American head of UN tech agency wins second term

​The US head of ​the United Nations telecommunications ‌agency ​resoundingly won a second four-year mandate on Thursday, obtaining a key ‌objective for the Trump administration which is trying to counter China within the global body.

Doreen Bogdan-Martin, who ran unopposed, won ‌the election for Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) - the ‌UN body that sets standards for new technologies - with 164 votes out of 173 votes. "Together, we can make sure the ⁠digital ​future leaves ⁠no one behind," she said at the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in ⁠Doha, Qatar, referring to her objective of connecting the ​2 billion people around the world who remain offline.

The ⁠ITU, one of the oldest UN agencies established in 1865 to ⁠help ​harmonise telegraph services, allocates global radio spectrum and helps set standards for AI and emerging technologies. "US leadership ⁠in UN entities is key to promoting America First principles," ⁠a ⁠State Department spokesperson told Reuters before the vote, naming the re-election of Bogdan-Martin as ‌a key ‌example.