Landmark recognition welcomed by UNESCO Member States as a catalyst for greater Caribbean and SIDS engagement

17 October 2025 — The Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) has been officially approved as an NGO in partnership with UNESCO, with consultative status. This recognition, the first of its kind for an NGO from the English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean, was warmly welcomed by Member States attending the 222nd session of UNESCO’s Executive Board in Paris.

Member States hailed this new status as an important achievement for the Union and a signal of encouragement for other NGOs in the Caribbean and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to strengthen their collaboration with UNESCO.

“Becoming an official partner of UNESCO is not just a badge of honour. It offers the CBU a seat at the global table — a stronger, direct voice in shaping cultural and media policy worldwide. And the world needs to hear the Caribbean’s voice,” said Eric Falt, UNESCO Representative for the Caribbean.

Anthony Greene, President of the CBU, highlighted the long and productive relationship between the two organizations:

“Since the very birth of CBU in 1970 with UNESCO’s support, our partnership has been instrumental in strengthening Caribbean media at home and ensuring our sector has a voice on the global stage.”

With its new consultative status, CBU will now join UNESCO’s broader family of NGOs worldwide to advance shared priorities in education, science, culture, and communication. Plans are already in motion:

• Joint activities during Global Media and Information Literacy Week (24–31 October 2025).
• Preparations for World Radio Day 2026, to be celebrated under the theme “Radio and Artificial Intelligence.”

About the CBU

Founded in 1970 with UNESCO’s support, the Caribbean Broadcasting Union is a regional, non-profit association comprising public service, independent, and community media service, media education institutions, and regulators. For more than five decades, it has worked to strengthen the Caribbean’s media and communications landscape, ensuring the region’s perspectives are heard internationally.