The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been elected for the fourth consecutive time for the ITU Council membership, representing the Asia and Australia region, indicated by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as Area (E), which has 13 seats in the council, as the UAE received 164 votes.

This announcement has been made after the elections were held during the Plenipotentiary Conference 2018, hosted by the UAE in Dubai between 29 October and 16 November 2018.

In addition to the UAE, the elected countries for Area E included Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Pakistan, the Philippines and Thailand.

The UAE’s fourth term as a member in the ITU Council reflects the UAE’s leading position in the global ICT sector. The UAE has strong reputation in this field and has always been a key supporter of all sustainable development efforts around the world.

The increased number of supporting votes for the UAE reflects the high level of confidence by ITU Member States, which is a result of the UAE great efforts in the telecom sector. This has been clearly demonstrated through the working papers submitted by the UAE, as well as its on-going consultations with all the countries, and its chairmanship of all major ITU events.

In this context, H.E. Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, TRA Director General, said: “The UAE’s election for the ITU Council confirms the UAE’s leading role in shaping the future, and the great trust it has received by other countries. The UAE has become a key player in all international forums and is actively contributing to the development of strategies and plans on which the world of tomorrow will be built. The voting for the UAE has witnessed a steady rise during the successive sessions in which it was elected. The UAE received 164 votes in this session, compared to 120 votes received in the previous session hosted by South Korea, which is a great achievement. The UAE, under the directives of the wise leadership and their efforts, has become a difficult number in all economic, scientific and social fields.”

H.E. Al Mansoori stressed that the UAE’s success in the ITU Council membership will have a positive impact on the global ICT sector. He added: “The UAE is keen to spread security and prosperity among all countries in the world. Over the next four years, the UAE will activate all decisions and proposals adopted by the ITU aimed at achieving sustainable development and reaching a more secure, stable and prosperous word.”

The plenipotentiary conference is held every four years, and gathers Member States under the ITU umbrella. The currently held conference will develop the 2020-2023 Plan related to the latest global developments in ICT.

ITU is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies – ICTs. It allocates global radio spectrum and satellite orbits, develops the technical standards that ensures networks and technologies seamlessly interconnect, and strives to improve access to ICTs to underserved communities worldwide.