BUCHAREST, ROMANIA, 04 October 2022 – The Philippines won a seat in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Council under Region E (Asia and Australasia) for the term 2023-2026 at elections held during the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2022 at the Palace of Parliament, Bucharest, Romania on 03 October 2022.
The ITU is a United Nations specialized agency in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) that the Philippines has been a member of since 1912. The ITU Council is the Union’s governing body tasked to decide on the day-to-day activities in between the ITU Plenipotentiary Conferences. The ITU Council prepares the strategic and policy planning of the Union, ensures proper and efficient implementation of programs and activities, and approves the budget of the Union.
During the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2022, the Secretary-General, Deputy Secretary General, Directors for the Radio Communication Bureau (BR), Telecommunication Standardization Bureau (TSB), Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT), as well as twelve Radio Regulations Board (RRB) and the forty-eight Council members for the term 2023-2026 were elected.
The highly contested election had 16 candidates for 13 seats. The Philippines ranked 7th out of the 13 Member States elected, with 12 other candidates elected: Australia, Bahrain, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Thailand, United Arab Emirates.
In more than four decades, the Philippines has been very active in the ITU Council, supporting its vision of an information society and working with the Union and global partners to bridge the global digital divide. The Philippines commits to sharing its experiences with fellow developing ITU Member States in years to come with this re-election to the ITU Council. (Source: Kagawaran Ng Ugnayang Panlabas)