Recent activities

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The ITU Secretary-General, on meeting Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on the sidelines of Digital Bridge 2025 (an international tech forum in Astana), noted the country's impressive digital progress, driven by capacity development in areas from AI to space to cyber. ​

​ITU, Google, and musician, tech founder and philanthropist will.i.am have teamed up to bring AI and robotics training to students across Africa. On unveiling it during the Digital@UNGA Anchor Event at the UN General Assembly, the ITU Secretary-General said: "This initiative will open new doors of opportunity for AI literacy among young people, enabling them to lead the digital transformation that is reshaping how we live, work and communicate."​

​​The Connecting Humanity Action Plan Blueprint published during the Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR-25) estimates total costs of USD 2.6-2.8 trillion to achieve universal, meaningful connectivity. Listen to the ITU Secretary-General's podcast for her key takeaways and recommendations for closing the digital divide.​​

At the Space Security Conference organized by the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), the ITU Secretary-General said: "For ITU, a secure and sustainable space environment is one that is free from harmful radio interference — where the use of radio-frequency spectrum and associated orbits are coordinated, efficient, and equally accessible to all actors."​

​Addressing the United Nations Human Rights Council, the ITU Secretary-General said that digital equality will never be achieved without closing the access gap for women and girls. "Meaningful connectivity for all is our commitment to the Beijing+30 Action Agenda," she said, stressing that the digital revolution must work for all women and girls.​​

The generation who will never know a world without artificial intelligence (AI) has already been born, and the greatest opportunity for AI lies with them, said the ITU Secretary-General at this year's AI for Good Global Summit.  "Let's never stop putting AI at the service of all people and our planet," she added.​​

​The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) has shaped global digital cooperation for the past two decades. The next phase of the WSIS journey must focus on universal and meaningful connectivity, capacity building, digital skills, cybersecurity and strengthened digital cooperation, the ITU Secretary-General said. "The last 20 years laid the foundation. The next 20 must be about action," she added.​​

ITU remains true to its original purpose amid changing times and technologies, the Secretary-General told the annual ITU Council in her State of the Union address. The modern organization is leading the global digital agenda with flagship initiatives such as Partner2Connect and Giga, she added.​​

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The ITU Secretary-General was invited as commencement speaker at the Florimont Institute graduation ceremony in Geneva, Switzerland. "Stay human. Stay connected. And write your own story," she advised the class of 2025. ​​

ITU's history has shaped much of the world we live in today. "Ours is a story of global communication. Our story is also about cooperation. Ours is a story of connection," said Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin on the organization's 160^th anniversary.​​

The cyber resilience needed for development becomes possible through confidence and security, noted the ITU Secretary-General at the opening ceremony of the Global Conference on Cyber Capacity Building (GC3B). "We must rethink strategies, evolve skills, and anticipate risks together to bridge divides and build a more cyber resilient digital future for all," she said.​​

​​At Türkiye's Summit on Artificial Intelligence in Telecommunications, hosted by the Information and Communication Authority in Ankara, the ITU Secretary-General noted that more than technology, the AI revolution is about people. "We'll need all voices at the table, all insights and innovations to ensure our AI-for-good future is within reach for everyone, everywhere," she said​.​

​At the Radiocommunication Advisory Group, held from 14 to 17 April in Geneva, Switzerland, the ITU Secretary-General said that "experts from every corner of the globe have gathered at ITU Headquarters to shape the systems that connect us all." She thanked the advisory group for showing what it means to connect the world with purpose, lead with vision, and act with resolve​.​

​The ITU Secretary-General, delivering a special address at the opening of the 29^th session of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD), held from 7 to 11 April in Geneva, Switzerland, said that technology is not inevitable: "It is the result of the choices we make, and the standards we set. So, let's keep collaborating as we shape a digital future that uplifts, empowers, and connects us all."​​

​​During the inaugural Global AI Summit on Africa, in Kigali, Rwanda, the ITU Secretary-General highlighted the tremendous potential of AI for developing countries to leapfrog barriers and unlock new paths for development. The summit focused on AI and Africa's demographic dividend: Reimagining economic opportunities for Africa's workforce.​

​​​At the Mobile World Congress (MWC25), the ITU Secretary-General delivered keynotes on "Global Tech Governance: Rising to the Challenge'' and on "AI and Innovation for Climate Action." She also took part in discussions on connectivity for refugees, Early Warnings for All, and bridging the digital gender divide.​​

​The recently formed International Advisory Body for Submarine Cable Resilience "will help promote dialogue and collaboration on potential ways and means to improve the resilience of this vital infrastructure," the ITU Secretary-General said. ITU has supported the submarine telecoms industry from the beginning, she added at the key summit on cable resilience.

​​At the United Nations Human Rights Council, the ITU Secretary-General underlined the key role of technology in advancing women's rights and economic empowerment. Parity in Internet use has been achieved in some places and some regions, but the digital gender divide is far from closed, she added during a panel marking 30 years since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. ​

​​​​"In this world of geopolitical challenges, our 160-year history offers a perspective on what is possible when we come together," the ITU Secretary-General told G20 foreign ministers in Johannesburg. ITU experts have supported the G20 task force on AI, data governance and innovation, as well as working groups on the digital economy and disaster risk reduction, she noted.​​

​At a conference co-organized with the Permanent Mission of India in Geneva, the ITU Secretary-General discussed digital public infrastructure (DPI), how to build a citizen-centric system, digital governance, and data standards for AI. With clear vision and strategy, all countries can create conditions to scale up DPI, public-private collaboration, and innovation and investment in the public interest, she said.​​

​The Secretary-General and a team from ITU told WEF participants how investments in digital skills, inclusion and infrastructure can help create a better future for all. Over the course of the week in Davos, Switzerland, she addressed high-level meetings on artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies, cyber risks, open standards for digital wallets, and more. 

​The ITU Secretary-General welcomed Geneva-based United Nations agencies and international organizations to ITU Headquarters to advance ITU contributions and opportunities for collaboration to support for the Pact for the Future and the associated Global Digital Compact endorsed by the UN General Assembly.

​The ITU Secretary-General joined Geneva-area students and mentors for the 15th anniversary celebrations of FerMUN, the Model United Nations at Lycée international de Ferney-Voltaire. Programmes like this are “where policy innovation takes shape and where tomorrow's leaders find ways to ensure tech is a tool for positive change," she said.​

The ITU Secretary-General visited the Vatican and met up with Pope Francis to discuss building a more inclusive, connected and compassionate world where emerging tech and digital innovation bridge divides and serve the common good. ​​

The ITU Secretary-General met up with the World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director Cindy McCain to talk about strengthening ITU and WPF's joint work on emergency communications for humanitarian response and early warnings for all.