December 12, 2019 Masanori Kondo’s Candidacy for Secretary-General of APT

Ms. Yukari Sato, State Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications officially stated at the 43rd Session of the Management Committee of the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT) (being held in Bangkok, Thailand, from December 10 through 13, 2019) on December 11 (local time) that the Japanese government would support Mr. Masanori Kondo, Deputy Secretary-General of the APT, for the election of the next Secretary-General of the APT.

1. APT overview

The APT is an Asian regional institution aiming at the balanced development of telecommunications and information infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific region, through training and seminars to develop human resources and standardize and coordinate regional policies, such as those of wireless communications.

2. Candidate

Mr. Kondo participated in various international conferences, including those of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the Universal Postal Union (UPU), and the APT, for the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), and contributed widely to the activities of international organizations while building global connections. He was elected Deputy Secretary-General of the APT for the first time in 2014 and is currently in his second term.
Mr. Kondo has been highly evaluated by member states as the substantial person in charge of the administration and management of the APT, coordination of opinions with member states, and development of ICT throughout the region while supporting the current Secretary-General. MIC considers that he is the best candidate for the next APT Secretary-General.

3. Election announcement

The formal announcement of this election will take place by May 2020, and voting will take place at the 15th General Assembly of the APT, which will be held in the fourth quarter of 2020. Japan will work to gain the support of each country with the aim of his win in the election.