160th Anniversary of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

A Reflection on Progress

At the center of the second day of the AI for Good Summit, and coinciding with the third day of the WSIS+20 High-Level Event, the International Telecommunication Union celebrated a historic milestone with a gala dinner marking its 160th anniversary since its founding.

The event was attended by prominent figures of the international organization, including Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Deputy Secretary-General Tomas Lamanauskas, and Sulyna Nur Abdulla, Head of the Digital Knowledge Hub Department of the ITU/BDT. Among others, they welcomed the Vatican Delegation led by the President of the Governorate of the Vatican City State, Sr. Raffaella Petrini.

The ITU 160th Anniversary Dinner proved to be much more than a ceremonial celebration. The gathering offered a unique opportunity to reflect on the progress achieved by the organization over more than a century and a half of activity, during which the ITU has led the evolution of global telecommunications.

Special attention was given to the extraordinary results accomplished through the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and the AI for Good platform—initiatives that have demonstrated how technology can be harnessed in the service of sustainable development and the well-being of humanity.