The government of Rwanda has announced its bid for re-election to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Council for the 2027-2030 term. ALSO READ: Rwanda re-elected member of ITU Council The ITU Council serves as the union’s governing body between plenipotentiary conferences, ensuring that its activities and strategies respond to evolving global telecommunication needs. It is composed of 48 elected Member States and is responsible for approving budgets, controlling finances, and overseeing the Union’s work. Rwanda’s candidacy was announced on Monday, May 4, during the ITU Council session in Geneva by Urujeni Bakuramutsa, the country’s ambassador to Switzerland and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in European country. ALSO READ: Kagame meets with ITU boss, UN envoy on digital technologies The country is seeking a fifth consecutive mandate, having served on the Council since 2010, including the current term running from 2023 to 2026. “On behalf of the Government of Rwanda, I am pleased to inform you that Rwanda is presenting its candidature for re-election to the ITU Council for the period 2027-2030. We respectfully seek your support,” Bakuramutsa said. “Since 2010, Rwanda has been honored to serve as a Member of the ITU Council, representing Region D (Africa). Our engagement has been guided by the desire to ensure that every person in the world is connected, in line with the vision of the Union,” she said. ALSO READ: Kagame ITU award testimony of visionary leadership Bakuramutsa added that Rwanda has contributed to discussions on meaningful connectivity, spectrum management, digital policy, and artificial intelligence, while advocating for developing countries. “We have consistently advocated for the priorities of developing countries, supporting initiatives that expand affordable access, foster innovation, and bridge the digital divide, ensuring that no one is left behind,” she said. She further noted that Rwanda remains actively engaged in key ITU initiatives, including contributing to the World Summit on the Information Society Fund-in-Trust since 2013 and co-chairing the Broadband Commission. ALSO READ: His Excellency Paul, President Kagame’s remarks at the ITU 2008 council session, high level segment, 12 November, 2008 At the regional level, she added, Rwanda promotes digital transformation through initiatives such as the Smart Africa Alliance, headquartered in Kigali. Bakuramutsa also highlighted the country’s growing role as a hub for digital innovation, noting that the country hosts platforms such as the Mobile World Congress Kigali and the inaugural Global AI Summit on Africa held in 2025. She added that it’s advancing initiatives including a national data-sharing platform, a cybersecurity hub, e-government services, and an AI scaling hub to support sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, and education. ALSO READ: What to know about Rwanda’s globally recognized Digital Ambassadors Program She further pointed out that Rwanda has hosted major ITU events, including the World Telecommunication Development Conference in 2022, the Partner2Connect Digital Development Roundtable, and the Generation Connect Global Youth Summit, which contributed to global commitments on expanding connectivity. “Rwanda remains committed to strengthening its contribution to the global ICT agenda and to working closely with all Member States to harness the power of digital technologies to transform lives and economies,” she said. If re-elected, she said Rwanda will continue to advance priorities including digital public infrastructure, artificial intelligence, digital inclusion, innovation, and the space economy. ALSO READ: Inside Rwanda’s plan to fast-track digital transformation by 2026 ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin commended Rwanda’s leadership in digital development, highlighting its progress across several areas of innovation and connectivity. “Your digital leadership extends to connecting schools to outer space, to the launch of the RwandaSAT-1 in 2019, to tackling e-waste, where Rwanda is one of 13 African countries with specific national e-waste legislation,” she said. She also pointed to Rwanda’s early adoption of artificial intelligence strategies aimed at expanding digital literacy nationwide. “Rwanda was also one of the first African countries with a comprehensive National AI strategy, an initiative that aims to bring AI literacy to every single classroom across Rwanda,” she said. ALSO READ: How Rwanda’s digital hub project could boost tech startups Bogdan-Martin further praised Rwanda’s contribution to global digital development efforts and leadership in advancing connectivity goals. “Rwanda is actually showing time and time again what is possible when we work together through our collective digital development goals,” she said. “We are grateful for the strong leadership that His Excellency President Kagame has played in the Broadband Commission for Digital Development... and we appreciate his global pushes and global advocacy to bring digital development to the top of all national agendas.”
