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 forthcoming Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is set to take place in Bucharest, Romania, between 26 September and 14 October.
Held every four years, this is the key event at which ITU’s 193 Member States decide on the future role of the organization.
“Countries will unite at the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2022 to set the direction of digital transformation for years to come, for the benefit of our planet and humanity”, Mr Houlin Zhao – ITU Secretary-General.
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.
What: ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2022 (PP-22) sets the next four-year strategy, budget, and leadership of ITU.
Why: Decisions taken at PP-22 will have an impact on the telecom and tech sectors in developed and developing countries alike. Business, finance, and development reporters, as well as those focused on tech and foreign affairs, will find compelling newsgathering opportunities on the challenges and opportunities we all face in the years to come.
When: 26 September – 14 October 2022.
Where: Palace of Parliament (People’s House), Bucharest, Romania.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs), driving innovation in ICTs together with 193 Member States and a membership of over 900 companies, universities, and international and regional organizations. Established over 150 years ago, ITU is the intergovernmental body responsible for coordinating the shared global use of the radio spectrum, promoting international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, improving communication infrastructure in the developing world, and establishing the worldwide standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communications systems. From broadband networks to cutting-edge wireless technologies, aeronautical and maritime navigation, radio astronomy, oceanographic and satellite-based earth monitoring as well as converging fixed-mobile phone, Internet and broadcasting technologies, ITU is committed to connecting the world.
