"The present paper identifies five key roles of media in contributing to the SDGs delivery. These include: channeling information flow, ensuring proper monitoring and accountability, acting as an enabler of a ‘culture of peace’, upholding marginalised voices and facilitating the localisation of
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SDGs. Based on a mapping exercise on selected national and sub-national Bangla, English and online newspapers, this paper finds that among the five identified roles, the media in Bangladesh at present is primarily playing the role of channeling information flow. Media is also playing a watchdog role in a limited scale, while their participation in the SDGs accountability process is almost non-existent." (Abstract)
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"This report highlights publishers’ activities and progress that relate to each of the 17 SDG goals. In some cases, these activities are core to what publishers do best, for example ensuring quality education. For other goals, such as clean water, the activities may be more indirect, and this repo
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rt has been instrumental in expanding our perception of the broad range of ways in which publishers contribute to the SDG agenda. In each goal, there are reoccurring themes that are required as a basis in order to achieve the set targets. For example, there are clear links between improving literacy and ending extreme poverty. This executive summary will help make articulate these themes and also highlight areas where the industry can drive progress. The key findings are summarised below: 1. Content is king: What we publish remains core to progress the SDG agenda [...]; 2. Equal opportunities for all: the power of diversity and inclusion [...]; 3. Building smarter generations: Education remains a key focus [...]; 4. Stopping climate change: Publishers are getting serious about their footprints [...]; 5. Let’s work together: Partnership and collaboration remain important." (Executive summary)
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"The world is facing an unprecedented climate and environmental emergency. Scientists have identified human activity as primarily responsible for the climate crisis, which together with rampant environmental pollution, and the unbridled activities of the extractive and agricultural industries, pose
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a direct threat to the sustainability of life on this planet. This edition of Global Information Society Watch (GISWatch) seeks to understand the constructive role that technology can play in confronting the crises. It disrupts the normative understanding of technology being an easy panacea to the planet’s environmental challenges and suggests that a nuanced and contextual use of technology is necessary for real sustainability to be achieved. A series of thematic reports frame different aspects of the relationship between digital technology and environmental sustainability from a human rights and social justice perspective, while 46 country and regional reports explore the diverse frontiers where technology meets the needs of both the environment and communities and where technology itself becomes a challenge to a sustainable future." (Back cover)
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"This article highlights the potential for increased and more standardised monitoring of a range of aspects of the safety of journalists. This is in the light of a specific indicator that has been agreed by the UN as part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The indicator concerned treats th
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e safety of journalists as a benchmark for tracking progress on SDG target 16.10, which specifies "public access to information and fundamental freedoms" (UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, n.d.), as a development aspiration. Inclusion of this indicator in the SDGs provides a universally legitimated framework with strong catalytic potential. All this holds a promise of improved, more comparative, and increased research output, as compared to the previous situation. The results of new research stimulated by this development, particularly at country level, could have real impact on the safety of journalists." (Abstract)
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"All human and social activity depends on communication. No matter the issue — poverty, conflict resolution, self-determination, migration, health, land, housing, the climate crisis — little can be done without effective communication. A framework is needed that enables, empowers, and transforms
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; that challenges power structures and sociocultural traditions to guarantee the public voices and genuine participation of everyone — especially poor, marginalized, excluded and dispossessed people and communities. Such a framework is offered by the concept and practice of communication rights. Since communication clearly underpins genuinely sustainable development and requires equitable access to information and knowledge, to information and communication technologies, as well as plurality and diversity in the media, this book identifies the missing UN Sustainable Development Goal 18: Communication for All, whose purpose is to expand and strengthen public civic spaces through equitable and affordable access to communication technologies and platforms, media pluralism, and media diversity." (Back cover)
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"En 2019, se reportaron 2.521 alertas relacionadas con violaciones a la libertad de expresión, libertad de prensa y acceso a la información a lo largo de 8 países. VDS reportó 734 alertas de los mismos países en 2018. Tanto de manera regional como local, la información nos habla sobre un rápi
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do deterioro en la libertad de expresión, libertad de prensa y acceso a la información en el contexto de creciente represión y restricciones. Esta situación habla de la alta vulnerabilidad de estas libertades fundamentales en América Latina y como socaban de manera seria la paz, justicia y democracia en la región, bloqueando la Agenda 2030. En Honduras, Venezuela y Nicaragua el abuso sistemático de las instituciones públicas impone un estado (no) oficial de censura, incluyendo el encarcelamiento de periodistas, la creación de leyes para limitar la libertad de expresión y fuertes restricciones para acceder a recursos claves. En Bolivia, Ecuador, y Guatemala la dramática inestabilidad social y política resultante de las protestas masivas donde los derechos humanos básicos—incluyendo la seguridad y protección a periodistas y el acceso a información pública—fueron gravemente violentados. En Brasil y Argentina la violencia contra periodistas y medios de comunicación no se ha materializado en ataques sistemáticos, pero se manifiesta en una violencia discursiva, acoso, intimidación y amenazas, las cuales, a la larga buscan imponer miedo y auto censura. En Perú y Uruguay, a pesar de tener los niveles más bajos de violencia en contra de periodistas y medios de comunicación en la región, los retos para acceder a la información persisten a través de ataques y agresiones aislados y procesos judiciales ocasionales por calumnias y difamación." (Resumen ejecutivo)
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"This paper sets out an SDG Digital Investment Framework which is intended to be the start of a new dialogue with the digital investment community, building on the global Call to Action presented at the UN General Assembly in 2018. It encourages a whole-of-government approach and sets out to help go
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vernments address key strategic investment questions and choose effective, scalable technology-based solutions – and in particular help them to consider using ICT Building Blocks for economies of scale and maximum return on investment. The SDG Digital Investment Framework is the first iteration of a process which aims to expand to include all of the main development priorities encompassed by the SDGs. In this first edition, it looks at some of the main development sectors such as agriculture, education and healthcare, and how technology can not just play an important part, but also be applied in a cross-sectoral fashion, in addressing the issues." (Foreword)
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"If digitalization truly is an element of great social change, it has to be sustainable, fair, and relevant to all people and working for the common good. Without proper discussions on benefits or risk, without democratic control and regulations, technologies have the potential to lead to more and n
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ew social, economic and ecological problems. Important first steps have been made to discuss the role of technology and the digital world. Yet we have to continue to actively shape the path of a truly sustainable digitalization. As a framework, in this paper we propose one of the most comprehensive sustainability concepts ever agreed on by the world: The 2030 Agenda with its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)." (Page 1)
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"The central aim of this study is to unpack the major trends in the field of access to information laws and their implementation. In order to understand the trends, the report examines the activities of trendsetters. It focuses on awareness-raising by UNESCO, Member State recommendations in the Univ
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ersal Periodic Review, the commitments of the Open Government Partnership, actions of civil society organizations, and the standard-setting activities of such regional intergovernmental organizations as the Council of Europe, the African Union and the Organization of American States." (Scope of the study, page 8)
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"Este manual busca ser una herramienta para que los(as) periodistas tengan mayor información acerca de sus derechos y de cómo pueden protegerlos antes, durante y después de los comicios. Asimismo, pretende dar a conocer diferentes temáticas relevantes en el ambiente electoral, como la Agenda 203
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0 y los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible – ODS, el cubrimiento con enfoque de género y las fuentes útiles para realizar un efectivo ejercicio periodístico." (Página 7)
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"GFMD members welcome the international recognition of media and journalism issues within the overall international development agenda, noting the common language it provides and the accountability tool it may offer towards encouraging governments (including donor countries) to live up to their comm
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itments. Some members caution, however, that there are risks in viewing 16.10, and the SDGs in general, both too broadly and too narrowly. This includes, for example, the wider parameters of access to information – which applies not only to journalists, but to civil society organisations, citizens, and others – as well as a danger that access to information might overshadow attention to violence agai nst journalists. Others suggest that 16.10 should be seen in the overall context of Goal 16 – that is: peace, justice, and public institutions – to ensure that media-related assistance continues to look at the fuller enabling environment of laws, policies, and actors that ensure plurality, safety, and viability. Furthermore, some GFMD members caution against getting stuck in the “silo” of 16.10. These members remind of the need to demonstrate that media and information are not just rights in and unto themselves, but they can also be enabling rights for others – such as gender equality and the environment – and thus important and relevant for the whole SDG agenda. This does not suggest instrumentalising media for the sake of contributing to other SDGs, but rather strengthening the role of media in serving as a watchdog, holding governments accountable, informing the public, providing a voice for the voiceless, and offering a platform for debate.10 The leading concern about an SDG approach, however, is that it is ill-suited for authoritarian governments that not only reject the international development agenda, but also international standards on human rights." (Conclusions)
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"The Agenda 2030 strives for a transformative approach that requires a broad shift in values, norms, beliefs, attitudes and practices towards more sustainable societies. In this debate on sustainable development, environmental communication and learning processes are driving forces for success. Crit
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eria and options for decisions regarding sustainable practices are a result of public discourse and transparently communicated and learned alternatives. Therefore, environmental education and communication (EEC) plays a key role in the achievement of the SDGs, particularly Goal 4 Education, Goal 11 Cities, Goal 13 Climate Change, and Goal 15 Ecosystems. In this context, the communication and learning objectives are as ambitious as the SDGs. Loss of biodiversity, degradation of ecosystems, or climate change challenges cannot be understood without assessing the complex interactions between ecological, social and economic factors." (Page 6)
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"Having surpassed 5 billion people connected to mobile services in 2017, the global mobile industry will reach further milestones over the next eight years. The number of unique mobile subscribers will reach 5.9 billion by 2025, equivalent to 71% of the world’s population. Growth will be driven by
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developing countries, particularly India, China, Pakistan, Indonesia and Bangladesh, as well as Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. The speed of growth is slowing though, with most of the developed world approaching saturation. The more significant growth opportunity will lie in mobile internet – a market that will add 1.75 billion new users over the next eight years, reaching a milestone of 5 billion mobile internet users in 2025." (Executive summary)
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"This report reviews the current state of the right of access to information (RTI) across the world to provide a baseline for future assessments over the lifetime of the 2030 Agenda. It finds that there has been significant incorporation of the right in well over half of UN Member States. The right
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has now been adopted into law or policy in 118 countries around the world (61 percent of UN Member States) from the largest countries (China, India, USA, Indonesia, Brazil, Nigeria and Mexico) to some of the smallest (St Vincent and the Grenadines, Vanuatu) covering 89 percent of the world’s population. In addition, 90 countries have adopted explicit constitutional guarantees [...] This report aims to provide understanding of RTI and its concrete implications on the daily life of citizens and the application of SDGs. It also aims to inform stakeholders on various experiences developed in this field, and the means at their disposal to exercise this right and advocate for its effective and measurable realization." (Executive summary)
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"Chapters are extended works of papers presented at Communication/Culture and The Sustainable Development Goals (CCSDG): Challenges for a New Generation, an international conference held in Chiang Mai University in December 2015. The chapters address assessments of Millennium Development Goals in se
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veral Asian countries and the region as a whole. The book also identifies and discusses the changes and potential improvements in the transition from Millennium Development Goals (2000-2015) to Sustainable Development Goals (2015-2030). Areas that are covered in the book, which are illustrated with case studies, include Corporate Social Accountability, Information and Communications Technologies, and Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs)." (Publisher description)
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"The playbook addresses ten technology areas and explores how each might be applied to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). We provide a basic overview of each, discuss benefits, trends and challenges and make recommendations for what nonprofits, governments and the private sector can do
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to enhance the impact of these promising technologies against the SDGs. It is designed to be informative and actionable, a utilitarian resource for any organization seeking to leverage the most promising tools to address the highest priority challenges our world faces." (Foreword, page 5)
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"[...] From now until 2030, governments around the world will be working to achieve the SDGs. Goal 16 guarantees “access to justice for all” and legal empowerment and justice are necessary for the overall success of the SDGs. By supporting your government to achieve Goal 16 you will be better ab
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le to advocate for a national justice plan and vital justice reforms. This toolkit provides everything you need to know to enable you to initiate the creation of a national justice plan for your country. It provides a step by step guide to steer you through the entire process; from broadening your understanding of the SDGs and how they can help your advocacy, to how you can hold your government accountable to the justice commitments it has made." (Introduction)
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