The United Nations’ (UN) World Development Information Day is annually held on October 24 to draw attention of worldwide public opinion to development problems and the need to strengthen international cooperation to solve them.

• Many events are organized to focus attention on the work that the UN does, particularly with regard to problems of trade and development.
• Many of these are aimed at journalists working for a range of media, including television, radio, newspapers, magazines and Internet sites.
• Direct campaigns may also be organized in some areas. These may use advertisements in newspapers and on radio and television as well as posters in public places.
• On May 17, 1972, the UN Conference on Trade and Development proposed measures for the information dissemination and the mobilization of public opinion relative to trade and development problems.
• These became known as resolution 3038 (XXVII), which was passed by the UN General Assembly on December 19, 1972.
• The assembly also decided that the day should coincide with United Nations Day to stress the central role of development in the UN’s work.
• World Development Information Day was first held on October 24, 1973, and has been held on this date each year since then.
• One of the specific aims of World Development Information Day was to inform and motivate young people and this change may help to further this aim.