USCIB Hails Historic Election Of Doreen Bogdan-Martin To ITU Secretary General

The US Council for International Business (USCIB)  has applauded  the resounding victory  of Doreen Bogdan-Martin to serve as new Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). ITU member states made history by elevating Bogdan-Martin to lead the organization – the first-ever female to serve as ITU Secretary General. Bogdan-Martin garnered 139 votes; Rashid Ismailov, a former Russian telecom official, secured 25. The vote was taken by secret ballot at the 21st meeting of the ITU Plenipotentiary (PP-22), September 26-October 14, in Bucharest, Romania.

“After 150 years, we shattered the glass ceiling,” Secretary General Bogdan-Martin said after the results were announced.

USCIB Vice President of ICT Policy Barbara Wanner, who participated in the PP-22 as a member of the US Government delegation, concurred that the election represented a truly historic development. “The sheer breadth of support for Bogdan-Martin reflected a recognition across the Union that she is the right person for the job as the information and communication technology (ICT) landscape continues to evolve,” Wanner said.

USCIB was one the earliest organizational supporters of Bogdan-Martin’s candidacy.

“It was readily apparent to our members that she possesses both the substantive knowledge and leadership skills to place the ITU at the forefront of global efforts to drive meaningful connectivity for the unconnected, broaden and deepen partnerships to accelerate digital transformation, and support greater organizational accountability,” Wanner noted.

Thanks to members’ generous support, USCIB boosted Bogdan-Martin’s candidacy by hosting a reception on July 13 in New York to enable her to engage informally with many UN delegates and share her leadership vision for the ITU.

In addition to electing the Secretary General and other key leadership positions, the ITU Plenipotentiary, which is held every four years, enables the ITU’s 193 Member States to conclude key agreements on the ITU’s strategic and financial plans and determine the direction for ICT issues under its remit for the next four years.

Other highlights of the first week of the PP-22 included:

An announcement by the US Government that it plans to increase its assessed contribution rate to the ITU from 30 contributory units to 35 contributory units, which would represent an additional 1.59 million Swiss francs per year to support the work of the ITU; and

Establishment of numerous ad hoc committees and informal consultations to build consensus on proposed resolutions on cybersecurity, Internet-related issues, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and space policy issues of priority interest to USCIB members.