Australian Delegation Arrives at International Telecommunication Union Conference

Australia’s delegation to the 2022 International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference has arrived in Bucharest, Romania. 

The Plenipotentiary Conference is the ITU’s top policy-making body, and meets every four years to set the future strategic priorities and trajectory of the Union.

During the Plenipotentiary Conference, Australia is seeking re-election to Union’s governing Council, where we have served as an active Council member since 1959.

Leading Australia’s high-level delegation to this important global event is Senator Karen Grogan, Senator for South Australia, and Chair of the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee. 

It is vital that Australia’s voice is heard at the Plenipotentiary Conference where a range of issues important to our national and economic interests will be discussed. These issues include rules governing global cooperation on satellite orbits, the future governance of the internet and how to extend internet coverage to the estimated 37 per cent of the global population which is still offline.

Australia has a strong history of working collaboratively in the Union to improve global connectivity and is a top-10 financial contributor to the Union, having joined the Union in 1878.

Elections for the ITU Council will be held in coming days. The Plenipotentiary Conference will run from 26 September to 14 October, at the Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest.