Africa remains in ITU focus – Sec-Gen Zhao

ITRealms:

The newly elected Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Mr. Houlin Zhao has reassured on the Union’s focus on African continent, reports ITRealms.

Mr. Zhao in his initial Tweet Chat with ITRealms said he would like to see the Africa’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry innovate for further development.

He told ITRealms that ITU is strongly committed to stepping up ITU plans from previous strategies by coming up with new ones to engender its #Connect2020 vision,within which Africa remains a focus.

“Africa remains a focus,” he asserted, stressing that ITU is working on future and emerging technology standards so as to encourage the academia, Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) to join hands and bring about new ideas.

ITU, he told ITRealms would take proactive steps to better gender equality, declaring that stakeholders should expect a minimum two (2) women to be on every Statutory Committee.

He pointed out that following success of ITU’s first-ever #GEMtechAwards which took place as part of the activities at the 2014 Plenipotentiary, maintaining that its instructive that ITU establish an annual #GenderEquality prize.

On his plans for the global youth, Mr. Zhao said an exciting part of the Plenipotentiary was the adoption of ITU’s first Resolution on empowering youth through ICTs.

Mr. Zhao emphasised that he had great meeting with Busan Mayor Suh, insisting that ITU is committed to closely develop youth initiatives, just as he urged global participation in the Child Online Protection initiative, for the sake of “our children.”

@Remmy Nweke @ITRealms

#SME #GenderEquality @ITU #Connect2020 #Plenipot14 #Busan #OnlineSafety COP

 

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Houlin Zhao emerges new ITU Secretary-General with 152 votes

… ICANN extends hand of fellowship

Breaking News@ITRealms:

Chinese Houlin Zhao has emerged the newly elected Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), ITRealms authoritatively reports.

Mr. Zhao would take over from Dr. Hamadoun Toure who would be completing his eight-year term in office by January 2015.

ITRealms sources confirmed that Mr. Zhao garnered 152 votes out of the 156 countries accredited for the election.

This came as the leadership of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) under Mr. Fade Chehade as the president and chief executive officer has extended congratulation message to Mr. Zhao on his emergence.

ITRealms gathered that Mr. Zhao was hitherto elected ITU Deputy Secretary General at the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in Antalya, Turkey, in 2006, and re-elected for a second four-year term at the Plenipotentiary Conference in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 2010.

Before becoming Deputy Secretary General, ITRealms learnt, he served as Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Standardization Bureau (TSB) from 1999 to 2006, first elected at the Plenipotentiary Conference in Minneapolis, United States, in 1998, and re-elected at the Plenipotentiary Conference in Marrakesh, Morocco, in 2002.

From 1986 to 1992, Mr Zhao was a senior staff member in what was then the International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee (known under its French acronym CCITT), and from 1993 to 1998 in TSB.

Prior to joining ITU, Mr Zhao served as an engineer in the Design Institute of China’s Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. He contributed seminal articles to a number of prestigious Chinese technical publications, and in 1985 was awarded a prize for his achievements in science and technology within the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.

Born in 1950 in Jiangsu, China, Mr Zhao graduated from Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, and holds a Master of Science degree in Telematics from the University of Essex in the United Kingdom.

Meanwhile, ICANN President has congratulated Mr. Zhao for his election as new Secretary-General of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

“We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Houlin Zhao on his election as the ITU Secretary-General,” Chehadé declared on getting the news of Zhao election.

Also, Chehadé underscored the contributions of Dr. Toure’s towards enhancing lines of communication between ITU and ICANN, which he hope the new Secretary General would sustain.

“We are grateful to Dr. Toure for the bridges he helped build between the ITU and ICANN,” said Chehadé. 

He further described Toure’s effort as interactions built on a foundation of mutual respect and a shared belief that the Internet has an increasingly important role in global socioeconomic development. 

“We are enthused at the prospect of continuing those efforts with Houlin Zhao,” he assured.

 +Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) @NGRCommTech @NgComCommission @ITU

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Pix: Top: Mr. Zhao, new ITU scribe and below is ICANN president.