IPDCtalks 2018: Good Laws and Practices for Open Societies

The IPDCtalks, a day of dialogue and exchange, will be held to celebrate the International Day for Universal Access to Information, also known as the Right to Know Day. The main goal of the event is to highlight the importance of access to information and to address core issues around this access, which are crucial for a sustainable development and open societies.

At IPDCtalks thought leaders and innovators are invited to share their achievements and discoveries with an audience of local and global stakeholders, media, students, policymakers and current and future global leaders.  The talks are streamed live, fueling a global conversation on social media about the importance of access to information.

The third annual IPDCtalks will be held in Tunis, Tunisia on 27 September, with eight satellite IPDCtalks in other countries to celebrate the International Day for Universal Access to Information.

UNESCO’s  International Programme for the Development Of Communication (IPDC) is a multilateral forum in the UN system designed to mobilize the international community to discuss and promote media development and access to information around the world. The Programme not only provides support for media projects, but also seeks an accord to secure a healthy environment for the growth of free and pluralistic media in developing countries.

Overall, the organization of the IPDCtalks has set three core objectives:

1. To show that public access to information and ICTs, along with strengthening media institutions that help assure access, is key to achieving the SDGs in their totality.
2. To encourage Member States to consider integrating free, independent and pluralistic media, as well as universal access to information and knowledge via ICT, within their policies for implementing SDGs in a creative, accessible and innovative way.
3. To raise public awareness about the media’s important role in monitoring progress towards the SDGs and in holding governments accountable for their achievement, and seek support to strengthen media development and access to information initiatives in this direction, particularly in LDCs.

Sponsors & Partners

The IPDCtalks are generously funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic of Finland and the Republic of Lithuania.