Sierra Leone

Mr. Houngbo and the Director of the Office of Communications, David Morrison were both key speakers at the workshop, each presenting insights on communicating for development. In his remarks Gilbert Houngbo spoke about the new UNDP Bureau in Africa, and the need for the organisation to work towards spreading the ‘one UN’ philosophy. ‘UNDP is seen as a pivotal player and instigator of the UN move to deliver as one - it is the glue that holds the UN together,’ he said.

Addressing the workshop, David Morrison spoke of UNDP’s global strategy coming into focus in Africa. ‘Communication offices in Africa are the front line of the front line,’ Morrison told participants. He urged them to ‘make a case for development; make a case for the UN’s role in development’. He stressed the importance of pushing development issues in the media, rather than focusing on UNDP as the main story.

Trainers at the workshop included officials from The Reuters Foundation, as well as TV personality and face of CNN’s Inside Africa programme, Femi Oki. The Reuters Foundation were able to offer Communication Officers a unique insight into communications from the perspective of the media; one of UNDP’s primary target audiences.

The Communication Officers agreed on five key action points to improve UNDP’s communication in Africa. Elizabeth Lwanga, the Resident Representative and Resident Coordinator of UNDP Kenya, promised to present the five points at the upcoming Regional Bureau for Africa cluster meeting in Brazzaville scheduled to take place on 25 April, 2007.

Simona Zipursky, Communication Officer for Nambia and a participant in the workshop, saw the forum ‘as the first step in a new era of communicating in Africa’. ‘By joining forces and communicating as one UN,’ Zipursky said, ‘we will be stronger and are better equipped to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015’.