Communication for Development (C4D) aims to support two-way communication systems that allow communities to participate in decisions that affect them. It is a social process based on dialogue and skills-building that seeks sustained and meaningful change at different levels through tools like listening and trust-building. C4D enables disadvantaged groups to have a voice in shaping policies. The success of development goals like the Millennium Development Goals depends on national planning processes being informed by all sections of society. While ICTs are transforming information sharing, not all groups have access, so C4D remains important for development interventions across various issues.

1. Department of Mass Communication and Media,
University of Gujrat
Javed S. Ahmad

2. Definition - I
In 1996 through General Assembly Resolution 51/172 the UN adopted a
formal definition of Communication for Development:
Communication for Development, A Glimpse at UNDP’s Practice,
2009.
 ‘Communication for development stresses
the need to support two-way communication
systems that enable dialogue and that allow
communities to speak out, express their
aspirations and concerns and participate in
the decisions that relate to their
development’.

3. Definition - II
In 2006 the World Congress on Communication for Development defined C4D)
 ‘A social process based on dialogue using a
knowledge and skills, building policies,
debating and learning for broad range of
tools and methods.
 It is also about seeking change at different
levels including listening, building trust,
sharing sustained and meaningful change’.

4.  Put simply, Communication for
Development enables people,
particularly the most disadvantaged
in society, to participate in shaping
decisions that affect their lives.

5. Success of MDGs depends on…
Success in achieving the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) and the
broader global development agenda of
democratic governance and human
development is dependent in large part
on the extent to which national planning
processes are informed by all sections of
society.

6. ICT’s Role is Limited
 The rapid spread of information and
communication technologies (ICTs) in recent
years is transforming how people
communicate and exchange information with
each other and having a consequent impact on
the dynamics of social, political and economic
life. However, not all sections of society are
able to take advantage of these opportunities.

7. Widening the Gap
 While the expansion of ICTs open up many
opportunities for public participation, they can
also serve to widen the gap between the poor
and better off – between those with access
and the skills to use the new technologies and
those without, thus limiting the potential to
enhance human development.

8. C4D and Human Rights
Access to Information and Freedom of
Expression are international human rights
norms and are embedded in key Human
Rights Instruments.

9. UN Declaration Article 19
 Article 19 of both the UN Declaration on
Human Rights and the International Covenant
on Civil and Political rights (ICCPR) state the
right to freedom of expression includes not
only freedom to ‘impart information and ideas
of all kinds’, but also freedom to ‘seek’ and
‘receive’ them ‘regardless of frontiers’ and in
whatever medium.

10. UN Declaration of Human Rights
 Article 19 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights
covers both concepts of information and
communication and in doing so recognizes that
people are generators, users and conduits of
information.
 Article 22 of the ICCPR also provides for the right to
freedom of association with others which enables
collective analysis of information and can lead to
collective action.

11. C4D is Fundamental
Communication for Development should
therefore be regarded as fundamental for
all development interventions including
HIV/AIDS, the, crisis prevention and
recovery and gender.