GENEVA, 17th May, 2025 (WAM) – The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin said this year's World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) holds special significance with the 160th anniversary of the International Telecommunication Union. The day has been celebrated annually on 17 May since 1969, marking the founding of ITU and the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention in 1865.
‘’Since 1865, ITU has helped shape every major advance in communication: from the telegraph to the telephone, from satellites to the mobile phone, and from the Internet to artificial intelligence and more. We have seen a great deal of progress in sixteen decades with more people connected than ever before, yet one-third of humanity remains offline,'' said Doreen Bogdan-Martin in a statement on the day.
World Telecommunication and Information Society Day is a moment to reflect on the work still ahead, he stated. This year – and every year – we need to ensure that everyone, especially women and girls, benefits fully from the opportunities brought by technology.
‘’I thank ITU's 194 Member States and over 1,000 organisations from the private sector, academia, the technical community that work every day to ensure that the technologies shaping our shared digital future serve everyone, everywhere.''
World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) 2025 highlights the pressing need to advance digital gender equality, so that women and girls everywhere can also benefit from and contribute to digital transformation.