Ghana has successfully retained its seat on the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Council for region D (Africa), collecting 123 votes from the total votes cast, placing six out of the 13 countries elected.
The highly contested election for region D (Africa) involved 19 member states for 13 available seats on the Council.
This follows a week of intense campaigning and lobbying among member states for the coveted Council seats at the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference held in Dubai.
Commenting on the feat, Communications Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful said the re-election will spur Ghana on to achieve more on its digitisation agenda.
“This re-election would also compliment the work of the President in pursuing the Digital Ghana Agenda for a massive transformation of the country’s economy through technology and broadband development, especially, as he is the Co-Chair of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Advocacy Group,” she said.
This is Ghana’s fifth election to the ITU Council giving an indication of its progress in the ICT sector both at the national and international level.
About the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference and the ITU Council
The Plenipotentiary Conference is the highest decision-making body of ITU, the United Nations specialized agency for ICTs. Held every four years, the Conference is the key event at which ITU Member States build consensus on key international ICT issues, elect leaders for the Union’s top posts, and decide on a roadmap for ITU’s work over the next four-year period, including strategic and financial plans.
The ITU is governed by the Plenipotentiary Conference and the Administrative Council. The Plenipotentiary Conference is the supreme organ of the Union. It is the decision making body which determines the direction of the Union and its activities.
The Council, on the other hand, 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.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM
