AIBD GENERAL CONFERENCE IN DELHI FROM
MONDAY
The 2nd General Conference of Asia-Pacific
Institute of Broadcasting Development (AIBD) is being held in
New Delhi from 22nd to 25th July, 2003.
The Minister of Information & Broadcasting, Shri Ravi Shankar
Prasad would inaugurate the Conference and deliver the keynote
address. The associate meetings of AIBD, however, started today.
About 75 delegates from the countries in the Asia-Pacific
Region and representatives from several organizations like UNESCO,
UN–ESCAP and Commonwealth Broadcasting Association would be attending.
Besides, the affiliate members like Russian State TV and Radio
Broadcasting Company, National TV and Radio Corporation of Kyrgizstan,
Khabar Broadcasting Agency of Kazakhstan, Prix Jeunesse International,
Germany, Deutsche Welle Radio Training Centre, Germany, Young
Asia Television, Sri Lanka, Radio France International and Trans
TV, Indonesia would also be attending. Messages from the UN Secretary
General, Mr. Kofi Annan and UNESCO Director General, Mr. Koichiro
Matsura would also be read on the occasion.
The AIBD Board Executive is holding its daylong
meetings today. The AIBD Sub-Group on Radio would also hold discussions.
The agenda on other meetings would include the AIBD Strategic
Plan, Strategic Approach in Broadcast Management in the Asia-Pacific
Region. Asia-Pacific Europe Partnership Committee would also meet
during the Conference.
The Asia-pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development
with its headquarters at Kuala Lumpur is a unique regional inter-governmental
organization servicing countries of the United Nations Economic
and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) in the
field of electronic media development. The AIBD is mandated to
achieve a vibrant and cohesive electronic media environment in
the Asia-Pacific region through policy and resource development.
The Institute seeks to fulfil this mandate by mobilizing the intellectual
and technological resources available within the national broadcasting
organizations of its member countries as well as regional and
international bodies through a well-established infrastructure
and networking mechanism which includes government agencies, non-governmental
organizations, institutions of high learning, the private sector
and individual professionals.
Membership of the AIBD had so far been confined
to sovereign states only but they are allowed to designate the
broadcasting authority of the country to be the beneficiary. The
Institute currently enjoys a membership of 26 countries and two
donor members Australia and Canada, and now has expanded its membership
rolls to include many private organizations.
The paramount aim of the Institute is to achieve
a vibrant and cohesive electronic media environment in the Asia
Pacific region through policy and resource development. The Institute
was established with the objective to assist countries, which
are members of the Institute, to improve the professional capability
of their broadcasting systems through systematic training and
research programmes, consistent with their national development.
Towards these objectives, the Institute organizes training courses,
seminars and study courses for broadcasting personnel of member
countries, both at regional and national levels, specifically
designed to develop professional capabilities; undertakes research
and comparative studies on broadcasting problems, provides advisory
and consultancy services to member countries etc.
In the 1st General Conference held
at Hanoi in August 2002, India was elected its Vice-President
as also the resolution to co-opt the existing Executive Members
as the members of the Executive Board was adopted and as such
India remains as its member till December 2003. AIBD organized
the 1st Conference of the Ministers on Information
& Broadcasting in Asia & the Pacific in Bangkok (Thailand)
from 26-28 May, 2003. It was intended to be a preparatory meet
for World Summit of Information Society (WSIS). The Ministerial
Conference was well attended and India was represented by Minister
of Information & Broadcasting, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad.
