UNITED STATES TELLS INFORMATION COMMITTEE DPI SHOULD HAVE RESOURCES NEEDED TO MEET CHALLENGES OF TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

Press Release
PI/947

UNITED STATES TELLS INFORMATION COMMITTEE DPI SHOULD HAVE RESOURCES NEEDED TO MEET CHALLENGES OF TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

In an age when new information technologies offered exciting new opportunities, the Department of Public Information should have the resources it needs to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century, the representative of the United States said this morning, as the Committee on Information continued its general debate.

Sharing DPI's concern about the fiscal impact of mandates originating outside the Committee, he said such requests should be required to identify all related costs. The activities of United Nations information centres in developed countries should also be reviewed, while preserving their valuable functions in the developing world. Hard choices had to be made about where to allocate funds.

The representative of Yemen regretted the curtailment of a number of publications in Arabic and thanked DPI for choosing Sana'a as the site the seminar on promoting a free press. The representative of Brazil thanked DPI for its agreement for the Brazilian Official Broadcast System to broadcast United Nations radio programmes to more than 450 stations in Brazil, as well as to Africa, to reach more than 190 million Portuguese-speaking people.

Statements were also made by the representatives of the Philippines, Romania and Tunisia.

The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. on Monday, 13 May, to continue its general exchange of views.

Committee Work Programme

The Committee on Information met this morning to continue its general exchange of views and its review of United Nations public information activities. The Committee was also expected to focus on efforts to establish a more just and effective world information and communication order, aimed at strengthening peace and international understanding and based on the free and balanced dissemination of information.

Statements

RONALD B. ALLAREY (Philippines) said his delegation fully associated itself with Tuesday's statement by the representative of Costa Rica on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China. In the old days, tyrants put to death the messenger bearing bad news. The number of journalists killed -- 51 in 1995, 20 so far this year -- would seem to indicate that the practice had not stopped. When journalists were killed, the first casualty was often the truth. Journalists from all over the world had affirmed their commitment to the principles of the Windhoek Declaration in defence of press freedom. Perhaps, journalists should be accorded some form of protection in much the same way as soldiers and diplomats were shielded under the Geneva and Vienna Conventions, as they were at the forefront in the fight for the preservation of freedom of thought and expression.

He said that, at a time when the United Nations was under siege by critics who claimed that the Organization had outlived its usefulness, the Department of Public Information (DPI) deserved even more unwavering support from the Committee. The DPI, more than any other department, was the one that cut across, if not all, United Nations mandates and activities. As a chronicler of conferences, it played a key role in promoting a better understanding of the United Nations. His delegation was pleased that the Department, in cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), had, since 1991, organized a series of regional seminars on the promotion of an independent and pluralistic press. No doubt, those workshops/seminars enhanced regional and international cooperation to promote press freedom and ensure the unbridled flow of information. He hoped that, despite reductions in personnel and budgetary constraints, the DPI and UNESCO would be able to carry on with the programme.

He noted DPI initiatives that had made it more streamlined and functionally better integrated, resulting in savings through the improved use of more advanced information technologies for the production and delivery of information programmes, in cooperation with other United Nations departments. He shared the concern of other delegations over the manner in which business was conducted, particularly the number of days allocated to general debate and substantive discussions. The matter deserved serious and urgent consideration.

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It would test the collective will and determination to "do more with less" -- as the headline in this month's issue of the DPI Update aptly declared.

PETRU DUMITRIU (Romania) said that the United Nations Information Centre in Bucharest had played a major role in keeping the public informed about the Organization's activities, especially during the fiftieth anniversary celebrations. The Centre had produced publications in Romanian which were most informative. He shared the concern expressed by Assistant Secretary- General for Public Information Samir Sanbar with respect to the negative consequences of severe financial budgetary restrictions. Those constraints affected the already modestly staffed information centres and their meagre resources, despite their exceptional role in keeping the public informed. The drastic cuts in funds for the centres, particularly for the one in Bucharest, did not augur well for the future of the centres. Care must be taken not to destroy achievements built up over the years. The United Nations could not afford to jeopardize one of the most essential prerequisites for an effective organization, namely, a well informed and supportive public.

He expressed concern for the proper functioning of the Centre in Bucharest. His Government had begun a frank and open dialogue with the DPI on ways to solve the financial situation in a way which would not damage what had already been achieved. Starting in 1997, Romania would substantially increase its financial contributions. Despite the sky-rocketing rise of real estate prices in Bucharest, the premises of the Centre were rent free.

WALTER DOUGLAS (United States) said every effort must be made to ensure that the DPI had the resources it needed to meet the challenges of the twenty- first century. New information technologies offered exciting new opportunities. However, the United Nations was also looking at doing more with less. Last December, the General Assembly approved a $2.618 billion cap for the 1996-1997 biennium. That required the establishment of priorities, and implementation of cuts where needed. That was the core idea behind a proposed text on the Dag Hammarskjöld Library and the United Nations information centres.

Tremendous advances in information technologies had radically changed the way libraries did business, he said. An independent library specialist should review the operations of the Dag Hammarskjöld Library and offer recommendations which might save its scarce funds and increase its capability. The proposal for the centres aims at reviewing their operation in the light of such changes as new information technologies, availability of United Nations depository libraries, and distance from Headquarters offices. Hard choices had to be made about where to allocate funds.

That review would focus on information centres in the developed world, where there were now viable alternatives to the traditional way of doing business, he said. However, those conditions did not exist to the same degree

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in the developing world, where the information centres remained the vital means of information dissemination. "We understand the difference, and our reaction to any study would be guided by this understanding."

The United States shared DPI's concern about the fiscal impact of mandates originating outside the Committee on Information, he said. It, therefore, supported adding language to the Committee's resolution by which the DPI would require that all such requests identify all related costs, including estimated man-hours, printing, publishing and material expenditures.

WALID DOUDECH (Tunisia) stressed the importance of a free, objective and responsible press in promoting the values of tolerance and democracy. He paid tribute to the outstanding work constantly done by the staff of the DPI under the able leadership of Samir Sanbar. That work required the constant support of Member States. It was, therefore, regrettable that, at a time when the Department was striving to improve its working methods, financial constraints were being imposed. If that continued, it could even paralyse the work of the Department. He commended the Department for its efforts to streamline management and avoid waste of resources. At a time when it was doing its work satisfactorily and continuing to move towards its objective, it was not right to limit its resources or impose arbitrary constraints upon it, he said.

The information centres represented one of the most important ways of popularizing the United Nations work, he said. They did not simply disseminate information, but also carried out initiatives to involve local partners more in promoting the principles of the United Nations. That demonstrated an innovative approach, as well as a need to adjust the centres to the environments in which they operated. To do their work properly, those in charge of the centres must be both able and imaginative. The centres must also have the necessary resources. The appointment of new directors, the promotion of training and the use of electronic means were encouraging and could all help to enhance the work of the centres. Improving their output and strengthening their effectiveness should be the objective. Merging the centres with field offices of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) should be done on a case-by-case basis, in consultation with the governments concerned.

The phenomenon of globalization made cooperation in the field of information even more necessary, he said. Diversifying the sources of information encouraged knowledge about different cultures and, thus, brought nations and peoples closer together. That presupposed that all the parties should have adequate resources for communication, in order to get their messages across. It was, therefore, astonishing that the developing countries were being increasingly marginalized in the field of information. New bases should be established for fruitful cooperation in that area.

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He stressed the need to give due attention to publications on development, both in financing and quality control. It was regrettable that "Development Forum" was not being published and that no effort had been made to fill that gap. Even in the face of budgetary constraints, savings could be achieved by producing certain publications more cheaply.

HAMED MOHAMED OBADI (Yemen) praised DPI's role in promoting information in social and cultural fields, particularly on issues affecting women and children. Its publications promoted understanding between Member States and among their peoples, particularly in developing countries. Many organizations, including universities and schools, had benefited from DPI's work. It was regrettable that the Committee had to learn from Assistant Secretary-General Sanbar that a number of publications in the Arabic language would be curtailed. He hoped that the Organization's financial constraints would be overcome so the DPI could continue to carry out its important role of informing people about the United Nations.

He thanked the DPI for choosing S'ana, the capital of Yemen, for the seminar to promote a free press. There had been more than 150 participants in the seminar, which was opened by Mr. Sanbar on behalf of the Secretary- General. The gathering had focused on issues related to the principle of freedom of the press in the region and affirmed the importance of that principle for democracy. Yemen's President had attended the seminar, which testified to his Government's respect for political pluralism and freedom of the press and democracy. The S'ana Declaration would contribute to the development of a free press, which would have a positive impact on people in the region. It was very important that the Declaration be supported. It was also important to support the United Nations information centres as they could be instrumental in promoting human relations and helping to overcome obstacles between peoples and countries. His delegation fully supported the DPI and was confident the Committee would continue its important tasks.

ANTONIO JOSE FERREIRA SIMOES (Brazil) commended the Assistant Secretary- General for Public Information and expressed the conviction that, under his guidance, the DPI would strengthen the United Nations in the field of information and communications. The Organization's fiftieth anniversary provided a unique opportunity to intensify promotional activities in support of major international issues, he said. The United Nations information system had also responded successfully in promoting the main issues discussed at two major world conferences: the World Summit for Social Development, and the Fourth World Conference on Women.

Last year also saw increased media attention to certain peace-keeping operations, as well as to the Organization's financial situation, he said. However, those issues should not overshadow such important matters as the promotion of economic and social development.

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Although the DPI had sometimes been criticized in the past, it was only fair to praise it now, he said. He congratulated the Department and acknowledged its persistent work on past and present issues, including the struggle against apartheid and the situation in the Middle East.

He thanked the DPI for the agreement it reached in February with the Brazilian Official Broadcast System, RADIOBRAS, aimed at broadcasting United Nations radio programmes to more than 450 stations in Brazil, "not to mention the large Portuguese-speaking audiences also reached in Angola, Cape Verde Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe and Mozambique, representing more than 190 million people". Even at a time of financial crisis, the fact stood out that there was only one person in charge of the entire Portuguese areas of United Nations Radio. Brazil strongly favoured the strengthening of that area.

Brazil encouraged the integration of United Nations Information Centres with UNDP field offices whenever feasible, on a case-by-case basis, taking account of the host country's views, he said. The DPI should make every effort to resolve imbalances in the allocation of funds to the centres. Providing additional resources to centres in countries where local media was less developed could have a considerable impact on public awareness of United Nations activities. Financial considerations should not overshadow the purpose of United Nations publications policy, which was to generate public support for the United Nations goals in such areas as the economic and social development, human rights and humanitarian assistance. The Secretariat should pursue efforts to revive "Development Forum".

He stressed the importance of the submission by Member States of their views on promoting the communications infrastructures and capabilities in developing countries. With reference to World Press Freedom Day, he said it was deeply regrettable that, during 1995, 51 journalists died and 182 were jailed in the exercise of their duties. The Committee should examine ways to stimulate the removal of all political and economic restrictions on press activity, with a view to guaranteeing freedom of information and expression.

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