October 24 is World Development Information Day
2011-Oct-24 10:18
2024-Sep-12 09:46
October 24 has been declared by the United Nations as World Development Information Day to draw the attention of people worldwide to development problems and the need to strengthen international cooperation to solve them.
In declaring the observance in 1972, the United Nations General Assembly felt that improving the dissemination of information and the mobilization of public opinion, particularly among young people, would lead to greater awareness of the problems of development, thus, promoting efforts in the sphere of international cooperation for development.
On this day, several activities are organized all over the world to focus the attention on the work that the United Nations does, particularly with regard to problems of trade and development.
Many of these are aimed at journalists working for a range of media including television, radio, newspapers, magazines and Internet sites. Direct campaigns are also be organized in some areas.
These may use advertisements in newspapers and on radio and television as well as posters in public places.
In recent years, many events have interpreted the title of the day slightly differently. The events concentrated on the role that modern information technologies, such as Internet and mobile telephones can play in alerting people and finding solutions to problems of trade and development.
One of the specific aims of World Development Information Day is to inform and motivate young people.
On May 17, 1972, the UN Conference on Trade and Development proposed measures for the information dissemination and the mobilization of public opinion relative to trade and development problems.
These became known as resolution 3038 (XXVII), which was passed by the UN General Assembly on December 19, 1972.
This resolution called for introducing World Development Information Day to help draw the attention of people worldwide to development problems.
The event also aims to explain to the general public why it is necessary to strengthen international cooperation in solving these problems. The assembly also decided that the day should coincide with United Nations Day. The World Development Information Day was first held on October 24, 1973. (PNA)