• India has been elected as the chairman of the executive board of Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) during the 23rd AIBD General Conference, held from August 19 to 21 in Phuket, Thailand.

• India is one of the founding members of AIBD.

• Prasar Bharati, India’s public service broadcaster, is the representative body of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting at AIBD.

• India last held the position of AIBD executive council chairman in 2016. 

• India is currently the president of AIBD General Conference. India previously served two terms as president for AIBD General Conference from 2018 to 2021 and from 2021 to 2023.

Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD)

• The Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) was established in August 1977 under the auspices of UNESCO. 

• It is a regional inter-governmental organisation serving countries of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) in the field of electronic media development. 

• It is hosted by the government of Malaysia and the secretariat is located in Kuala Lumpur.

• The AIBD is mandated to achieve a vibrant and cohesive electronic media environment in the Asia-Pacific region through policy and resource development.

• The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) are the founding organisations of the Institute and they are non-voting members of the General Conference.

• The Institute seeks to fulfill this mandate by mobilising the intellectual and technological resources available within the national broadcasting organisations of its member countries as well as regional and international bodies through a well-established infrastructure and networking mechanism which includes government agencies, non-governmental organisations, institutions of higher learning, private sector and individual professionals.

• Full membership of the AIBD is confined to sovereign states and they are invited to designate the broadcasting authority of the country to be the beneficiary. 

• The AIBD currently has 26 full members (countries), represented by 49 organisations, and 38 affiliate members (organisations).

AIBD functions as a:

i) Window for regional policy makers to access information to worldwide mass media policy formulation and regulations and vice versa.

ii) A vehicle to establish inter-regional links and cooperation for media and communications development.

iii) A think-tank for the development of regional programming that reflects the traditional values of the Asia-Pacific region.

iv) An agent of change in the regional IT environment.

v) A catalyst for national media development, taking account of new partnerships between manufacturers, service providers and the governments.

vi) A media consultancy resource house to assist member countries.

vii) A reference centre and provider for human resource development.