Full election results from 19th ITU Plenipotentiary Conference
‘Continuity’ the theme as delegates choose familiar faces to lead organization through next four years
Busan, 27 October 2014 — Member States of the International Telecommunication Union have completed the election process that confirms candidates in the organization’s five elected posts, as well as the 12 members of the Radio Regulations Board and the 48 Members of ITU Council, the administrative body that governs ITU in between quadrennial Plenipotentiary Conferences.
Houlin Zhao of China was successful in his bid to become the next Secretary-General of the Union, after eight years as Deputy-Secretary General and a further eight years in the elected post of Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Standardization Bureau. He won with 152 votes, with 152 countries present and voting.
Malcolm Johnson of the United Kingdom was announced as ITU’s new Deputy Secretary-General in the fourth round of voting, with 104 votes and 168 countries present and voting. In his address to assembled delegates in the Plenary session on Friday afternoon, Mr Johnson paid tribute to the quality of candidates for what proved this conference’s most fiercely-contested post: “Having such a qualified and diverse field of candidates is testament to our commitment to the Union and bodes well for its future. I hope we can rely upon their continuing participation in ITU and I look forward to working with them over the next four years.”
The elections for the posts of Director of ITU’s Radiocommunication Bureau, Telecommunication Standardization Bureau and Telecommunication Development Bureau began late in the working day on the afternoon of 24 October. The three elections were run concurrently.
Current incumbent François Rancy was confirmed in a second term as the Director of ITU’s Radiocommunication Bureau. He contested the position unopposed, and received 166 votes with 166 countries present and voting. In his post-election address to delegates, Rancy stressed ITU’s central role in coordinating the equitable global use of spectrum resources.
“During these four years, remarkable results have been achieved by the ITU radiocommunication sector in delivering and managing the frequency spectrum worldwide, in adopting standards and best practices and in disseminating information and know-how to the entire ITU membership. Much remains to be done however to ensure that the management of spectrum and orbit resources by the ITU continues to feed the development of radiocommunications, and connectivity to all citizens of the world,” he said.
Brahima Sanou, the incumbent Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau, also contested his bid for a second term unopposed, and was re-elected with 166 votes, with 166 countries present and voting. On announcement of the election results, Sanou told the conference: “The Member States have decided for continuity and as the acknowledgment of the work of the BDT staff that I have had the honour of directing for the past four years. My re-election is a renewal of a commitment to deliver to members and with members, and I am committing to this because I know that I can count on the very dynamic team in the BDT.”
For the local Korean media, the biggest news of the conference was the successful candidature of Korea’s Chaesub Lee for the post of Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Standardization Bureau (TSB). Lee obtained the necessary overall majority in the first round, with 87 votes and 169 countries present and voting. Mr Lee told the conference “As the newly elected Director, I will enhance the values of ITU-T activities and products, as well as efficiency and effectiveness in collaborating within and outside ITU-T. ITU-T is at one of its most important moments for the continuous development of future ICT and telecommunications.”
A full summary of election results for each round of voting is available here.
The conference also elected the twelve members of the Radio Regulations Board (RRB), the body which deals with global radiocommunications matters which fall under the purview of ITU.
The winning candidates for each region were:
- Americas: Ricardo Luis Terán, Argentina; Joanne Wilson, United States.
- Western Europe: Lilian Jeanty, Netherlands; Alfredo Magenta, Italy.
- Eastern Europe/Northern Asia: Ievgen Khairov, Ukraine; Victor Strelets, Russian Federation.
- Africa: Mustapha Bessi, Morocco; Stanley K. Kibe, Kenya; Simon Koffi, Côte d’Ivoire.
- East Asia & Australasia: Nasser bin Hammad, United Arab Emirates; Doan Quang Hoan, Viet Nam; Yasuhiko Ito, Japan.
Of 60 candidate countries for the 48 seats on ITU Council, the elected countries were:
- Americas: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Paraguay, USA, Venezuela.
- Western Europe: France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey.
- Eastern Europe & Northern Asia: Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation.
- Africa: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda.
- East Asia & Australasia: Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea (Republic), Kuwait, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, United Arab Emirates.
A backgrounder on the ITU election process can be found here. A backgrounder explaining how the ITU is governed can be found here.
PP-14 is hosted by Korea’s Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MSIP), and is taking place at Busan’s BEXCO exhibition and conference centre from 20 October – 7 November.
The Republic of Korea is widely recognized as the world’s most connected country, topping ITU’s ICT Development Index for the past four consecutive years.
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About ITU
ITU is the leading United Nations agency for information and communication technology. For nearly 150 years, ITU has coordinated the shared global use of the radio spectrum, promoted international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, worked to improve communication infrastructure in the developing world, and established the worldwide standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communications systems. From broadband networks to new-generation wireless technologies, aeronautical and maritime navigation, radio astronomy, satellite-based meteorology and converging fixed-mobile phone, Internet and broadcasting technologies, ITU is committed to connecting the world. www.itu.int
