[FoME] UN Strategy on Communication for Development and MDGs

[Christoph Dietz]

1. Publikation "Harnessing Communication to Achieve the Millennium
Development Goals"

Unter diesem Titel haben UNESCO und UNDP sog. Background Papers zur
Vorbereitung des "10th UN Inter-Agency Round Table on Communication for
Development" vorgelegt. Darin schlagen beide UN-Organisationen "a common
UN Communication for Development approach and strategy" vor. Download
unter:
http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/files/23958/11703242381UNESCO-UNDP_background_paper_final.pdf/UNESCO-UNDP_background_paper_final.pdf



2. Von der UNESCO-Website:

The 10th UN Inter-Agency Round Table calls for a common strategy in
Communication for Development
19-02-2007 (Paris) 

Around forty representatives from sixteen UN agencies, the World Bank,
OECD/DAC as well as a dozen selected communication experts and
practitioners took part in the 10th UN Inter-Agency Round Table on
Communication for Development hosted by UNESCO in Addis Ababa from 12-14
February 2007.  Participants from UN agencies agreed on the actions
necessary for the implementation of a common UN Communication for
Development approach and strategy.

 The theme of the round table was “Towards a Common UN System
Approach for Harnessing Communication for Development to Achieve the
Millennium Development Goals”. The participants agreed that the
commitments encompassed in the eight Millennium Development Goals
require communication systems and processes that enable dialogue and
allow communities to speak out, express their aspirations and concerns,
and participate in the decisions that relate to their development. 

The key outcome of the meeting is a resolution which is to be
transmitted to the UN System Chief Executives Board for discussions and
decisions. The resolution requests, among others, the establishment of
an Inter-Agency Working Group for promoting and enhancing Communication
for Development within the United Nations System; the integration of
Communication for Development principles and methodologies into
programme planning, execution, monitoring and evaluation, and their
incorporation into CCA/UNDAF guidelines; and the engagement of greater
coherence and coordination of Communication for Development at the
country level.

Opening the round table, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for
Communication and Information Mr. Abdul Waheed Khan said that “we need
to establish a common strategy to assist Member States to integrate
communication for development as a key component of development
planning. Previous round tables have consistently observed that there is
an inadequate focus on communication for development in development
planning. If there was any, it was usually limited to mere publicity for
the plans and failed to recognize the importance of sharing knowledge
with the purpose of reaching consensus on development planning,
implementation and evaluation.”

During the Round Table, participants had the opportunity to showcase
best practices of inter-agency collaboration, exchange views on the
challenges and opportunities existing at both country and headquarters
level, and listen to suggestions from invited experts on the kinds of
strategies they might develop to fast track the development process.   


A UNESCO-BBC World Service Trust Special Panel on ‘Voice and
Accountability - Media and Opening of the Political Space’ was
organized on the last day of the meeting and was attended by media
professionals, round table participants and representatives of from
Ethiopian parliamentarians.  The meeting was inaugurated by Ethiopia’s
State Minister in charge of Education Mr Faud Ibrahim        

http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=24131&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html