The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) will convene its quadrennial treaty-making conference in Dubai later this month. The ITU is a United Nations agency representing 193 countries that allocates global radio spectrum and satellite orbits, manages international standards for telecommunications networks and technology, and works to improve access to these technologies in the areas of the world that do not have it.
Among other important agenda items during the three weeks of meetings that begin Oct. 29, the ITU will vote on its five elected leadership positions. The United States has put forward a candidate for one of those positions: Doreen Bogdan-Martin is running to lead the ITU Bureau of Telecommunication Development (BDT), which works to empower developing countries with tools to expand connectivity.
In “The Hill” today, Assistant Secretary David Redl outlines the case for Bogdan-Martin and why U.S. leadership at the ITU is essential:
… [O]ur candidate has the experience and vision to make significant progress in closing the global digital divide. Her successful election would give the United States a voice in ITU leadership for the first time in three decades. If elected, Bogdan-Martin would be the first woman to hold one of the ITU’s five elected positions. She has a bold plan for transforming the Bureau, which plays a fundamental role in the worldwide expansion of telecommunications services.