Leila Minkara | United Nations Information Center, Washington D.C

World Radio Day marks the creation of UN Radio in 1946—an initiative launched to explain the work of the United Nations to global audiences at a time when radio was the only medium capable of crossing borders at scale.

What began as a traditional broadcast service has since evolved into UN News, following the 2017 merger of UN Radio and the UN News Centre. Today, UN News is a multimedia, multilingual production platform delivering daily content in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Hindi, Kiswahili, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Urdu. Its stories reach audiences through thousands of media partners, including more than 2,000 radio stations worldwide—many supported by UN Information Centres—ensuring UN reporting continues to travel far beyond digital headlines.

Radio in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

This year’s World Radio Day focuses on Artificial Intelligence. AI is reshaping how audio content is produced and consumed—and when used responsibly, it can help create high-quality programming more efficiently while enabling broadcasters to expand their reach.

At the same time, AI raises critical questions about ethics, trust, and accuracy. Reflecting these concerns, the United Nations General Assembly recently voted to establish an Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence to assess its impacts and risks—underscoring the UN’s commitment to ensuring innovation serves the public good.

From the First Mile to the Last Mile

The science behind radio emerged in the nineteenth century. By the 1920s, it had entered homes around the world, bringing news, music, sports, and storytelling into living rooms. For the first time in history, millions could hear the same message at the same moment—creating a shared public experience.

The UN has relied on radio ever since. Established in 1946, UN Radio embodied a simple but powerful idea: information should be accessible to everyone, everywhere. Over time, radio has come to exemplify the UN’s commitment to Leave No One Behind. What once represented the “first mile” of mass communication is now often the “last mile,” reaching communities that other technologies still cannot.

As part of its efforts to deliver impartial news and messages of peace, UN Radio even launched an FM station in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire—one of many examples of how radio has been used to connect local communities with global conversations.

@As a part of a campaign to bring impartial news and messages of peace, UN Radio kicked of an FM radio station in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire. (@UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe, 2004)

A Lifeline for Communities

Across the UN system, radio remains a vital humanitarian tool:

  • UNICEF uses radio to share education, health guidance, and child protection messaging.
  • Food and Agriculture Organization supports rural radio initiatives that disseminate farming techniques and climate adaptation strategies.
  • UNHCR relies on radio to communicate with displaced populations about services and safety.
  • World Health Organization turns to radio during public health emergencies to counter misinformation and deliver life-saving guidance

As technology continues to evolve at speed, radio has proven remarkably resilient—surviving multiple waves of disruption while cementing its role in humanitarian response.

Nearly a century after it entered households, radio still connects local voices to global platforms and delivers trusted information to those who need it most. On World Radio Day, we are reminded that even in an age of algorithms and artificial intelligence, radio remains one of humanity’s most enduring—and inclusive—tools for connection