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MDG s at the core of UNESCO’s

activities

UNESCO’s fields of competence and mid-term strategy respond to the MDGs

WSIS reaffirmed the potential of communication and information in promoting the MDGs

Specific focus of UNESCO’s Communication and Information (CI) programme:

MDG 1:MDG 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hungerMDG 2:MDG 2: Achieve universal primary educationMDG 3, target 18:MDG 3, target 18: Global partnership for development: in cooperation with private sector, make available benefits of ICTs.

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UNESCO and C4D: Building Knowledge Societies

Overarching objective of UNESCO’s communication for development efforts: building open and non-exclusive

« knowledge societies »

Key concepts: plurality, inclusion, solidarity and participation

Key principles: freedom of expression, universal access to information and knowledge, promotion of cultural diversity, equal access to quality education

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Key areas of activity in C4D for achieving the MDGs

1. Promoting freedom of expression and freedom of information

2. Development of free and pluralistic media

3. Promoting people’s participation in development through media

4. Widening access to diverse content

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1. Promoting freedom of expression and access to information

• Assistance to governments in the establishment of legal regulatory frameworks that protect FoE and access to information.

• Help transform State media into editorially independent PSBs. Live-cast of parliamentary debates

• Assistance to media in conflict and post-conflict areas: Afghanistan, Burundi, CAR, DRC, Iraq, Liberia, Nepal, Rwanda, Palestine & South-Eastern Europe

• Research – FoE and Poverty – ICT PR

• Awareness-raising on Freedom of Expression: World Press Freedom Day (3 May) Support to freedom of expression networks and NGOs (IREX, MISA)

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• Journalism training

Enhancing the professional capacity of media training institutions

Fostering centres of excellence, with a focus on Africa

Training of trainers Development of training material

• IPDC

More than 1100 media development projects in 139 countries for a total of US$93 million since its creation in 1980

2. Development of free and pluralistic media

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3. Promoting people’s participation in development through media

•WSIS UNESCO the facilitator for 2 action lines (C8 on cultural diversity and C9 on media) and co-facilitator for 6 out of 11

•ICT-based distance learning partnerships; teacher training; research centres; virtual communities; etc.

•Community radio development voice; ownership and participation; accessible; cost-effective

•CMCs programme 130 CMCs in 25 countries; recognition as an innovation; scale-up initiative in Mali, Mozambique and Senegal

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4. Widening access to diverse content

• National broadcasting services UNESCO/CBA interactive chat-shows on

Education For All UNESCO/BBC Science communication

initiative in 50 countries “You, Me and HIV AIDS” Global Young TV

Producers’ Network on HIV/AIDS

• Facilitating the creation of content: improving endogenous production Help distribute quality audiovisual productions from developing countries – AV platform support to training – (regional broadcast

unions)

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The current inter-agency approach

• WSIS - ITU, UNESCO and UNDP key facilitators in implementing different parts of the Geneva Declaration of Principles and Action Plan, + Tunis Agenda

• UNDP/UNESCO/UNICEF: Supporting the development of a community radio policy in India

• UNESCO/UNDP collaboration:

CMC scale-up project in Mali, Mozambique and Senegalin-country efforts to promote freedom of information legislation

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The current inter-agency approach #2

• UNESCO/UNDP collaboration (continued):

joint efforts for World Press Freedom Day 2006: Capacity-building workshops for journalists

parliamentary broadcasting in Afghanistan

multi-country research on the impact of ICTs on poverty (with the collaboration of other agencies)

• Collaboration with various UN agencies in assistance to media in post-conflict countries

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Proposals for further inter-agency collaboration:

Agree on an action plan based on UNESCO/UNDP background papers

Ensure impact of the Round Table at higher UN level and make inter-agency collaboration in the field of C4D a priority issue in the UN system

Set up an inter-agency technical group on C4D

Introduce C4D as a required element of UN and other project formats (WB/LOGFRAME).

Begin by focusing on the 8 « One UN » countries or the 14 UNDAF countries

Create a field network strategy with increased cooperation among each agencies' respective field offices, particularly in these countries