Ms. Vanessa Gray is the Head of the Division for Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Emergency Telecommunications within the ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT). In this position, she is responsible for studying the ICT needs of LDCs, Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and SIDS, developing specific programs of assistance tailored to address the particular vulnerabilities of these countries, and identifying ICT for development opportunities. Ms Gray coordinates the Telecommunication Development Bureau’s work in the area of Emergency Telecommunications, to develop ICT projects and provide assistance for disaster prevention, preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery. She is also responsible for the BDT’s work on e-waste and climate change adaptation.

Prior to this position, Ms Gray was a Senior ICT Analyst in the BDT’s ICT Data and Statistics Division and contributed to the design and preparation of the Division’s analytical publications, including the Measuring the Information Society Report (MISR). She also contributed to and coordinated the analysis of information society developments, organized ICT-related meetings, and delivered national and regional trainings and workshops on ICT statistics to ITU member states. Ms Gray was the ITU focal point for the Inter-agency and Expert Group (IAEG) on MDG/SDG Indicators and provided advice on the work on monitoring the MDGs and SDGs in the area of ICTs. Ms Gray holds a Master’s degree in Political Science and Economics from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland.