All human and social activity depends on communication. No matter the issue — poverty, conflict resolution, self-determination, migration, health, land, housing, the climate crisis — little can be done without effective communication. A framework is needed that enables, empowers, and transforms; that challenges power structures and sociocultural traditions to guarantee the public voices and genuine participation of everyone — especially poor, marginalized, excluded and dispossessed people and communities. Such a framework is offered by the concept and practice of communication rights.

Since communication clearly underpins genuinely sustainable development and requires equitable access to information and knowledge, to information and communication technologies, as well as plurality and diversity in the media, this book identifies the missing UN Sustainable Development Goal 18: Communication for All, whose purpose is to expand and strengthen public civic spaces through equitable and affordable access to communication technologies and platforms, media pluralism, and media diversity.