What you need to know about PP-26

The Plenipotentiary Conference is the principal governing body of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). It serves as the authoritative decision-making mechanism on the organization's strategic and financial plans, leadership, and overall direction.

Held every four years, the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference (known also as “Plenipot" or “PP") affirms common positions among ITU's Member States worldwide.

When ITU Member States meet in Doha, Qatar, for PP-26 between 9 and 27 November 2026, they will elect the organization's top management team as well as members of the ITU Council and Radio Regulations Board. Member States will also agree on the organization's strategic and financial roadmap for 2028 to 2031.

ITU has a diverse global membership of 194 Member States and over 1,000 Sector Members, comprising private companies, universities, institutes, and other regional and international organizations.

ITU works for its membership to ensure the coordination and harmonization of radio frequencies and satellite orbits, develop telecommunication standards, and promote worldwide telecommunication development.

Given the Plenipotentiary Conference's status as an international treaty conference, it considers and may amend the organization's basic texts – such as the ITU Constitution and Convention, General Rules of Conferences, Assemblies and Meetings of the Union as well as the Optional Protocol on the Compulsory Settlement of Disputes– to better serve ITU's global membership.

Selecting ITU's leadership

At PP-26, ITU's Member States will elect for the 2027-2030 term:

• ITU's top management team, consisting of the Secretary-General, Deputy Secretary-General, and Directors of the Radiocommunication, Telecommunication Standardization and Telecommunication Development bureaux.
• The 48 Member States to sit on the next ITU Council, the organization's governing body during the four-year period between Plenipotentiary Conferences.
• The 12 members of the Radio Regulation Board, which meets up to four times a year to guide the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau in applying the ITU Radio Regulations, registering Member State frequency assignments, and addressing unresolved cases of harmful interference.

What happens in between Plenipotentiary Conferences

The ITU Council guides ITU's work in the years between Plenipotentiary Conferences. Council delegates meet annually to ensure adherence to the approved strategic and financial plans. The Council also helps implement decisions and resolutions from Plenipotentiary Conferences and other ITU meetings. It also supports the implementation of provisions of the ITU Constitution and Convention and key administrative regulations – namely, the International Telecommunications Regulations and the Radio Regulations. The Council establishes specialized working groups to deal with specific issues as needed.

Last update: November 2025