Member States of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) have elected Doreen Bogdan-Martin of the United States as the organisation’s next Secretary-General.

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

The election took place during the ITU’s Plenipotentiary Conference in Bucharest, Romania, on 29 September. She won the position with 139 votes out of 172 votes cast.​​

Ms Bogdan-Martin has held leadership positions in international telecommunications policy for over two decades.

Throughout her career, she has brokered innovative and visionary partnerships with the private sector, civil society and other United Nations agencies to accelerate digital inclusion and connectivity.

Ms Bogdan-Martin will begin her four-year term as ITU Secretary-General on 1 January 2023.

“Whether it’s today’s children or our children’s children, we need to provide them with a strong and stable foundation for growth,” Ms Bogdan-Martin said.

“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.

“I believe we, the ITU and our members, have an opportunity to make a transformational contribution. Continuous innovation can and will be a key enabler to facilitate resolution of many of these issues.”