NEED TO SUPPORT TRADITIONAL MEDIA IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, ALONG WITH USE OF NEW TECHNOLOGY, STRESSED IN INFORMATION COMMITTEE
Press Release
PI/948
NEED TO SUPPORT TRADITIONAL MEDIA IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, ALONG WITH USE OF NEW TECHNOLOGY, STRESSED IN INFORMATION COMMITTEE
19960513 DPI also Urged to Continue Task of Promoting Global Understanding of UN despite Budgetary ConstraintsThe Department of Public Information (DPI) should balance its forays into the information superhighway with continued support for more traditional media, particularly in developing countries, speakers stressed this morning, as the Committee on Information continued its general debate. The DPI was urged to continue its commitment to promote global understanding of the United Nations in the face of budgetary constraints.
While use of the Internet and CD-ROMs was commendable, such traditional media as printed matter, radio and television remained indispensable for many developing countries, the representative of China said. He was one of several speakers who also stressed the continuing importance of the United Nations Information Centres. The representative of Pakistan said the centres could be a focus for the transfer of information technology to developing countries. Through the provision of computers linked to the Internet and United Nations databases, they could become models of high-tech information.
Similarly, the United Nations press releases represented the only immediately available source of information on many United Nations activities and were invaluable for the smaller countries who did not have enough resources to cover all the meetings at the United Nations, the representative of Benin said. Their continued production in both French and English should not suffer from the financial crisis.
Statements were also made by the representatives of Burundi, Niger and the Sudan.
The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, 14 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
AHMAD KAMAL (Pakistan) spoke of the growth of the Department of Public Information (DPI) under the excellent leadership of Assistant Secretary- General Samir Sanbar. The extensive facts and figures provided by the Department had provided an excellent framework for the Committee's discussions, he said. Inevitably, with the United Nations ongoing reform, the DPI, as the largest department, would be scrutinized. However, given DPI's mandate, the Committee's focus should be on finding ways to improve and increase performance. The Department's response to the growing challenge of shrinking resources was appreciated, and he urged Member States and the Secretary-General to allocate funds which were commensurate with DPI's multiple mandates.
There was a continuing need to stress the inherent link between information and development in the world of "information superhighways", where multiple interests competed for a global audience's time and attention, he continued. In such an environment, DPI must be both competent and competitive in disseminating information and in sharing data and collaborative research at the least cost. He appreciated DPI's efforts to increase its electronic dissemination capacity and noted important steps taken to utilize the potential of powerful new tools. However, not enough had been done. Speed, commitment, innovation and constant improvement should be the guiding principles of DPI's performance. Its primary target should be the fast supply of information to permanent missions and Member States. He urged the Department to strengthen its efforts and keep the Committee informed of three important aspects of its work -- the actual extent of the introduction of new technologies; how to improve existing facilities and future planning.
He commended DPI for its multiple publications, audio-visual productions and enhanced efforts to meet the needs of historic moments like the fiftieth anniversary celebrations. None the less, the publications should place a premium on presentation and conciseness. Concise summaries of the meetings would be better than detailed press releases. Accuracy of disseminated information, particularly highlights, should ensure the Organizations's credibility. The Department should examine the possibility of marketing its publications and audio-visual productions, particularly in the developed world. No unbearable costs should be imposed on users in developing countries.
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The United Nations information centres were the Organization's window to the world, especially in the developing world, he continued. Inefficiencies at particular centres or personnel problems could not undermine their primary importance. In several countries, they were the only point of contact with valuable United Nations source materials, such as the Blue Book series, the Statistical Yearbooks and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report on human development, as well as other important studies on development and population problems. In developing countries, the centres should be made into models of high-tech information to resource-starved people with the provision of computers linked to the Internet and United Nations databases. The centres could become the focus for the transfer of technology to developing countries. In a department which was heavily staffed, the emphasis should be on technology and not on personnel. Resources should be allocated to the purchase of modern information hardware and existing personnel put to more modern use.
JEAN-BAPTISTE HAJAYANDI (Burundi) said the untiring staff of the DPI, under the guidance of the Assistant Secretary-General for Public Information, carried out notable work daily in the face of financial constraints. He advocated keeping the United Nations information centres as autonomous structures with the means to play a genuine role. He regretted the recall of the Director of the Centre at Bujumbura. Supervision by the Resident Representative of the UNDP was "just a bandaid".
There was a real need to improve the services of the Dag Hammarskjöld Library, he said. However, given the current financial situation, Burundi had reservations about getting an outside expert to conduct a study of the Library. The difficulties now facing the Organization should not make one forget the central role of information.
HE YAFEI (China) said that the DPI, under Samir Sanbar's able leadership, had made an important contribution to the success of the Fourth World Conference on Women, as well as to observance of the Organization's fiftieth anniversary, despite limited resources.
At a time when the United Nations was facing grave challenges, its function was irreplaceable. However, it could not fulfil its mission if it was not understood by the public. It was, therefore, particularly important to strengthen its public information and communication activities. The use of new electronic disseminators as the Internet and CD-ROMS to enable more people to understand the United Nations and its work was commendable. At the same time, such traditional channels as printed matter, radio and television remained indispensable for many developing countries. The information centres played an important role in spreading information on the United Nations; their integration should be handled on a case-by-case basis, with respect for the views of host countries.
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He said the DPI should take as its primary task the establishment of a new international information and communication order, based on recognition of differences among nations. Priority should be given to the urgent needs of the developing countries, helping them to improve their infrastructure and narrow the information gap with the developed countries. In an increasingly interdependent world, no country could stand aloof from the international community and isolate itself from the global market. To support the developing countries' economic development was important for common economic growth and the prosperity of all countries, as well as for lasting peace and stability in the world. Therefore, the United Nations should give the same attention to development as to peace.
RENÉ VALÉRY MONGBÉ (Benin) said the Committee's current session was most important and, following on the fiftieth anniversary celebrations, provided a good chance to take stock of DPI's effectiveness. Assistant Secretary-General Sanbar had shown dynamism and performed miracles during important events such as the fiftieth anniversary celebrations and the holding of the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing last year. Many excellent publications included "Africa Reliance".
The information centres were the ideal link between audiences in many countries which were far from United Nations Headquarters and had contributed greatly to popularizing the Organization's conferences, he continued. He understood the need for efficiency and cost-effectiveness; however, that need should not be met by the elimination of structures which fulfilled a vital function. The solution to financial problems was not to attack the existence of centres which were a valuable instrument for informing people. The integration of centres with UNDP field offices ran the risk of atrophying information functions. Communications professionals, who could stay in contact with local media, should head the centres. It was not enough to be an economist and understand development issues.
The production of press releases at Headquarters and during local meetings and conferences should continue in both French and English and should not suffer from the financial crisis, he said. They were the only immediately available source of information on many United Nations activities and were invaluable for the smaller countries which did not have enough resources to cover all the meetings at the United Nations. The daily highlights should be translated into French and publicized on the Internet. It would be invaluable to publications which did not have accredited correspondents at Headquarters. The noon briefing, which was also published only in English, should also be presented in French, at least the main points. The Department had made remarkable progress in its radio and television productions, and he hoped a few more hours would be produced in the French language.
SUZANNE MAIKARFI (Niger) congratulated Mr. Sanbar and his colleagues for the quality of their work, particularly in connection with commemoration of
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the United Nations anniversary, various world conferences, and other important events. It was hoped, she said, that the Organization would get the support it deserved, once its work was properly understood. The work of the DPI must, therefore, be strengthened. Any proposal to reduce costs must bear in mind the interests of all Member States. Cooperation of 185 States must be based on the reconciliation of interests.
She said the centres had shown their importance, particularly in the developing countries and in least developed countries such as her own. Not only did they allow distance audiences to learn of the United Nations activities; they also delivered new concepts in environmental protection, human rights, peace, disarmament and international security. Unfortunately, some of the centres had limited staff and resources. Those centres should be strengthened, and new centres opened where they were needed. The centre in Burkina Faso should be reactivated. The process of integrating centres with UNDP field offices had already hindered the centres' work. That process must be stopped. Where it must take place, operational autonomy of information centres should be maintained.
Although she welcomed the technological innovations undertaken by THE DPI, more traditional means of information dissemination should not be overlooked, she said. The press releases, in particular, must be maintained. For small delegations such as her own, they provided the only means of learning about decisions taken at meetings which it was unable to attend. Similarly, entrusting the Dag Hammarskjöld Library to outside interests might be costly to the United Nations while compromising results. She paid tribute to those who had lost their lives in the pursuit of their journalistic duties.
SULIEMAN MUSTAFA (Sudan) praised the efforts and leadership of Assistant Secretary-General Sanbar. He said the challenges facing the Department in disseminating information on United Nations activities would induce the Committee to redouble its efforts, especially as regards information on development issues. Positive information on such activities was vitally necessary. Developing countries, such as his own, were the ones most affected by those challenges. His Government had made an effort to meet them by improving and changing its structures. Recent presidential and legislative elections had been monitored by representatives from the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the world-wide media. His Government respected peaceful political principles as the best means in unifying the country.
Information was an important tool, and his Government appreciated the need to ensure that journalists could carry out their work, he continued. He underlined the importance of United Nations publications and hoped that the "Blue Book" series could be published in Arabic. The United Nations Information Centre were important instruments to improve relations between Member States and to improve conditions in developing countries. He endorsed all information efforts to make current conditions in Africa well known.
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