ITU PP-26, Doha: Bahrain’s Adel Darwish elected ITU Deputy Secretary-General

By:   Nana Appiah Acquaye

Member States of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) have elected Bahrain’s Adel Darwish as the organisation’s next Deputy Secretary-General following the final round of voting at the 2026 ITU Plenipotentiary Conference.

Darwish secured 90 votes against 85 votes for his challenger, Stephen Bereaux of the Bahamas, in the third and final round of the election.

A total of 175 Member States were present and voted, with 88 votes required to secure a majority.

His election makes Darwish the Deputy Secretary-General-elect of the ITU, the United Nations specialised agency responsible for telecommunications and information and communication technologies.

The election took place during the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, where Member States are electing the organisation’s leadership and setting its strategic direction for the coming years.