The issues linked to sustainable development and the future of our planet are arousing growing interest in debates waging in our society and are starting to become widely reported in northern countries.

However, certain sections of the media in the South are still experiencing problems taking this information on board, sometimes pointing out that the viewpoint of programmes available is all too often far removed from the concerns of their audience.

As a player promoting North-South media cooperation for 20 years, CFI was therefore very keen to join in the conference on this subject organised by UNESCO in Paris on 4 & 5 September 2009. Rallying the efforts of the highest ranking officials from the regional Broadcasting Unions and representatives from various sections of the media from the South should lead to greater awareness and bring about concrete initiatives to which CFI will bring its experience of cooperation at local level.

In actual fact, local production and local programmes in particular hold the key to the media in the South managing to increase the impact of local initiatives. CFI already conducts over a hundred assignments every year with southern TV channels, and is already working with UNESCO, the IRD and other partners to put forward new approaches aimed at tackling these environmental topics.

Etienne Fiatte
Managing Director of CFI