Project “Monitoring of the Forest Cover in the Amazon Region”

(Monitoring of the Deforestation, Forest Utilization and Changes in Land Use in the Pan-Amazon Forest - RED PD 029/09 Rev1F)

TECHNICAL NOTE

IMPLEMENTATION OF A REGIONAL SYSTEM FOR VIDEO CONFERENCING

Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Observation Stations, SP/ACTO and Amazon Regional Center of INPE

Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela

Implementation of a Regional System for Video Conferencing

  1. PRESENTATION

As you know, the IV Steering Committee of ACTO Monitoring Project will be held in Coca,Ecuador from October 21st untilthe 22nd, 2014. The Monitoring of the Forest Cover Project, which is funded by the National Bank for Economic and Social Development - BNDES, the SP/ACTO provides continuity to a preliminary study to identify the best technological option for a Video Conference System.

The identification of the operational conditions available for its functioning in the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, in the National Focal Points and/or the National Coordinating Institutes/Observation Stations in the PS /ACTO, and in the CRA/INPE, are necessary inputs for meeting this goal.

In the context of institutional strengthening of the Project, ACTO has mentioned the initiative to install a Video Conferencing System in the Member Nations in order to facilitate internal communication. In this regard, SP/ACTO requested the support of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Member Nations, and they sent information about their structure and operating conditions for the operation of a video conferencing system by completing the form found in the appendix.

With this opportunity, a space will be opened for the presentation of the views of the countries about the concept and operation of the video conferencing system, for which this Technical Note has been prepared.

  1. OBJECTIVES

The Regional Video Conference System under study should facilitate compliance with the resolutions adopted by the Project Steering Committee, whose members include the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, National Focal Points and/or National Coordinating Institutions, as well as the resolutions adopted at the Observation Stations Meetings.

The system aims to put in touch individuals from the aforementioned institutions, which are separated geographically, operating as a two-way bi-directional TV channel at 17 different spots, in eight (8) countries of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO), having SP/ACTO as the System Administrator.

2.1 Specific Objectives

Among these, the following can be highlighted:

  • A better coordination between the foreign ministries and SP/ACTO on topics of interest for the Project Monitoring and other related activities
  • Exchange of experience between countries, such as, providing technical support to the SDOs on topics related to the development of national maps.
  • Exchange of methodologies and information about the monitoring of the forest cover and other related items
  • Evaluation of the implementation of the annual Operating Plans of the Project Monitoring
  • Development of Training Courses
  • Saving of time and financial resources by avoiding frequent travels of individuals to a particular location. Reduction of travel costs
  • The meetings can be recorded and serve later on as memory for eventual post processing.
  • Bringing together academics located in the member countries in order to plan strategies for research and cooperation.
  • Improve productivity between distributed personnel, preparing and training them remotely.
  • Build a strong relationship between customers and staff.
  • Get the most out of investments in communications and networks.

It plans to distribute the infrastructure of the Regional Video Conference in the eight (08) countries of the Organization, with a total of 17 spots, which in addition to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, provide the National Focal Points and/or National Coordinating Institutes appointed by the countries under the Project Monitoring /nationals SDO countries (Figure 1).

In the case of Brazil, 3 (three) points are considered: one of them in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, another in the SP / ACTO (System Administrator point) and the other in Belém do Pará, local of the CRA/INPE, an institution that provides technical support to the Project Monitoring.

Figure 1. Premises for installation of the Video Conference System spots

In addition to the above-mentioned aspects, depending on the system to be adopted, with tools that would also allow the use of tools to share documents, enabling, for instance, those used in teleconferences, documents that are drafted and formalized together.

Some other applications could be:

  • Viewing and alteration of documents by the members of the dialogue in real time.
  • Sharing of other program applications (software).
  • Transfer of files in real time.
  1. PROPOSAL OF THE VIDEO CONFERENCING SYSTEM

The proposed system will be installed in the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of each country, as well as in the respective Focal Spots and/or in the National Coordinating Institutions /Observation Stations, in the SP /ACTO and in the CRA/INPE in Belém do Pará.

Regarding the language barrier, the implementation of the Video Conferencing System presents a challenge to overcome, which is the communication between the Spanish, English (which is the most acute) and Portuguese Speaking countries. This challenge imposes itself by requiring simultaneityand demanding language skills from the participants. This last one, in particular, requires the design of a scenario that facilitates the participation of all the countries on certain issues.

  1. IDENTIFICATION OF THE STRUCTURE OF VIDEO CONFERENCING IN THE COUNTRIES

To identify the technical structure existing in the countries, SP/ACTO, officially sent a request for information on the operating conditions and on the existing technical characteristics at the national level (see Appendix 1). This inquiry focused on the technical structure of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Observation Stations.

As a partial result of this evaluation, with the aim of finding similarities in the internet and networking systems, the following can be highlighted:

4.1. Technical Characteristics:

It is possible to have a reasonable video conference using a minimum speed of 128 kilobits per second (kbps). Reasonable is understood as a video that transmits 14 frames per second, but that is incapable of showing rapid movements with quality; in this case, the audio is mono with TV quality.

On the other hand, when using the speed of 388 kbps, the quality is very good, with 30 frames per second.

4.2. Security

The video conferencing systems, like all IP systems, need a firewall if they want to isolate the network to prevent invasions. Certain systems simplify the firewall configuration, since it is not necessary to know the IP of each participant and only the IP of the System Administrator Virtual Room (in this case SP / ACTO) needs to be enabled, so that the remaining participants can access the service with total security as well as the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and the SDOs.

  1. BNDES/AMAZON FUND BUDGET AVAILABLE FOR THE INSTALLATION OF THE SYSTEM

The estimated budget for the installation of the system is of USD$ 957,000.00, of which:

  • USD349,000.00 at SP /ACTO (Brasilia / Brazil)
  • USD532,000.00 at ACTO Member Countries (MRE and Observation Stations)
  • USD 76,000.00 atthe CRA/INPE (Belem /Brazil)

APPENDIX 1 - LETTER TO THE MINISTRIES OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SP-ACTO 368/2014

The Permanent Secretariat of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization greets the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, South America Department II (DAS II) and the Honorable Ambassadors of the Member Nations; and, in the context of institutional strengthening of ACTO, I would like to mention the initiative for the installation of a video conferencing system in the member countries to facilitate internal communications.

In the framework of the project of Monitoring of the Forest Cover financed by the National Bank of Economic and Social Development (BNDES), SP/ACTO is starting a preliminary study to identify the major technological options for the respective video conferencing system. The identification of the operational conditions available for its operations in the Ministries of Foreign Affairs is a necessary input to accomplish this objective.

Concerning this matter, the SP/ACTO, is requesting the support of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the member nations to send information about its structure and operational conditions for the functioning of a video conferencing system by answering the form that is found in the appendix.

It is worth mention that in attention to the peculiarities of the project, it is also requested that the observation stations installed in the member nations to complete the same form.

The Permanent Secretariat of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (SP/ACT) appreciates the opportunity to reiterate to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, South America Department II (DAS II) and to the Honorable Embassies of the Member Nations, our respects of high esteem and considerations.

Brasília, June 24, 2014

TO:

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil

South America Department II (DAS II)

And to the Honorable Embassies of the Member Nations

VIDEO CONFERENCING SYSTEM IN STUDY:

FORM FOR IDENTIFICATION OF THE OPERATING CONDITIONS IN THE MINISTRIES OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND OBSERVATION STATIONS

1-Is there in the ministry any video conferencing system in operation? (If the answer is NO, please go to number 7)

( ). Yes.

( ). No.

2-The video conferencing platform is based on: (Answer with “X”)

( ). Software

( ). Cisco WebEx

( ). Citrix GoToMeeting

( ). Other: ______

( ). Hardware.

( ). Polycom VSX

( ). Other: ______

( ). Hybrid (Software/Hardware)

( ). Polycom Real Presence

( ). Other:______

3-Does this video conferencing platform require the opening of firewall doors? (Check the appropriate option):

( ). Yes.

( ). No.

4-What bandwidth is available for the video conferencing system?

Download: (Check the appropriate option)

( ). 10Mbit/s

( ). 5Mbit/s

( ). 1Mbit/s

( ). 500Kbit/s

( ). Other: ______

Upload: (Check the appropriate option)

( ). 10Mbit/s

( ). 5Mbit/s

( ). 1Mbit/s

( ). 500Kbit/s

( ). Other:______

5-Of the following accessories, which are being used by your video conferencing system?

( ). Tabletop Microphones (If this is the case, how many? ______)

( ). Omnidirectional Tabletop Microphones (If this is the case, how many? ______)

( ). USB Camera

( ). Video Cameras (If this is the case, how many? ______)

( ). Mixer (If this is the case, how many? ______)

( ). Amplifiers (If this is the case, how many? ______)

( ). Sound Monitors (If this is the case, how many? ______)

6-What is the capacity? (number of persons that are able to participate in the sessions) of your video conferencing room? ______persons

7-What bandwidth would be available for the instalation of the ACTO Video Conferencing System?

Download: (Check the appropriate option)

( ). 10Mbit/s

( ). 5Mbit/s

( ). 1Mbit/s

( ). 500Kbit/s

( ). Other: ______

Upload: (Check the appropriate option)

( ). 10Mbit/s

( ). 5Mbit/s

( ). 1Mbit/s

( ). 500Kbit/s

( ). Other:______

8-Do you have Internet Firewall? (Check the appropriate option)

( ). Firewall Appliance (For inst.: Fortigate, Sonicwall or Other).

( ). Firewall Server with ISA Server, Squid or similar.

( ). None

( ). Other

9-Do you have plans to expand the bandwidth of the internet over the next 2 years? (Check the appropriate option)

( ). Yes.

( ). No.

10-Are there rooms available for the installation of the video conference room? (Check the appropriate option)

( ). Yes. (In case this is affirmative, how many______, and for how many persons? ______)

( ). No.

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