The election of Poland to the ITU Council gives way for its continued participation in the major governing body of an international organisation responsible for international policy orientation and standard setting for the telecommunication and digitalisation sector. The Council comprises 48 countries representing all regions of the world.

The role of the International Telecommunication Union has been increasingly important in recent years owing to a dynamic development of telecommunication services. The ITU was particularly active during the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing surge in internet use.

Russia's failure to become elected to the ITU Council this year has had serious political implications. Until now, Russia had always been elected to the ITU Council, winning each vote without effort ever since the Council's establishment. The fact that Russia had not secured enough votes as a candidate in this year's election sends a clear message from the international community that Russia's violations of international law and order connected with the Russian aggression of Ukraine are not accepted.

The Plenipotentiary Conference in Bucharest also saw the election of the ITU Secretary-General, won with an unprecedented support of 139 countries by Doreen Bogdan-Martin, a candidate put forward by the USA. On 1 January 2023, she will replace the incumbent head of the International Telecommunication Union, Houlin Zhao, representing China, whose eight-year term as Secretary-General is about to end.

 

Łukasz Jasina
MFA Press Spokesperson