International Telecommunication Union

"ITU" redirects here. For other uses, see ITU (disambiguation).

International Telecommunication Union
AbbreviationITU
Formation17 May 1865; 159 years ago (1865-05-17)
TypeUnited Nations specialized agency
HeadquartersGeneva, Switzerland
Secretary-general
Doreen Bogdan-Martin
Deputy secretary general
Tomas Lamanauskas
Parent organization
United Nations Economic and Social Council
Websitewww.itu.int Edit this at Wikidata

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU)[Note 1] is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for many matters related to information and communication technologies.[1] It was established on 17 May 1865 as the International Telegraph Union, significantly predating the UN and making it the oldest UN agency.[2] Doreen Bogdan-Martin is the Secretary-General of ITU, the first woman to serve as its head.

The ITU was initially aimed at helping connect telegraphic networks between countries, with its mandate consistently broadening with the advent of new communications technologies; it adopted its current name in 1932 to reflect its expanded responsibilities over radio and the telephone.[3] On 15 November 1947, the ITU entered into an agreement with the newly created United Nations to become a specialized agency within the UN system, which formally entered into force on 1 January 1949.[4]

The ITU promotes the shared global use of the radio spectrum, facilitates international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, assists in developing and coordinating worldwide technical standards, and works to improve telecommunication infrastructure in the developing world. It is also active in the areas of broadband Internet, optical communications (including optical fiber technologies), wireless technologies, aeronautical and maritime navigation, radio astronomy, satellite-based meteorology, TV broadcasting, amateur radio, and next-generation networks.

Based in Geneva, Switzerland, the ITU's global membership includes 194 countries and around 900 businesses, academic institutions, and international and regional organizations.[5]

International Telecommunication Union (ITU) headquarters campus buildings
ITU HQ background Palais des Nations


Cite error: There are <ref group=Note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=Note}} template (see the help page).

  1. ^ International Telecommunication Union
  2. ^ "As International Telecommunication Union turns 150, Ban hails 'resilience' of oldest UN agency". United Nations. 17 May 2015. Archived from the original on 10 December 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  3. ^ Codding, George A.; Rutkowski, Anthony M. (1982). The International Telecommunication Union in a Changing World. Dedham, MA: Artech House, Inc. p. 18. ISBN 0-89006-113-0.
  4. ^ "Overview of ITU's History (3)". itu.int. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  5. ^ "About ITU". itu.int. Retrieved 5 October 2024.