Member States of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) today concluded elections for the organization's senior leadership posts with voting for the bureau directors responsible for the three technical areas of ITU's work to connect the world and beyond.
Eric Fournier of France was elected as Director of ITU's Radiocommunication Bureau, Seizo Onoe of Japan was re-elected as Director of ITU's Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, and Nele Leosk of Estonia was elected Director of ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau.
The newly elected Directors form the ITU leadership team together with Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin of the United States and ITU Deputy Secretary-General-elect Adel Darwish of Bahrain, also elected at ITU's Plenipotentiary Conference 2026 (PP-26).
ITU's leaders on radiocommunication, standards and development
As Director-Elect of ITU's Radiocommunication Bureau, Eric Fournier will take over the ITU bureau responsible for maintaining and implementing the Radio Regulations treaty that harmonizes international spectrum use and satellite orbits, and for developing the related technical standards.
Fournier has more than 25 years of technical and regulatory experience in radiocommunications, with expertise spanning spectrum management, satellite coordination and international frequency regulation.
Seizo Onoe was re-elected as Director of ITU's Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, responsible for developing international technical standards through ITU's membership of governments, private companies, and technical experts from around the world.
First elected in 2022, Onoe has more than 40 years of telecommunications industry experience, including senior technology, research and standardization leadership roles.
Nele Leosk was elected Director of ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau, marking the first time in ITU's history that two women will serve concurrently as Elected Officials. She will be responsible for mobilizing global efforts to connect the unconnected through promoting equitable and inclusive digital development, upgrading infrastructure and capacity for developing countries, and initiatives to extend the benefits of technologies to all.
Leosk has more than 25 years of experience in digital governance, digital transformation and technology diplomacy, with work spanning government, international cooperation and digital development initiatives.
Forming ITU governance and regulatory bodies
On Monday, 16 November, ITU Member States will meet to elect the 12-member Radio Regulations Board and the regionally allocated Member State places on the 48-seat ITU Council, which governs ITU between Plenipotentiary Conferences.
All ITU voting is taking place during ITU's Plenipotentiary Conference 2026 (PP-26) in Doha, Qatar.
The Plenipotentiary Conference is ITU's highest decision-making body. In addition to leadership elections, the conference will set ITU's financial and strategic plans. PP-26 takes place through 27 November at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center.
