United Nations Roundtable on Communication for Development

Under the theme Communication for Sustainable Development, FAO hosted the 9th UN Roundtable on Communication for Development from 6 to 9 September 2004, in Rome, Italy, to examine, discuss and assess current trends in this area.

The 9th UN Roundtable on Communication for Development brought together UN agencies, bilateral and multilateral donors, foundations, NGOs, scholars and development communication experts from around the world. The Roundtable provided strategic direction and input for development communication programmes. This year, the main topics discussed included communication and natural resource management, communication in research, extension and education, and communication for isolated and marginalized groups. Nine UN agencies - FAO, IFAD, UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO, UNICEF, WFP, WHO and the World Bank - participated in this Roundtable.

The UN System Network also presented a synthesis of its activities to the plenary of the 150 participants of the roundtable. The Secretariat held further discussions with several representatives of participating UN agencies.

During the closing ceremony of the event, the Ninth Roundtable on Communication for Development called for:

• scaling up of communication for development initiatives;
• adequate policies and resources regarding communication for development;
• government implementation of a legal and supportive framework to support the right of free expression and the emergence of free and pluralistic information systems;
• increased research that addresses how to achieve and sustain the process and outcomes of communication for development;
• inclusion of communication needs assessments within the evaluation and impact assessments;
• training on collaborative learning in participatory communication for development and fostering a community of practices across the regions;
• building alliances;
• development of information and consultation mechanisms among UN agencies and other stakeholders at international level to ensure coordinated action.

To read the press release published by FAO, please click here

To read the background papers discussed upon during the Roundtable, please click here