the use of the radio spectrum and satellite orbits has been updated for 113 years. Countries adopted and respected, and it provides the regulatory stability for the sector. More than 3,500 participants representing 160 member states and 130 international organizations and sector members have registered to this conference, all with a similar goal of rationalizing and harmonizing the use of spectrum toward the mutual benefit of all. The task ahead is huge, but the goals are very clear to change the international regulations in such a way that radio technologies will improve the well-being of current and future generations. The challenges we face in this transforming world calls for cooperation and the employment of all services and technologies available to us. The task ahead of you is also one of major importance. After four intense years of studies and preparation, we have arrived at this crucial decision-making phase. The radio regulations are made by you for you. Be assured that the ITU staff is ready to provide you with all the necessary assistance to support your work, but the success of this conference is in your hands. Before I conclude, allow me to congratulate Dr. Amr Badawi for his designation as chairman of WRC-19, as well as all vice-chairs. I am confident that during these four weeks they will guide our work and lead us to a successful outcome. Once again, I sincerely thank Egypt for hosting the WRC-19 and may the land of denial inspire us to regulate technology towards making this planet a safer and better place for all people of all nations. I wish you a successful conference and a pleasant stay in Egypt. Thank you very much.