U.S. Welcomes Doreen Bogdan-Martin on the Role of ITU Chief

The U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has congratulated Doreen Bogdan-Martin on her election to serve as the next Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).  

Bogdan-Martin will be the first woman to lead ITU, which was established in 1865 and became a United Nations specialized agency in 1947.

The election took place during ITU’s Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-22) in Bucharest, Romania, on September 29, with representatives of Member States voting during the meeting’s morning session. Bogdan-Martin won the position with 139 votes, out of 172 votes cast.

According to a press statement issued by the U.S. Department of State on September 29, this outcome reflects a broad endorsement by member states of Ms. Bogdan-Martin’s vision for universal connectivity, digital empowerment, and leadership at the ITU that is innovative, collaborative, and inclusive.

The U.S. support for Ms. Bogdan-Martin’s campaign reflects a renewed determination by the United States to ensure that international organizations are well-run, responsive to their memberships, and accountable for their performances. “We have made clear since the earliest days of the Administration that American leadership in multilateral venues, including the United Nations, is crucial to ensuring the international community is best positioned to address our shared challenges,” Blinken said. “Today’s outcome at the International Telecommunication Union supports that objective.”