Richard Thwaites

Country:	Australia
Email:	richard.thwaites [at] ties.itu.int

Richard Thwaites is Director of Rich Communications, a consultancy based in Canberra, Australia that specializes in policy issues associated with international communications.

Richard has been working with communication policy in boradcasting, telecommunication, and on the Internet since 1988; much of that time has been spent advising or negotiating for the Australian Government. From 1994 to 2002 he participated in WTO negotiations, The International Telecommunication Union, Asia-Pacific regional meetings, and the OECD. In 1996, Mr. Thwaites was Chairman of an ITU working group; in 2000 he became Chairman of the APEC Tel Working Group.

From 1974 to 1988 he worked for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in operational and management roles ranging from foreign correspondent to the introduction of electronic newsroom technologies.

From 2000-2004 Richard Thwaites was Chairman of the ITU Standardisation Sector's Study Group on Accounting, Settlements and related economic and policy issues (SG3), working toward industry-based commercial standards and practices to accommodate the transition from line-switched to packet-switched service platforms.

Since leaving the Australian Government service in May 2002, Richard Thwaites has continued to work as a negotiator on communications policy issues on behalf industry and government clients.

At the ITU's World Telecomunication Standardisation Assembly in Florianopolis, Brazil, October 2004, Richard Thwaites chaired the Committee producing harmonized positions, among the ITU's membership of 179 nations, on Internet-related issues including spam, e-security, naming numbering and addressing.

Richard Thwaites is nominated by the ITU, on behalf of the Technical Liaison Group, as liaison to the ICANN Board for 2005.