The Administrative Council of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) held its annual in-person meeting on October 7 and 8 in Viña del Mar, Chile, prior to the IARU Region 2 (IARU R2) Conference. The Council is responsible for the policy and management of the IARU and consists of the three IARU international officers and two representatives from each of the three IARU regional organizations.

The Council assigned priorities to the agenda items for the 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-19) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and affirmed the adoption of a matrix approach to Conference preparation, as agreed earlier in the year. The matrix approach is designed to ensure effective coordination among the numerous IARU volunteers who participate in and monitor preparatory meetings of the ITU and regional telecommunication organizations. Along with several items of potential concern to radio amateurs, the agenda includes a possible allocation in Region 1 of 50-54 MHz to the Amateur Service to harmonize with the allocations in the other two regions.

The permanent working document setting out the long-term spectrum requirements of the Amateur and Amateur-Satellite services was reviewed and updated to reflect the outcomes of WRC-15. A strategic plan to develop support for amateur spectrum allocations between now and 2020 was adopted.

The 2017-2019 IARU budget  was reviewed and adopted. The budget is based upon anticipated financial contributions from the three regional organizations to defray a portion of the expenses, in accordance with previously adopted policy, and reflects ongoing efforts to keep costs down. The IARU travel expense reimbursement policy was revised to reflect the current and anticipated future financial challenges facing many IARU member-societies, which are the ultimate source of IARU funding.

Proposals for improving the consistency of IARU branding were considered, and a way forward was agreed upon.

The Council received reports from coordinators and advisers, including Peter Jennings, AB6WM/VE3SUN, International Beacon Project Coordinator; Hans Blondeel Timmerman, PB2T, Satellite Advisor; Hans Zimmermann, HB9AQS, International Coordinator for Emergency Communications, and Thilo Kootz, DL9KCE, EMC Coordinator. The four volunteers were reappointed for 3-year terms. The report of the International Coordinator for Emergency Communications included reports from the three regional coordinators documenting effective responses by radio amateurs to bridge communications gaps following natural disasters.

Reports from IARU representatives to ITU meetings in the past year were received and reviewed. In late September the IARU accepted an invitation to participate as a panelist at the ITU-D Study Group 2 Workshop on Emergency Telecommunications and Disaster Relief in Geneva. 

The Council reviewed relations with IARU member-societies. Following a determination that the former IARU member-society representing Belize no longer existed, a proposal for the admission of a new member-society for that nation will be forwarded to member-societies for consideration. At the request of Region 1, the rights of Amateur Radio Association Bahrain were suspended. A transition in the representation of the People’s Republic of China is nearing completion.

Following discussion at the 2015 in-person meeting, the Council reviewed its resolution concerning QSL bureaus and will be seeking input from its member-societies.

A program for recognition of IARU volunteers was adopted.

The governing documents of the IARU will be reviewed to identify the issues related to the registration of the IARU as a corporate entity.

Attending the meeting were IARU President Tim Ellam, VE6SH/G4HUA; Vice President Ole Garpestad, LA2RR; Secretary Rod Stafford, W6ROD; regional representatives Don Beattie, G3BJ; Reinaldo Leandro, YV5AM; José Arturo Molina, YS1MS; Gopal Madhavan, VU2GMN; Shizuo Endo, JE1MUI, and Assistant Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ. Also present as an observer was Ramón Santoyo, XE1KK, from Region 2.

A virtual meeting of the Council will be held early in 2017. The next scheduled in-person meeting of the Council will be held in Germany next September, in conjunction with the IARU Region 1 Conference.