Orbicom is supported by internationally-based institutions, media, governments and corporations. However, Orbicom’s mandate derives from UNESCO’s New Communications Strategy unanimously adopted at the 1989 General Conference. This Conference foresaw that new communications technologies would have a significant impact upon the complex processes shaping economies, the environment, social justice, democracy, and peace.

Societal change depends upon participatory communications. Greater access to information and increased ways of exchanging knowledge affect social development, democratization and good governance. Orbicom brings the Chairs and the associate members together in a global network.

Jointly created in 1994 by UNESCO and Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), ORBICOM is a network more of 200 associate members and 36 UNESCO chairs in Communications from around the world. Orbicom currently comprises chairs from Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Guatemala, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, South Africa (2), Russia, Spain (3), United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States (2) and Uruguay. Each of these Chairs includes communications leaders from the private and public sectors. This international collaboration of academics, high level corporate decision makers, policy consultants, and media specialists makes the Orbicom Network unique and constitutes a truly multidisciplinary approach to the promotion of communications development.