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Basseterre, St. Kitts, (July 02, 2019 ): The St. Kitts and Nevis Information Service (SKNIS) was represented at a two-day media training workshop dubbed “Engaging with the Caribbean Media for Reporting on the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals)” which took place at the Marina Haven, Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia from June 26-27, 2019. The workshop was attended by Information officer at SKNIS, Mrs. Carissa Franks-Benjamin. 

The workshop formed part of UNESCO’s efforts to support Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to improve the education aimed at providing media practitioners with the information and tools to better report on sustainable development matters.

Secretary General for the St. Lucia National Commission for UNESCO, Marcia Symphorien, stated that the objective of the workshop was to build capacity. It aimed at providing media practitioners with information on the SDGs, as well as tools on how they can better report.

“More than that, it is about engaging you as media practitioners on how we can work together to ensure that we realize this very ambitious agenda which is the SDGs. We are hopeful through this workshop to bring together as our main objective at least thirty persons,” she said.

She added that the National Commission believes that the programme “will be a mark of what is important considering the critical role and the tremendous contribution that the media makes towards the advancement of the SDGs and development agenda.”

SKNIS Information Officer Mrs. Franks-Benjamin stated that it is hoped that other media practitioners will get on board to show how St. Kitts and Nevis is doing its part in implementing the sustainable development goals and to indicate how citizens and residents can do their part in ensuring a better future for all. 

“A perfect example of this is how St. Kitts and Nevis is sustaining its tourismproduct with projects such as the renovation of Black Rocks and other preservation of the natural environment initiatives,” she said. “This falls in line with SDG 11, which is building sustainable cities and communities.”

Coming out of the workshop, media houses throughout the Caribbean have committed to do more reporting on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to better educate the public about the SDGs importance to creating a better world for all.

Some of the topics at the two-day workshop included “A contemporary model for development—introducing the SDGs”; UNESCO moving forward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”; “Sustaining media sustainability through the SDGs”; “Exploring the link between the national development plans in the region and the SDGs”; and “What the media needs to know from the UN: covering development and the SDGs in the OECS.” 

According to the official website of Global Giving, in 2015, more than 190 world leaders committed to the 17 SDGs “to help us all end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and fix climate change. We each have a role to play if we’re going to achieve these goals of a more prosperous, equitable, and sustainable world.”

The 17 SDGs include no poverty, no hunger, good health, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, renewable energy, jobs and economic growth, industry, innovation and infrastructure, reduced inequalities, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption, climate action, life below water, life on land, peace and justice and partnerships for the goals.