The Institute

ASIA-PACIFIC INSTITUTE FOR BROADCASTING DEVELOPMENT

The Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD), established in 1977 under the auspices of UNESCO, is a unique regional inter-governmental organisation servicing countries of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) in the field of electronic media development. It is hosted by the Government of Malaysia and the secretariat is located in Kuala Lumpur.

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 fulfill 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 higher learning, the private sector and individual professionals.

Full membership of the AIBD is confined to sovereign states and they are invited to designate the broadcasting authority of the country to be the beneficiary. The Institute enjoys a membership of 26 countries, 94 affiliates and 58 partners in Asia, Pacific, Europe and North America as of December 2010.

Vision

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.

Mission

The Institute will undertake to:

Encourage regional dialogue and cooperation in electronic media policy of the Asia Pacific region;

Provide an Asia-Pacific regional platform for international cooperation in the electronic media development;

Assist member countries in human resource development in the electronic media, consistent with their development needs;

Assist member countries with electronic media consultancy.

Objectives

The strategic plan of the AIBD calls upon the Institute to play a more assertive role for the benefit of its present and future members by serving as the regional platform to encourage dialogue and cooperation in the electronic media policy of the Asia-Pacific region, taking full account of emerging current and global, regional and national issues;

The window for regional policy makers to access information to worldwide mass media policy formulation and regulations and vice versa.
A vehicle to establish inter-regional links and cooperation for media and communications development.
A think-tank for the development of regional programming that reflects the traditional values of the Asia-Pacific region.
An agent of change in the regional IT environment.
A catalyst for national media development, taking account of new partnerships between manufacturers, service providers and the governments.
A media consultancy resource house to assist member countries.
A reference centre and provider for human resource development.

5 - Years Strategic Plan

AIBD's 5 - Year Action Plan from 2008 to 2012 was drafted and reviewed based on its Strategic Plan and the Bangkok Declaration. It provides emphasis on:

Globalization, Cultural Diversity, New Technologies, Public Service Broadcasting (Community Multimedia / Radio Center), Human Resource Development, Digitizing Audio and Video Archives, Peace Journalism and Conflict Resolution, Women and Gender issues, HIV AIDS, ITC and Education for All, local programs for children and program exchange.

Under its new strategic plan, AIBD is playing a more assertive role as a regional platform to encourage dialogue and cooperation in the electronic media policy of the Asia-Pacific region. It has launched the Asia Media Summit since 2004, considered one of Asia's premiere communication events, the Arab and Asia-Pacific Media Dialogue and the North America and Asia-Pacific Media Dialogue.

The Institute:

Future Initiatives:

AIBD will undertake more initiatives to address the changes reshaping electronic media and the information and communication industries within and outside the region, among them, under-funding of public service broadcasting, commodification of news and information and commercialization of new information and communication technologies. It will pursue progressive media and information policies that stress accountability of various media systems and provide diversity of views.

AIBD will also conduct more programmes on how media can deal with social development issues such as poverty alleviation, HIV & AIDS, Cultural Diversity, good governance, ethnic and cultural conflicts and the empowerment of women, cultural minorities and disadvantaged groups through ICTs.