By a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly, the world annually observes World Development Information Day on 24 October.
In a statement, His Excellency Ambassador Ahmed Rashid Khattabi, Assistant Secretary-General and head of the Media and Communication Sector, noted that the commemoration of this day coincided with the launch of the Second International Development Strategy for the United Nations Development Decade in 1972. He affirmed that the League of Arab States has placed sustainable development at the core of the joint Arab action agenda, within the mandates of its specialised ministerial councils and bodies, as well as through the work of the Department of Sustainable Development and International Cooperation at the General Secretariat.
The Ambassador stated that this orientation has been further reinforced on the media front through the preparation of the Arab Media Map for Sustainable Development 2030, which was adopted by the Council of Arab Information Ministers and endorsed by the League Council at the Summit Level in Dhahran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, pursuant to Resolution 741 issued on 15 April 2018.
Ambassador Khattabi added that this document seeks to highlight the interlinkages between the role of the media and each of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, recognising the media as an essential and indispensable partner in advancing local and national development efforts. He underscored the vital mission of media and communications in fostering a culture of citizenship, raising societal and civic awareness, and promoting the democratisation of access to information within a climate of freedom and responsibility.
