​At the opening of ITU's annual Telecommunication Standardization Advisory Group meeting, the Secretary-General noted the key role of standards in global governance discussions, underlining the importance of the upcoming World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-24)​.​

​At the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in New York, the ITU Secretary-General noted the need for digital inclusion and innovation to put the Sustainable Development Goals back on track, adding in her statement that future generations deserve more than 17 per cent of a sustainable future. ​​

​Meaningful connectivity goes beyond infrastructure that connects schools and people to the Internet. It's also about being able to afford devices and data packages, having the skills to use tech in a beneficial way, and feeling safe online, said the ITU Secretary-General during the Giga Connectivity Forum at ITU headquarters from 8 to 10 July.​​

​​​The ITU Secretary-General thanked Uganda for hosting this year's Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR-24) in Kampala - at the heart of “the Pearl of Africa." Africans are taking full ownership of their digital future, she said in her opening remarks.​​

​​​​ITU and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) aim to strengthen their collaboration on smart industry and sustainable development. ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan Martin and UNIDO Director General Gerd Müller signed a Joint Declaration reinforcing the link between universal, meaningful connectivity and the new industrial revolution, particularly in relation to Sustainable Development Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.​​