September 30, 2022 Statement of the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications on Election Result of Director of the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau of International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

On September 30 (local time), the election for the next Director of the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau was held in Bucharest, Romania, and Mr. ONOE Seizo, a Japanese candidate, currently serving as the CSSO (Chief Standardization Strategy Officer) of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, was elected.

A Japanese national again assumes the executive post of an international organization in the area of information and communications/postal service, following Mr. METOKI Masahiko assuming the post of the Director General of the International Bureau of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in January this year.

The Telecommunication Standardization Bureau of ITU is increasing its importance more than ever as an international organization responsible for the standardization in the area of communication networks, with the technological innovation of mobile communication networks such as 5G and Beyond 5G (6G) proceeding at a rapid pace. Mr. ONOE has been taking lead roles both in the areas of standardization and technology development in an organization in the industry of mobile communication systems, as well as exercising management skills at DOCOMO Technology, Inc., serving as the President and CEO from 2017 to 2021. We believe that it will greatly serve Japan’s national interest that such an experienced person assumes an initiative role in the formulation of rules in terms of the standardization in the area of communication networks.

Japan and the ITU have had a longstanding cooperative relationship, since Japan joined the International Telegraph Union, ITU's predecessor organization, in 1879. MIC will further deepen this cooperative relationship with the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau of ITU, which Mr. ONOE will lead, to contribute to the development of international telecommunications.