American Doreen Bogdan-Martin has been elected Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for the next four years, after the votes cast on Thursday in the framework of the 21th edition of the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-22), an event taking place in Bucharest these days, according to Agerpres.

The announcement was made by Sabin Sarmas, the president of the conference held at the Palace of Parliament.

Thus, following the counting of votes granted by all ITU member states, Doreen Bogdan-Martin obtained 139 of the votes, while the candidate from the Russian Federation, Rashid Ismailov, received 25 votes.

For the past eight years, Houlin Zhao represented China as the head of the International Telecommunication Union.

„I offer my candidacy as Secretary-General of ITU. I envision an organization at the forefront of global efforts to meet connectivity needs and expand digital opportunities for all people. I will work tirelessly to strengthen ITU as an increasingly forward-looking, factbased, impact-driven, results-focused, transparent, and responsive organization. We will be ‘fit4purpose’ to lead our Members into the digital future,” wrote Bogdan-Martin, in her official candidacy brochure.

The portfolio of achievements of the candidate from the USA includes, among others: the launch of the design of the International Centre for Digital Innovation, the conception of a strategy for young people at the ITU level, of an inter-sectoral youth working group, the launch of the „Generation Connect Board” Programme, meant to stimulate the involvement of young people and the conceptualization of the „Global Youth Summit,” meant to improve coherence between the programmes so that they are oriented towards the future.

Doreen Bogdan-Martin has 30 years of experience in the field of information and communication, in the technology sector (ICT), government relations and multilateral organizations. She is married, has four children and speaks fluent French and Spanish.

Educationally, she is a master’s student of the American University, School of International Services, in International Communication Policies, and a graduate of the University of Delaware. Since 2019, Bogdan-Martin is the head of the Telecommunication Development Office of ITU.

Romania is the first country in the European Union (EU) to organize this large-scale event, most precisely the 21st edition of the Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunication Union (PP-22), carried out over September 26 – October 14, at the Palace of Parliament, with more than 3,000 leaders participating and delegations from 193 countries.

Agerpres