From June 6-16, International Telecommunication Union (ITU) member states will gather in Kigali, Rwanda, for the 2022 ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC). The United States delegation to the Conference will be led by Ambassador Erica Barks-Ruggles, U.S. Senior Representative for 2022 Conferences of the ITU and the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission. Other senior members of the U.S. delegation include Ambassador Lisa Carty, U.S. Representative to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC); U.S. Embassy Kigali Chargé d’Affaires Deb MacLean; National Security Council Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs Curtis Ried; and U.S. industry leaders.
At WTDC, under the theme of “connecting the unconnected to achieve sustainable development,” the United States will highlight its leadership on key information and communications technology issues and will announce a pledge to the ITU’s Partner2Connect (P2C) Digital Coalition – a multi-stakeholder alliance launched by the ITU to focus on closing the digital divide and fostering digital transformation globally. The U.S. pledge will include new resources, partnerships, and commitments to achieve universal and meaningful connectivity in each of the P2C focus areas. Nearly three billion people around the world remain unconnected to the digital economy, with little or no access to education and health benefits and economic opportunities.
During the Conference, the U.S. delegation will host a reception underscoring U.S. support for the candidacy of Doreen Bogdan-Martin for ITU Secretary-General.