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Richard Thwaites
Richard Thwaites is Director of Rich Communications, a consultancy based in Canberra, Australia and specializing in policy issues associated with international communications.
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.
Since 1988 he as been engaged with communication policy issues across the broadcasting, telecommunication and Internet-based industries, for most of that time as an advisor to, and negotiator for, Australian Government departments responsible for Communications and the Information Economy.
From 1994 to 2002 Richard Thwaites represented Australia in international fora on communications issues including the World Trade Organisation Negotiations on Basic Telecommunications, the International Telecommunication Union, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity and OECD.
In 1996-97 he led the Liberalisation Steering Group of the APEC Telecommunication Working Group, in 1998-2000 was deputy Chair of the Working Group, and Chairman of the APEC TEL Working Group 2000-2002.
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.