The UK has announced it will run for a council seat at the UN’s telecoms agency. The UN’s International Telecommunications Union (ITU) allocates global spectrum and satellite orbits, as well as developing technical telecommunication standards.
The UK said it will launch its manifesto later this year, with the election due to take place in the first week of the ITU’s Plenipotentiary Conference at the end of September 2022.
Minister for media and data, John Whittingdale, said, “The UK has been heavily engaged in the work of the ITU since the age of the telegraph, but now we are running for a seat at the council so that we can champion the innovation of tomorrow across the globe and use it to tackle the world’s biggest challenges.
“We share the ITU’s vision of connecting the world, and believe our breadth of expertise in science and technology has much to offer in making this bold ambition a reality.”
The UK has been an active member of the ITU for more than 150 years. The government said the UK’s election for the four-year term on the council would also build on its commitment to encourage the use of technology to address global challenges, increase prosperity in developing countries, and promote collaboration and consensus building.