Past and Present Senior Officials

​Secretaries-General, 1948 - present

In 1947, ITU became a specialized agency of the United Nations and, in conformity with UN practice, the title of “Director of the Bureau” was changed to “ITU Secretary-General.” Initially appointed by the ITU Administrative Council, the Secretary-General has been elected by each plenipotentiary conference since 1965.  Since 1994, the Secretary-General is elected for a four-year term and may be re-elected for one further term.​​​

Deputy Directors of the Radiocommunication Division, 1918 - 1947

In 1906, the first International Radiotelegraph Conference (Berlin) requested the Bureau of the International Telegraph Union (ITU) to act as the central secretariat for a variety of tasks arising from the new Radiotelegraph Convention. This responsibility was accepted, and a Radiotelegraph Section with a secretary and a clerk was created within the Bureau. By 1918, the growth of the radiotelegraph work prompted the Swiss Federal Council to create the post of Deputy Director for the Radiotelegraph Section (subsequently renamed the Radiocommunication Service in 1934 and then Radiocommunication Division in 1944). The incumbent for this post was appointed by the Swiss government.​

Assistant Secretaries-General, 1947 - 1959

When ITU became a specialized agency of the United Nations in 1947 and the post of “Director of the Bureau” was renamed “ITU Secretary General,” it was decided that both the Deputy Director of the Bureau and the Deputy Director of the Radiocommunication Division would become Assistant Secretaries-General. One A​ssistant Secretary General was in charge of the Telegraph and Telephone Division and one Assistant Secretary-General oversaw the Radio Division. The ITU Administrative Council was responsible for appointing the two Assistant Secretaries-General until 1959.​​

Deputy Secretaries-General, 1959 - present

CCIT – International Telegraph Consultative Committee (1924 - 1956)

Unlike the CCIF, the International Telegraph Consultative Committee (CCIT) did not establish its own secretariat when it was created in 1925. Administrative tasks were entrusted to the ITU Bureau, and organization of meetings was handled by the Administration hosting the meeting. In 1947, the International Telecommunications Conference (Atlantic City) decided that each of the International Consultative Committees for telephone, telegraph and radio (CCIF, CCIT, and CCIR) would have a specialized Secretariat and be headed by a Director appointed by the Committee’s Plenary Assembly. However, the 1949 CCIT Plenary Assembly had difficulties selecting a director, so it was decided that the ITU Assistant Secretary-General in charge of the Telegraph and Telephone Division would assume this responsibility in addition to his regular duties.  This arrangement remained in place until 1956.​

CCITT – International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee (1956 - 1993)

Following the merger of the CCIF and CCIT in 1956, the Director of the new CCITT was elected by the CCITT Plenary Assembly initially for a six-year term and thereafter for three-year terms. From 1989, the Director was elected by the ITU plenipotentiary conference.​​

TSB – Telecommunication Standardization Bureau (1993 - )

Since 1994, the Director of the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau (TSB) is elected by the ITU plenipotentiary conference for a four-year term and may be re-elected for one further term.

BR – Radiocommunica​tions Bureau (1993 - )

Since 1994, the Director of the Radiocommunications Bureau (BR) is elected by the ITU plenipotentiary conference for a four-year term and may be re-elected for one further term.​​