Rwanda was on October 3, re-elected for the fourth time, as Council member of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). ITU is a United Nations specialised agency that oversees global telecommunication operations. Rwanda will serve on the Council again from 2023-2026. The election of Rwanda and other countries into different regional groups that constitute ITU Council was the highpoint of the Plenipotentiary Conference 2022 (PP-22) ongoing in Bucharest, Romania. Speaking to local media after Rwanda’s re-election, the Minister for ICT, Paula Ingabire, spoke of the significance of Rwanda being re-elected saying that, Rwanda’s contribution to global technology advancement and what Rwanda has achieved since the previous elections in 2018 in Dubai, partly contributed to the current re-election. “We have put in place several policies facilitating technological advancement and in this new term, we intend to continue contributing to global advancement of technology and we enhance rollout of use of technology locally to reach all Rwanda,” said Ingabire, adding that, “It is also an opportunity for Rwanda to learn from other countries.” During the Plenipotentiary Conference, 17 countries were vying for 13 seats allocated to Africa. There were 182 countries voting. Rwanda garnered 131 votes. The seats in ITU Council are divided into five regions; A to E. Rwanda was elected into the ITU Council Region D for Africa, which has 13 seats. Other 12 countries elected alongside Rwanda are Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, and Uganda. “The pandemic proved the importance of technology and we are now aspiring for a wider rollout of technology but also on a global arena, countries are working together to continuously enhance how far technology reaches, and it’s what we have on our agenda in the next four years of our mandate as Rwanda at the ITU,” said Ingabire. ITU, originally established in 1865 as the International Telegraph Union and became a United Nations specialised agency in 1947, was set up to coordinate telecommunications operations and services throughout the world. Rwanda was first elected at the ITU council in 2010, re-elected in 2014 and in 2018. 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. The ITU Council also prepares a report on the policy and strategic planning of the ITU, and it is responsible for ensuring the smooth day-to-day running of the Union, coordinating work programmes, approving budgets, and controlling finances and expenditure. The Council also takes all steps to facilitate the implementation of the provisions of the ITU Constitution, the ITU Convention, Administrative Regulations, the decisions of Plenipotentiary Conferences, and where appropriate, the decisions of other conferences and meetings of the Union.
