ITU Re-elects Doreen Bogdan-Martin as Secretary-General with 164 Votes

Member States of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)  have re-elected Doreen Bogdan-Martin of the United States as Secretary-General, giving her a second term leading the United Nations agency responsible for digital technologies.

Bogdan-Martin secured 164 votes out of 173 cast during the election, which took place at the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2026 (PP-26) in Doha, Qatar. The conference is electing the organisation’s leadership team and setting its strategic direction and budget for the next four years.

“I am deeply honoured for the trust ITU Member States have placed in me to serve a second term as Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union. The digital world has changed dramatically in four years, and it will change even faster going forward. Our job is to make sure that change works for everyone, especially the 2 billion who are unconnected. Together, we can make sure the digital future leaves no one behind.”

– Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General, International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

Bogdan-Martin has more than three decades of experience in international telecommunications policy and has held several leadership positions within the ITU. She took office as Secretary-General in 2023 after serving as Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau from 2018 to 2022. She is the first woman to hold both elected positions.

During her first term, the ITU advanced its universal connectivity and sustainable digital transformation objectives amid developments in artificial intelligence, the expansion of space-based telecommunications services and growing demands for stronger digital resilience.

The organisation’s Partner2Connect Digital Coalition also surpassed US$120 billion in commitments to support global connectivity under her leadership. The ITU expanded its engagement base to more than 1,000 companies, universities, research institutes and civil society organisations, alongside its 194 Member States.

The agency also launched a comprehensive transformation programme to modernise its systems and processes and improve organisational effectiveness.

For her second term, Bogdan-Martin has prioritised connecting the two billion people who remain offline and ensuring that emerging technologies, including AI, create opportunities for everyone. Her priorities also include strengthening digital resilience, promoting cybersecurity and expanding digital skills.

Within the ITU, she has pledged to continue the organisation’s transformation to make it more agile, transparent and responsive to its members’ needs.

The Plenipotentiary Conference, the ITU’s highest decision-making body, will also elect the Deputy Secretary-General and directors of its Radiocommunication, Telecommunication Standardization and Telecommunication Development bureaus.

Member States will subsequently elect the 12-member Radio Regulations Board and representatives to the 48-seat ITU Council, which governs the organisation between Plenipotentiary Conferences.

Beyond the leadership elections, PP-26 will determine the ITU’s financial and strategic plans. The conference runs until 27 November at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center in Qatar.