The UN’s main technology agency, the International Telecommunication Union [ITU] has this week elected its first woman secretary-general in Doreen Bogdan-Martin.
American Bogdan-Martin will succeed Houlin Zhao of China in the role from January 1 next year. She saw off the challenge of Russian Rashid Ismailov by a 114-vote majority after being endorsed by US president Joe Biden in her bid for the position.
President Biden said of the successful candidate: “She understands the importance of connecting every school to the internet and making sure every student can access virtual learning, providing women and girls the digital tools they need to succeed, and extending the benefits of online health and educational resources.”
The ITU has existed since 1865, when it was formed to oversee the first international telegraph networks.
Since then, its role has evolved to cover oversight of the use of the internet, radio and satellite. This includes assigning global satellite orbits, co-ordinating on technical standards, and enhancing telecoms infrastructure in developing nations.
The new secretary-general elect had been working as director of the ITU’s Telecommunications Development Bureau prior to her successful campaign for the leadership, a role within which she worked on generating jobs, developing digital skills and promoting diversity and gender equality.
Bogdan-Martin said in her victory speech: “Whether it's today's children or our children's children, we need to provide them with a strong and stable foundation for growth.
“The world is facing significant challenges - escalating conflicts, a climate crisis, food security, gender inequalities, and 2.7 billion people with no access to the internet.”
Image by ITU Pictures from Geneva, Switzerland - WSIS 2016 - Day 3, on Wikimedia Commons
