International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Council 2023

11 Jul 2023 - 21 Jul 2023

Geneva, Switzerland

Event update

Consisting of 48 member states, the ITU Council performs as the governing body between plenipotentiary conferences. During the council meetings, involved parties discuss general telecommunications policy issues and affirm ITU’s strategic plans. Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin highlighted two primary goals for ITU moving forward: universal connectivity and sustainable digital transformation. The council highlighted its active collaboration with other UN agencies given the growing interest in digital themes within the UN ecosystem, such as increased mentions of digital issues in the agendas of the upcoming 2023 SDG Summit and the 2024 Summit of the Future. The ITU Council has made available all the adopted resolutions and decisions and summary reports this year. 

The 2023 Council will host additional sessions from 19 to 20 October this year, immediately following a cluster of council and expert groups from 9 to 18 October.

Event announcement

The 2023 session of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Council will be held between 11 and 21 July in Geneva, Switzerland and online. On 11 July, a High-Level Segment will be held on the theme ‘Creating a fit for the future ITU’.

Some of the issues on the Council’s agenda include:

  • Report on the implementation of the strategic plan and the activities of the Union from July 2022 to April 2023;
  • Accelerating the implementation of the ITU Strategic Plan 2024-2027;
  • Strategy for the coordination of efforts among the three Sectors of the Union;
  • Collaboration with the UN system as well as other international intergovernmental processes including on standard-development;
  • ITU’s role in the implementation of the “space 2030” agenda: Space as a driver of sustainable development, and its follow-up and review process;
  • Report on ITU’s role in implementing the outcomes of WSIS and the 2030 agenda for sustainable development as well as in their follow-up and review processes;
  • Periodic review of the International Telecommunication Regulations;
  • Appointment of the Chairmen and the Vice-Chairmen of the Council Working Groups and Expert Groups for the 2023-2026 period/cycle.

The ITU Council acts as the Union’s governing body in the interval between plenipotentiary conferences. It considers broad telecommunication policy issues and is tasked with ensuring that the Union’s strategy responds to changes in the telecommunication environment. The Council is composed of 48 ITU member states: 9 for the Americas, 8 for Western Europe, 5 for Eastern Europe and Nothern Asia, 13 for Africa; and 13 for Asia and Australasia.