ITU elects first female scribe

The election took place during ITU’s Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-22) in Bucharest, Romania, with representatives of Member States voting during the meeting’s morning session. 

​Bogdan-Martin was endorsed by her country’s government as a candidate to make the digital future inclusive and accessible for everyone, especially in developing countries.

US President, Joe Biden, in a Sept. 20 statement backing her candidacy, said: “Ms Bogdan-Martin possesses the integrity, experience, and vision necessary to transform the digital landscape.”

Bogdan-Martin, in her acceptance speech, said the world was faced with significant challenges like escalating conflicts, climate crisis, food security and needed to be provided with a strong and stable foundation for growth.

The Secretary-General-elect, whose four-year term would commence on Jan. 1, 2023, pledged to continue driving the institution to be innovative and increasingly relevant for Member States

She also said that there would be a better positioning for all to embrace the digital environment and make progress on achieving UN SDGs and connecting the unconnected.

Bogdan-Martin said: “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. 

“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.”

She, however, had held leadership positions in international telecommunications policy for over two decades.

Throughout her career, Bogdan-Martin  had brokered innovative and visionary partnerships with the private sector, civil society, and other UN agencies to accelerate digital inclusion and connectivity.

As Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau in recent years, Bogdan-Martin had emphasised the need for digital transformation to achieve economic prosperity. 

She also emphasised the need for job creation, skills development, gender equality, and socio-economic inclusion, as well as to build circular economies, reduce climate impact, and save lives.