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Freedom of information and media needed for new UN global development goals
NEW DELHI: The Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD) has welcomed UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon’s endorsement of guarantees for freedom of information and media in the UN’s next set of global development goals.
In his long-waited “synthesis” report on the UN’s post-2015 development agenda, presented to the General Assembly in New York, the secretary general said “press freedom, access to information and freedom of expression” are essential “enablers of sustainable development.”
The Secretary General’s report urged the adoption in 2015 of the 17 new Sustainable Development Goals proposed by a 70-nation General Assembly working group, which includes a commitment by all countries to ensure public access to information and the protection of “fundamental freedoms” guaranteed by UN human rights treaties. The proposed goals also include commitments to the complete eradication of extreme hunger and poverty, strong new global environmental protection measures, the elimination of deaths from preventable diseases, and the fulfillment of past pledges on gender equality and universal childhood education.
Over the past year, a civil society coalition of national, regional and international press freedom and media development organisations led by GFMD and London-based Article 19 has been advocating for the inclusion of commitments to freedom of information and media in the UN’s new global goals.
“We have been saying for some time that a free press and open access to information of all kinds are essential to achieving these goals, and it is very encouraging to see that the Secretary General shares that view,” said GFMD chairman Leon Willems in a statement from Brussels.
The secretary general’s report today echoed civil society calls for post-2015 commitments to freedom of information and media both as crucial rights-based ends in themselves and as practical necessities for monitoring progress towards all the proposed new goals. His report noted that the UN’s advisors on the “data revolution” required for tracking and achieving the post-2015 goals have “underscored the importance of increasing access to quality data, remedying inequalities in the areas of access to information, data literacy, promoting civic space and enhancing the sharing of data and information.”
A free flow of public information and independent debate and analysis in media and civil society would also be required for the secretary general’s proposed annual “participatory, multi-stakeholder, and, importantly, universal review” of progress towards the new goals, under the auspices of a new “high-level political forum (HLPF)” at the United Nations.
“Press freedom and access to information, freedom of expression, assembly and association are enablers of sustainable development,” the report says.
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Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
