India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is among more than 30 organisations from across the world that have come together to form a global media compact aimed at advancing awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The SDG Media Compact is an initiative marking a new drive to advance awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that were unanimously adopted by all world leaders at the United Nations in 2015. The Compact seeks to inspire media and entertainment companies around the world to leverage their resources and creative talent to advance the Goals.
India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is among more than 30 founding compact members.
Speaking at the launch here on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on behalf of the founding media organisations that encompassing more than 100 media and entertainment outlets, Channels Media Group-Nigeria Chairwoman Olusola Momoh said the SDG Media Compact is an alliance of news and entertainment media and it is committing to work with the United Nations to foster public discourse and spur action on the Sustainable Development Goals.
"We will increase our content on the issues spelled out in the 2030 Agenda and discuss solutions. Where necessary, we will hold Governments to account for the bold promise they have made to their people and to the world," Momoh said as she introduced the Compact to UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
Collectively, the founding members of the SDG Media Compact already comprise an audience in the billions spanning over 80 countries on four continents and many more companies are expected to join. “Together, we commit to playing our part to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals,” she added.
"Achieving the Goals by 2030 will require concerted actions by everyone. By telling stories, news and entertainment media have a critical role in multiplying messages and propagating new ways of behaving,” Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications Alison Smale said at the launch event. “As major players in fostering the SDG discourse, they are also key in holding governments accountable."
The SDG Media Compact is inclusive and aims to embrace media companies from all regions and all platforms. Participating organizations will have the opportunity to create content partnerships with the United Nations, whereby the organization will increase its efforts to source and share high-value media content and newsworthy opportunities relating to the SDGs. Regular monitoring and review meetings will gauge engagement. The Compact is an initiative of the United Nations, in collaboration with the UN Foundation.
The founding Compact members include Al Jadeed TV-Lebanon, Asahi-Shimbun-Japan, Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcast Development, Association of Commerical TV in Europe, China Media Group, Daily Star Newspaper-Lebanon, Daily Tribune-Philippines, Deutsche Welle-Germany, Kathimerini-Greece, LBCI TV-Lebanon, Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun-Japan, Tass-Russia, This Day-Nigeria, TVC-Communications-Nigeria, TV-BRICS-Russia and VDL Radio-Lebanon.
