On 9 July 2021 the UK annouced that it will run for a seat on the Council of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and today it published its manifesto.
ITU Governance
It is governed by the Plenipotentiary Conference and the Administrative Council. The Plenipotentairy Conference is the decision making body which determines the direction of the Union and its activities.
The Council (which the UK is hoping to join) acts as the Union's governing body in the interval between Plenipotentiary Conferences. Its role is to consider broad telecommunication policy issues to ensure that the Union's activities, policies and strategies fully respond to today's dynamic, rapidly changing telecommunications environment.
Each 'region' of the world is allocated a number of 'seats'. The UK is within the 'Western Europe' region which between 2019-2022 is represented by are France, Italy, Germany, Greece, Hungry, Spain, Switzerland, and Turkey.
ITU Council Election
The election will take place at the ITU's Plenipotentiary Conference which is set to convene between 26 September to 14 October 2022.
UK's Aims if Elected
They state they would have three main aims:
- Promote a collaborative ITU which fosters international cooperation, consensus-building and sharing of best practices.
- Help the ITU to work effectively for all its members, including by increasing worldwide connectivity and bridging the digital divide. We are already showing our commitment here through the UK's Digital Access Programme, which is working to promote inclusive digital connectivity across five countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
- Support the ITU to be respected in the multilateral system as a well-run organisation that delivers its vital mission of championing development issues, developing high quality technical standards and efficiently allocating radio spectrum.