World Development Information Day (WDID)

World Development Information Day (WDID) is celebrated on the 24th of October every year. The aim of the day is to draw the attention of the world to the development problems and the necessity of strengthening international cooperation for their solutions. The day is significant as UNGA believes that improving the dissemination of information and the mobilisation of public opinion would lead to greater awareness of the problems of development, especially among young people. In this article, we will discuss the history and significance of the day. 

As UPSC surprises aspirants with questions linked with what usually is assumed to be trivia; it is advisable that one must scroll through the facts about World Development Information Day to get the basic information. Given the unpredictability of the UPSC CSE, you might get a question in UPSC Prelims as part of current affairs.

Facts about World Development Information Day for UPSC Exam

Read the below-mentioned facts and aid your IAS Exam preparation along with other competitive exams’ preparation.

The topic can be asked as a Current Affairs Question in IAS Prelims. Visit the attached link to attempt practice quizzes on current affairs.

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About World Development Information Day

• The United Nations General Assembly decided to observe World Development Information Day coinciding with United Nations Day on October 24, in 1972. 
• The objective of establishing the day was to draw the attention of the public to the development problems and the requirements of strengthening international cooperation to solve them.
• The aim of the day is to improve dissemination of information and mobilisation of public opinion, particularly among young people. Which will further lead to greater awareness of problems of development, thus, promoting efforts in the sphere of international cooperation for development.
• The theme for World Development Information Day 2021 was ‘Action for Sustainable Development Goal‘. 
• Theme for 2020 was ‘Information and Communications Technologies- New Solutions to Development Challenges’.

Read about the United Nations and its Principal Organs in the linked article.

History of World Development Information Day

• The measures proposed by the UN Conference on Trade and Development for information dissemination and mobilisation of public opinion relative to trade and development problems, on May 17, 1972 came to be known as resolution 3038 (XXVII).
• This Resolution was passed by the UN General Assembly in 1972 to institute World Development Information Day on October 24.
• The day also coincides with the date of the adoption of the ‘International Development Strategy’ for the Second United Nations Development Decade in 1970.

Significance of World Development Information Day

• The aim of the World Development Information Day is to explain to the general people as to why it is necessary to strengthen international cooperation to find ways to solve these problems.
• The day was held on the same day to coincide with the United Nations Day to stress the central role of development in the UN’s work.
• With the development of the digital era the interpretation of the day has slightly changed. These have focussed on the role that modern information technologies, such as the Internet and mobile telephones free from the digital divide, can play in alerting people and finding solutions to problems of trade and development.
• According to the UN, Information and Communications technologies have the potential to provide new solutions to the development challenges, in the context of globalisation and can foster economic growth, competitiveness, access to information and knowledge, poverty reduction and social inclusion.

Read about  Information and Communication Technology in the linked article. 

Celebration of World Development Information Day

• The celebration of the day is done by conducting various events which focus on work done by the UN, particularly with regard to the problems of trade and development.
• Many of these events are aimed at journalists working for a range of media, including radio, television, newspapers, magazines and internet sites.

Note: As UPSC 2022 approaches, use BYJU’S free Daily Video Analysis of The Hindu Newspaper to augment your preparation.