Accra, Oct 1, GNA – The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has elected Ms Doreen Bogdan-Martin and Mr Tomas Lamanauskas for the Secretary-General, and Deputy Secretary-General of the Union, respectively.
The elections formed part of the objectives for the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2022 (PP-22), which is being held in Bucharest, Romania from September 25 to October 14, 2022.
In a congratulatory message to the newly elected officers, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the Minister of Communication and Digitalisation, assured them of Ghana’s utmost collaboration and support.
She said Ms Bogdan-Martin, over the years, had championed gender digital inclusion and youth empowerment, and that was a fitting tribute for her to become the first woman to lead the 157-year-old Organisation.
Expressing her best wishes to Mr Lamanauskas, Mrs Owusu-Ekuful believed that he would work hard to assist the General Secretary to ensure the ITU achieved inclusive global connectivity and digital transformation for the benefit of all member-states.
She assured him of getting the full support of Ghana to enable him to discharge his duties.
“Mr Tomas Lamanauskas, Deputy Secretary-General-Elect, is the youngest to take this position. Indeed, the ITU resolutions on gender and youth inclusion come to bear that we have already had a team of elected Secretary General and Deputy as a lady and a youth.”
She said Ghana and all member-states were grateful for the leadership of the out-going Secretary-General of the ITU, Mr. Houlin Zhou, and his Deputy, Mr. Malcolm Johnsonl for the years of service to the ITU.
“We wish you a well-earned retirement,” she said.
The Minister took the opportunity to encourage the other competitors who stood for the positions but lost, saying; “You fought well, better luck next time. We hope to count on your rich experience for the benefit of all ITU Member States”.
This year’s ITU Plenipotentiary Conference was the first gender-responsive Plenipotentiary.
The ITU aims to reach the target of at least 35 percent of women participants, up from 22 per cent in 2014, and 29 percent in 2018.
GNA