..Press Release................................ UNESCAP News Services

Date 7 February 2007
Press Release No. N/03/2007

ESCAP Provides Training for TV Journalists to Raise Awareness of MDGs

Bangkok (United Nations Information Services) – Television broadcast journalists from 13 Asia Pacific countries began a specialized training programme in Bangkok today, designed to enhance their skills in reporting on the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The three-day session is organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), with AsiaWorks Television providing the training. Participants will produce feature length news items and public service announcements on the MDGs upon their return. The finished pieces will be distributed by ABU across its network of national broadcasters, potentially reaching billions of people.

The initiative is part of UNESCAP’s ongoing efforts to advocate the key messages of its second regional MDG report, A future within reach. The report is part of a UNESCAP/UNDP/ADB project on supporting the achievement of the MDGs in Asia and the Pacific. More information on the project and the report may be found at: www.mdgasiapacific.org.

Journalists taking part in the training include Syeda Tasmina Ahmed of Bangladesh Television, Pang Nath of National Television of Cambodia, Li Jiejun of China Central Television, Anish Chand of Fiji TV, Hadi Winarto of PT Media Televisi Indonesia, Davaajantsan Sarangerel of TV5 Television (Mongolia), Tanka Prasad Upreti of Nepal Television, Zeeshan Islam of Eye Television Network Limited (Pakistan), Scott Waide of EMTV (Papua New Guinea), Hera Angelica N. Sanchez of Probe Productions, Incorporated (Philippines), Penny M. Choco of Net 25, Eagle Broadcasting Corporation (Philippines), Yasanga Jayakody of Independent Television Network (Sri Lanka), Uthaiwan Dessingsopha, Television of Thailand Channel 11, and Le Thu Hang of VTC Digital Television (Viet Nam).

Headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand, ESCAP is the largest of the UN's five Regional Commissions in terms of population served and area covered. The only inter-governmental forum covering the entire Asia-Pacific region, it aims to promote economic and social progress. More information is available at www.unescap.org.

For further information, please contact:

Stephanie Dunstan, Communications Consultant
UNESCAP Poverty and Development Division
Tel: +66 (0)2 288 2172 ; Fax: +66 (0)2 288 3035
E-mail: dunstan@un.org

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