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WORLD NEWS Friday 30 September 2022

U.S. candidate to lead UN telecoms agency after U.S.-Russia race

By STEPHEN McGRATH and Ismailov, 57, is a former
JAMEY KEATEN deputy telecommunica-
Associated Press tions minister in Russia and
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) a former executive in tele-
— Doreen Bogdan-Martin com companies such as Er-
of the United States was iksson, Nokia and Huawei.
elected Thursday to head Before Thursday’s vote,
the U.N.’s telecommuni- both candidates touted
cations agency, winning expanding connectivity to
a U.S.-Russia face-off for the internet and the ben-
the leadership of a global efits of information and
agency that sets guide- communication technol-
posts for radio, internet, sat- ogy, or ICT, to roughly half
ellite and television com- the world that still has no
munications. access.
Envoys from the 193 mem- U.S. Secretary of State
ber states of the Geneva- Antony Blinken, alluding to
based International Tele- the Biden administration’s
communications Union se- support for Bodgan-Martin,
lected Bogdan-Martin over hailed a broad internation-
lone rival Rashid Ismailov al endorsement of her vision
of Russia, ending a con- for “universal connectivity,
test that was largely over- digital empowerment, and
shadowed by geopolitics in Doreen Bogdan-Martin of the United States, candidate for secretary general, smiles during the leadership at the ITU that is
the wake of Russia’s war in opening session of The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialized innovative, collaborative,
Ukraine. agency for information and communication technologies, in Bucharest, Romania, Monday, Sept. and inclusive.”
Members of the agency’s 26, 2022. “We have made clear
policy-making body meet- Associated Press since the earliest days of
ing in Romania’s capital begin her four-year term in Bucharest after her elec- inspiration for other women the administration that
voted 139-25 with a num- as ITU secretary-general on tion, Bogdan-Martin de- to follow,” she said. “We American leadership in
ber of abstentions in favor Jan. 1, is a 29-year ITU veter- scribed the leadership po- need to deliver affordable, multilateral venues, includ-
of naming the first woman an and the current director sition as “an immensely im- trusted, and meaningful ing the United Nations, is
as ITU secretary-general of its telecommunication portant position” and said connectivity to all. Univer- crucial to ensuring the in-
and the first American to development bureau. Her it will be an “honor for me sal connectivity has been ternational community is
hold the post since the career began in the U.S. and my country” to lead a dream for far too many best positioned to address
1960s. Commerce Department. the organization. years let’s unite and make our shared challenges,”
Bogdan-Martin, who will Speaking in the plenary hall “I hope this day will be an it real.” Blinken said.q

Report: 200 environmental activists killed globally in 2021

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Some its report a baseline, noting of his home and driven him when 100 heavily armed mountain gorillas, but
200 environmental and “Our data on killings is likely away in his own vehicle. men, presumed to be for- armed groups such as the
land defense activists were to be an underestimate, In April 2021, Sandra Liliana mer members of the M23 Democratic Forces for
killed around the world in given that many murders Peña Chocué, an Indige- rebel group, attacked a the Liberation of Rwanda,
2021, including some 54 in go unreported, particularly nous governor in southwest patrol post near the village known by its French acro-
Mexico, which assumed in rural areas and in partic- Colombia, who had fought of Bukima in Congo’s North nym FDLR, the Mai-Mai and
the position of the deadli- ular countries.” for the eradication of coca Kivu Province. the M23 regularly vie for
est country in the annual The victims died fighting crops in Caldono, Cauca Virunga Park is home to control of eastern Congo’s
report by nongovernmen- resource exploitation and was killed near her home some of the world’s last natural resources.q
tal organization Global Wit- in land disputes. Conflicts by armed men. Her murder
ness. over mining were tied to was condemned by the
More than three-quarters 27 deaths worldwide, the United Nations, nongovern-
of the killings took place in most for any sector. mental organizations and
Latin America, where Co- Fifteen of those mining-re- foreign governments.
lombia, Brazil and Nicara- lated killings were in Mex- Overall, killings of environ-
gua also logged double- ico. In the western Mexico mental activists in Colom-
digit death tolls. state of Jalisco, José Santos bia dropped in 2021 to 33
It was the third consecu- Isaac Chávez was killed in from 65 the year before.
tive year of increases for April 2021. He was running The Philippines saw fewer
Mexico and a jump from 30 for local office and had such killings in 2021 too, 19
such activists killed in 2020. made opposition to a long- compared to 30 in 2020.
“Most of these crimes hap- running mine a central part In the Democratic Republic
pen in places that are far of his campaign. Days be- of Congo, all eight record-
away from power and fore the election, he was ed victims were killed inside
are inflicted on those with, found dead in his car, Virunga National Park.
in many ways, the least which had been driven off In November, conservation A Yaqui Indigenous wears a bandana over his mouth as
amount of power,” the re- a cliff and his body showed park ranger Chief Brigadier he walks through dust past the cemetery where slain water-
defense leader Tomás Rojo is buried in Potam, Mexico, Tuesday,
port said. evidence of torture. Armed Etienne Mutazimiza Kan- Sept. 27, 2022.
Global Witness considers men had dragged him out yaruchinya, 48, was killed Associated Press