Busan to grant honorary citizenship to new ITU chief

The Busan Metropolitan Government said Monday it would grant honorary citizenship to secretary-general-elect Zhao Houlin of the International Telecommunications Union.

“Zhao has contributed to narrowing the digital divide in developing countries and has promoted international cooperation in the ICT sector,” a city official said.

Busan is currently hosting the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, which continues until Friday.

Zhao Houlin

The 64-year-old was named as the new head of the ITU, becoming the first Chinese to head the U.N. organization that handles information and communication matters. His four-year term starts in 2015.

On the sidelines of the conference, members agreed to actively use information, communication and technology tools to fight the spread of Ebola and provide support to disease-stricken African countries, especially in rural areas.

At Monday’s meeting, Sierra Leone urged member countries to support its resolution calling for wider collaboration with all relevant parties, including all U.N. agencies, and particularly the World Health Organization, within the scope and mandates of the ITU.

(From news reports)