 Radio communications are playing an increasing portal role in our world today. What they have in common is that they rely on one scarce resource, which is radiofrequency spectrum. And it is the role of the ITUR sector to ensure the efficient, economical, rational and equitable use of this scarce resource. And in this process, the ITUR study groups, and before them between 1927 and 1992, the CCIR study groups, are at the center of this process. First of all, they conduct studies on the technical, regulatory, operational and economical aspects of the use of spectrum. These studies are used in several ways. The first one is that they are at the core of the decisions by the World Radio Conferences of the ITU to adopt the international law of the use of spectrum. That's the law which is going to be applied in each country in relation to other countries. So this very important activity is really very much enabled by the work of the ITUR study groups because its purpose is to ensure that the radio communication ecosystem or the wireless ecosystem evolves by taking into account the progress of technology but at the same time ensuring that this progress is going to be integrated in a non-destructive process. That the investments which have been made in radio communication networks, in satellites, in mobile networks, etc. All these investments will be protecting in the long run. So this is a very subtle exercise to incorporate what is new without affecting too much what is already there. So the ITUR study groups contribute to this process by these studies. Another essential activity that they carry out is to produce recommendations on the use of spectrum. These are not laws, they are not binding, but they are actually applied universally by all countries. And these standards actually ensure the economies of scale for all the devices and network equipments that are necessary to enable the wireless world. So there's two aspects, the studies for updating the international regulations and adoption of standards of universal application as well as guidelines and best practices which are applied in all countries are really the outputs of the ITUR study groups and they are the way the ITUR has been able for over a century to ensure that the wireless ecosystem develops in a sustainable manner. Today we are celebrating the 90th anniversary of the CCIR and ITUR study groups. And I believe the achievements in terms of standards, in terms of regulations that have been made by this work are simply outstanding. I think they are recognized worldwide for an essential enabler to the wireless world. The token of these achievements is that the fact that ITUR received several times in the past and most recently four years ago the Emmy Awards of the National US Academy of Arts and Science for the achievements in terms of standards for television and sound broadcasting. One of the main results which is expected from WRC 19 is the allocation and identification of spectrum for IMT 2020 which is actually 5G, the fifth generation of mobile networks. This will enable mobile networks to provide much higher quality and smaller latency for the accommodating new applications and huge traffic growth that we are currently seeing with the third and fourth generations. Another important aspect which are going to be decided by WRC 19 relates to new technologies to connect the unconnected areas of the world by using high-altitude platforms and non-GSO satellite systems, non-GSO satellite systems which have the potential to provide an economically efficient response or solution rather to the connection of unserved or poorly served areas. I can predict a bright future for the ITUR sector in general and for the ITUR study groups in particular for very simple reasons is that as the wireless world is becoming increasingly complex, the need for studies and the need for agreement leading to global harmonization is essential and will become more and more important in the future. All areas of wireless communications are actually getting into mass market applications where we speak of global positioning devices where we speak of mobile devices, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc., or satellite reception. All these shows or also broadcasting, terrestrial broadcasting, all this requires economies of scale to provide cost-effective solutions and the economies of scale at worldwide level are what is achieved by the work of the ITUR study groups. The indication we have is that everything is becoming radio. Everybody wants to be connected in real time anywhere at any time and only mobile communication provides this. In addition, satellites provide the ability to locate and help people to localize themselves geographically. They also provide search and rescue applications and very importantly as well they provide the type of monitoring of earth resources which is more and more in demand to ensure the sustainability of human activities.