“Radio brings people together. In an era of rapid media evolution, radio retains a special place in every community as an accessible source of vital news and information,” said Guterres in a press release a copy of which was emailed to IRNA by the United Nations Information Center (UNIC) in Tehran, according to IRNA.

Gutters said radio is also a source of innovation that pioneered interaction with audiences and user-generated content decades before they became mainstream.

“Radio offers a wonderful display of diversity in its formats, in its languages, and among radio professionals themselves.”

Encouraging the world to recognize the enduring power of radio to promote diversity and help build a more peaceful and inclusive world, he also said that radio, as a source of information and inspiration alike, has an important message to the world to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and tackle the climate crisis.

António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres is a Portuguese politician and diplomat who is serving as the ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations. Previously, he was the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees between 2005 and 2015.