
For three weeks in Bucharest starting 26 September, leaders from 193 countries will set the global direction of digital transformation and elect the UN tech agency’s next management team
The 2022 Plenipotentiary – or PP-22 – brings together the highest policy-making body of ITU, the United Nations’ specialized agency for information and communication technologies.
Held every four years, this is the key event at which ITU’s 193 Member States decide on the future role of the organization.
Shaping our digital future
PP-22 is expected to attract around 3,000 participants, including Heads of State and high-level dignitaries from across ITU’s 193 Member States.
Delegations will also include representatives from ITU’s broader membership – private companies, academic institutions, and national, regional, and international bodies engaged with the organization on technical aspects of radiocommunication and standardization or in fostering digital transformation in line with UN Sustainable Development Goals.
PP-22 will set ITU’s general policies, as well as strategic and financial plans for 2024-2027 – addressing ITU’s work on key issues from digital inclusion and bridging the digital divide to the best ways to leverage artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and 5G and future networks towards 6G, along with other new and emerging technologies to improve the way all of us, everywhere, live and work.
Electing ITU’s next management team
ITU plays an integral role in enabling sustainable digital development and inclusive uptake of new services and technologies for all people everywhere. The organization holds a mandate from governments worldwide to coordinate shared use of the radio spectrum; promote international cooperation on the assignment of satellite orbits; foster reliable, accessible digital and telecom infrastructure in developing countries; and establish global standards to ensure seamless interconnection over a vast range of communication systems.
The conference will also elect the five top executives – the Secretary-General, Deputy Secretary-General, and Directors of the Radiocommunication, Telecommunication Standardization, and Telecommunication Development Bureaux – who will guide the organization’s work over the next four years.
Above, photo by Eduard Balan on pexels