FOURTH COMMITTEE IS TOLD OF 'SHARPENED FOCUS' OF UNITED NATIONS INFORMATION DEPARTMENT, WHILE LEADING WAY IN COST EFFICIENCY
Press Release
GA/SPD/90
FOURTH COMMITTEE IS TOLD OF 'SHARPENED FOCUS' OF UNITED NATIONS INFORMATION DEPARTMENT, WHILE LEADING WAY IN COST EFFICIENCY
19961106 Assistant Secretary-General Reviews Innovations, Including Expanded Use Of Internet; Some Express Concern over Effects of Budget-Cutting on DPIReform, like image-building, was a perception, an ongoing process, Samir Sanbar, Assistant Secretary-General for Public Information, told the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) this afternoon, as it began its debate on questions relating to information. Reform was not bookkeeping; it was cost-efficient management, and the Department of Public Information (DPI) had initiated that process before the financial crisis had made downsizing a growth industry.
Reform "goes beyond photo opportunity to the dynamic and constant harnessing of resources, and, in our case, the main and most valuable resource is our staff", Mr. Sanbar went on to say. Reform, like public information, was a living, continuously dynamic movement. And public information was increasingly recognized as the key to sustaining and enhancing public support for the work of international organizations.
During the period under review, he said, the Department had continued to sharpen its focus on specific issues with cost efficiency as its main approach. While targeting audiences through traditional media, a fourth new medium -- information technology -- was pioneered. He outlined a number of innovations the Department had undertaken in the use of the Internet. One of the most exciting had been the redesign and expansion of the United Nations "home page" on the World Wide Web, which the DPI had pioneered even ahead of the mainstream media.
A number of speakers expressed concern about the effects of budget cuts on the work of DPI. The representative of Bulgaria, responding to the statement by the Assistant-Secretary General that DPI was "doing more with less", stressed that "doing more with less should not mean doing everything with nothing".
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Ana Teresa Dengo (Costa Rica), speaking on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, said it was clear that while communications and technologies were changing rapidly, the developing countries were being left behind. She reiterated the importance of not only the availability of modern technologies, but also the training of personnel on its use. She joined a number of speakers from developing countries in emphasizing that the downsizing or integration of some United Nations information centres had not contributed towards achieving the desired objective of attaining efficiency and cost effectiveness. Instead, the process had significantly reduced the capability of those centres to disseminate information about United Nations activities. That policy should be reviewed urgently to restore the independent status of the information centres in the countries concerned.
The representative of Ireland, on behalf of the European Union and associated countries, said the Union was fully aware of the difficulties under which DPI must operate in the current financial climate. He underlined the importance of the Department's work at a time when the need to project a positive image of the United Nations had never been greater. The DPI should concentrate its resources on priority activities.
The information revolution posed major political, moral and social challenges, said the representative of Singapore. It had allowed the media to impinge upon and profoundly effect areas that had been traditionally the responsibility of families and governments. "Access to information does not mean surrendering the right to live as our own societies deem fit", he added.
Certain people were taking advantage of and even manipulating mass media under the pretence of "freedom of information", according to the representative of China. He said those people publicized what was backward and negative in developing countries to vilify people and governments. The manifestation of power politics in the information field should be firmly resisted.
Also making statements this afternoon were the representatives of the Sudan, Libya, Burkina Faso, Yemen, Ukraine, Tunisia, Bangladesh, Argentina, Lebanon and the observer for Palestine.
The Committee will continue its consideration of information questions at 10 a.m. tomorrow.
Committee Work Programme
The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) met this afternoon to consider questions relating to information. Before it are the report of the Information Committee containing two draft resolutions (on information in service of humanity, and United Nations public information policies and activities); the report of the Secretary General on information; and the final declaration of the Ministers of Information of the Non-Aligned countries on questions relating to information.
The report of the Information Committee (document A/51/21) contains two draft resolutions. By the draft on information in service of humanity, the General Assembly would urge States and other organizations, in the context of what has been termed "a new world information and communication order, seen as an evolving and continuous process", to cooperate and interact with a view to reducing existing disparities in information flow by increasing assistance for development of communications infrastructure in developing countries.
Also by that text, States and other organizations would be urged to ensure for journalists the free and effective performance of their professional tasks and condemn all attacks against them, and to provide support for practical training programmes for broadcasters and journalists. They would also be urged to provide all possible support and assistance for the development of the human and technical resources for the improvement of information and communication in developing countries.
By the draft resolution on United Nations public information policies and activities, the Assembly would request the management of the Department of Public Information (DPI) to review its publications and proposals for publication to ensure that they fulfil an identifiable need, avoid duplication and are produced in a cost-effective manner. The Assembly would also request the Secretary-General to review existing publications produced and disseminated by the DPI in the sphere of development, and renew efforts to respond to the development needs of people.
Also by the text, which has 33 operative paragraphs, the Assembly would reaffirm the importance attached by Member States to the role of United Nations Information Centres in disseminating information in all parts of the world, particularly in developing countries and countries in transition.
Among the draft's other provisions, the Assembly would request the Secretary-General to submit a report to the Committee on Information on added- value, efficiency, cost-effectiveness and avoidance of duplication, especially in the areas of new technologies. It would reaffirm the role of the General Assembly in relation to the opening of new centres, and would invite the
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Secretary-General to make such recommendations as he may judge necessary regarding the establishment and location of those centres.
The Secretary-General would also be requested to conduct an evaluation of the functioning of the Dag Hammarskjöld Library infrastructure, operations, and staffing and budgetary situation, with a view to improving services.
By other provisions, the Assembly would express its full support for wide and prompt coverage of United Nations activities through a continuation of United Nations press releases in both working languages of the Secretariat. States and organizations would be invited to submit to the Secretary-General by 15 March 1997 their observations and suggestions on ways and means of furthering the development of communications infrastructures and capabilities in developing countries.
The Assembly would request that the DPI continue to ensure the greatest possible access for United Nations guided tours, and that displays in public areas are kept as informative, up-to-date and relevant as possible. It would also request that the Department be provided with an identification of all costs, including estimated man-hours and printing, publishing and material expenditures, arising from mandates contained in resolutions other than the Assembly's annual resolution.
The Assembly would also recognize the positive role of regional seminars held at Windhoek, Santiago, Almaty and Sana'a for the promotion of independent and pluralistic media; take note of the invitation of the twenty-eighth General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to cooperate with the Director-General of the Organization in the preparation and organization of a similar regional seminar in 1997 in central and eastern Europe; take note of the offer of the Government of Bulgaria to host such a seminar; and would invite the DPI to provide the requested assistance in mobilizing other voluntary funding sources.
It would also recognize the continued cooperation between the DPI and the University for Peace in Costa Rica as a focal point for promoting United Nations activities and disseminating the Organization's information materials.
The Secretary General's report on questions relating to information (document A/51/406) comprises nine sections: an introduction; overview; ongoing public information activities; implementation of specific programmes; major United Nations conferences; United Nations Information Centres; Library services; the publications board and marketing of publications; and publishing activities. The report is submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 50/31 B.
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"Since my last report", the Secretary-General writes, "the Department of Public Information has significantly enhanced its capacity to disseminate public information about the goals and achievements of the Organization". By integrating cost-effective advanced technologies, and implementing efficiency measures, the Department has met the system-wide challenge of managing rising interest and need for services even as resources decline. It has sought to articulate a coherent message about the United Nations diverse activities by working more closely with other areas of the Organization, and by sharpening the focus on key issues and constituencies.
The report goes on to state that the Department's principal goal has been to foster greater support for the Organization's central role in meeting the challenges of international peace, security and development. The message of an increasingly unified Organization has been brought to all corners of the world, through a variety of media formats, and in as many languages as possible.
The Department has sought to reflect the Organization's diverse work by highlighting peace-keeping operations and social development efforts, the report continues. It has also given special attention to correcting distorted public perception of the Organization's work and effectiveness. Innovative public information efforts, undertaken in close cooperation with peace-keeping and other field missions and United Nations partners, have improved efficiency and enhanced the outreach of United Nations Information Centres.
New initiatives include integration of advanced information technologies such as the Internet and electronic publishing; retention of conventional distribution outlets to long-standing audiences; and further streamlining of organizational structure to increase efficiency and accountability at all levels. Regular consultations with the Bureau of the Committee on Information, and with representatives of regional groups and the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, have enhanced dialogue with Member States regarding the Department's mandate and coverage of issues of interest to Member States.
"Public information activities have centred on portraying the United Nations system in its unity of purpose, capable of responding to multiple global challenges in an efficient and cost-effective manner", the report states. The Department has also strengthened cooperation and coordination with its partners within the United Nations system, through the machinery of the Joint United Nations Information Committee. During the recent cycle of development conferences, this has led to greater support by traditional partners, and has established a tangible outreach to new audiences of youth, local authorities and other levels of civil society.
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Consultative mechanisms have been established with the Peace-keeping, Political Affairs and Humanitarian Affairs Departments, to strengthen planning and coordination of public information in field operations, the report states. Close cooperation with other United Nations offices in the field has been particularly important in expanding working relations with the regional commissions. As 15 of the more than 30 United Nations Information Centres are headed by resident representatives of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), they have been fully integrated with UNDP field offices to foster sharing of common services and dissemination of a unified image of the Organization.
The work of the Department in the audio-visual field has moved in a new direction, enabling it to meet broadcasters' need for products meeting the highest industry standards, the report states. Radio production operations have been streamlined and modernized, and programme and production resources have been consolidated into a single service. Special arrangements with broadcasting organizations now mean that almost seven hours of news and current affairs programmes per week are fed for broadcast to target areas in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Latin America and Caribbean region. Radio documentaries and features also continue to be fed to broadcasters by conventional and electronic means. High profile activities of United Nations Television have included live coverage during the special commemorative meeting of the General Assembly, and the interactive video conference between the Secretary-General and the crew of the Second Space Shuttle Atlantis/Mir Docking Mission in November 1995.
The United Nations has also gained a significantly greater presence on the World Wide Web, the report states. Following the Department's pioneering efforts to have a World Wide Web presence, other departments and offices have also begun providing information for posting on the Internet and establishing their own Web sites. The Department organized a Secretariat-wide meeting and interdepartmental working groups on substantive Internet matters. Regularly posted on the United Nations "home page" are factual and background information on the Organization, the Daily Highlights, press releases in English and French, daily press releases and the bimonthly newsletter Development Update, the report states. Postings include documents on economic and social development, international law, global environment and human rights, and information on the sale of United Nations publications and stamps. The Department has also continued to generate up-to-date, easy-to-read fact sheets on the Organization and its activities, especially effective tools in spreading its message.
Section III of the report covers the Department's ongoing public information activities, and its objectives as the focal point for the Organization's public information tasks. "The Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General is the main contact point with the world press covering the
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United Nations", the report states. Daily press briefings and one-on-one contacts with journalists help the media to reflect comprehensively and accurately the Organization's role in all areas of its mandate.
The Assistant Secretary-General maintains direct contact with senior officials of the international media, the report continues. It summarizes major recent endeavours on the Department, through the use of media press releases, in English and French, and photographic, television and radio coverage and programmes. During the reporting period, liaison and assistance was extended to 5,000 accredited media representatives. Cooperation with broadcasting organizations around the world continued with the provision of monthly, weekly and daily radio programmes in 15 languages.
The report states that the Media Division is also expanding utilization of satellite transmission for distribution of video products. The Secretary- General's United Nations Day message, for instance, was sent by satellite in three languages -- Arabic, English and French -- and reached an estimated 400 million households. The Department also maintains a close relationship with some 1,500 associated non-governmental organization (NGOs) from different regions of the world, which continue to serve as a vital link with the public at large, the report states.
Established in August this year, the DPI/NGO Web site has become an efficient and cost-effective tool to make selected United Nations publications and information available to the non-governmental community at large, the report continues. It also states that educational outreach has been given increased emphasis. The Department plans to build on the network of teachers and professors who regularly bring their students to the United Nations for briefings and seminars.
Another section of the report covers specific information programmes highlighting, among other subjects, the Organization's role in furthering sustainable development, in peace and security, in democracy and human rights, and in humanitarian assistance. One of its publications, the bimonthly Development Update, has become an important tool in promoting an integrated approach to development issues. The Department also carried out promotional activities for the International Narcotics Control Board's June annual report.
Information initiatives on peace and security focus on individual peace- keeping and other field operations, and communicating the message that peace- keeping and peacemaking must be complemented by post-conflict reconstruction and sustainable development, promotion for human rights and improved governance. The report adds that the increasing complexity of information, as well as the speed, volume and immediacy of reporting, have highlighted the need for a closer working relationship between the DPI and the substantive departments and offices dealing with political, peace-keeping and humanitarian
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issues, the report states. The Interdepartmental Working Group on Media Strategies for Peace-keeping and Other Field Operations, established at the initiative of the DPI, has helped improve coordination of the information components of peace-keeping and other field operations.
Radio broadcasting options in several mission areas have also been considered in the Working Group, the report adds. Given the power of radio -- demonstrated most vividly in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide -- there is a growing perception of the need for an independent broadcasting capacity to support peacemaking and peace-keeping efforts in mission areas or conflict zones. However, lessons learned from several recent attempts to develop that capability have made it clear that that it is more easily conceived than done. The political, legal and programmatic questions involved, as well as the technical and financial capacity required, deserved the careful attention of the Secretariat and Member States alike.
The report says the Department is working with the Department of Peace- keeping Operations to develop standard operating procedures for public information components in the field. It continues to provide personnel and technical support to peace-keeping missions to the extent possible, and produce information worldwide on current missions.
On the Middle East and the question of Palestine, the Department has focused on projects of practical relevance to the new Palestinian experience, the report states. It has continued training activities for Palestinian media practitioners. In cooperation with UNESCO, the Department has also continued to promote independent and pluralistic media. Seminars for the African, Asian and Latin American and Caribbean regions have been held.
The section of the report covering major United Nations conferences indicates the activities of recent years and notes the decision to establish an open-ended working group to coordinate follow-up on those conferences, and to prepare strategy for raising global awareness of the General Assembly's 1997 review of Agenda 21.
The section devoted to United Nations Information Centres states that at the beginning of this year, many centres -- in follow-up to the fiftieth anniversary of the Organization -- continued to build new audiences in cooperation with such major disseminators of information as educational institutions, national media, United Nations associations and other non- governmental organizations.
Information centres continue to arrange publication of booklets and other materials and to organize round-tables, press briefings, lectures and special events.
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New technologies are also being applied to daily functions of information centres, the report states. Multimedia presentations, production of compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROMS) with local partners, and creation of local "home pages" on the World Wide Web are gradually becoming part of the operations of information centres. To communicate with Headquarters, information centres increasingly use electronic mail, public electronic mail and the Internet to replace facsimile transmission. In the future, the Department plans to transfer 17 information centres using facsimile and Wang- based electronic mail to cc:Mail through SITA facilities. Those new technologies have already resulted in significant savings.
The section of the report dealing with Library Services says advanced technologies have also created opportunities to make the Dag Hammarskjöld Library more modern, cost-effective and audience focused. It now makes full text information from outside on-line services and databases concurrently available to Secretariat units. It subscribes to electronic newsletters and news alerts for Secretariat-wide transmission via cc:Mail. Continuous news feed is also available from major international press services, and several Newsedge work stations are now available. Two Optical Disk System work stations have also been installed for Library clients.
The Library has also launched the United Nations World Wide Web site, which presents an overview of services and collections, and a special area containing on-line research tools. The Library has continued efforts to enhance efficiency by streamlining work-flow and providing timely and speedy access to information. It has also begun to produce a series of bibliographies on current topics and issues relating to the Security Council and major aspects of peace-keeping operations.
Information about the Organization is also made available to the public through timely distribution of documents and publications through the Library system of depository libraries, the report continues.
The eighth section of the report deals with the Publications Board and Marketing, noting that new initiatives of the Publications Board, chaired by the Assistant Secretary-General, include an on-line electronic subscription service for the United Nations Treaty Series, and a less restrictive policy of attribution of authorship in publications.
The section on publishing activities states that publications are being carefully differentiated to avoid duplication. Advances include the deployment of advanced publishing technology; a more streamlined editorial process; and greater use of internal reproduction facilities. "This has become the key in making the Department's publications more readable, timely and cost-effective", the report notes.
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One reflection of those gains is seen in the award of the prestigious American Library Association award for the Blue Book Series a year after they were launched. Development Business, which merged with the World Bank's competing International Business Opportunities Service, eliminated duplicative efforts in the United Nations system, and has boosted its income by taking over Opportunities Service subscriptions. Among forthcoming publications is the third edition of The Blue Helmets, which will contribute to a more informed debate about United Nations peace-keeping.
Also before the Committee is a letter from the Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the Secretary-General on questions relating to information (document A/51/372). This conveys the Final Declaration of the Fifth Conference of Ministers of Information of Non-Aligned Countries, held in Abuja, Nigeria, from 3 to 6 September.
At that meeting, the Ministers agreed that the struggle for the new world information and communication order should be intensified in spite of the end of the cold war. The Ministers also agreed that developed countries were employing their media to disseminate false and distorted information of events taking place in developing countries.
They noted with concern the unbalanced economic situation, the use of the technological superiority of the West and the use of unilateral coercive measures against Non-Aligned countries, which impede normal development in the field of information and communication in Non-Aligned countries.
They further agreed on the need to reduce dependence on the information and cultural media of the industrialized countries by supporting cooperative activities. Among other measures, the Ministers called for increased investment in human and material resources in the area of information and communication; and stressed the need for South-South cooperation to redress present imbalances. The need to strengthen the activities of the Non-Aligned News Agency Pool and the Broadcasting Organizations of Non-Aligned Countries to accelerate the process of establishing the new world information order, were also stressed.
Regarding the setting-up of international information centres, it was stressed that those centres would promote inter- and intra-regional cooperation in the field of information and communication.
Introduction of Drafts
NACERDINE SAI (Algeria) Rapporteur of the Committee on Information, introduced the two draft resolutions -- one on information in service of humanity, the other on United Nations public information policies and activities -- contained in the Report of the Committee on Information.
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Questions Relating to Information
SAMIR SANBAR, Assistant Secretary-General for Public Information, said the dramatic changes which had taken place in recent years in the basic assumptions which governed international relations had affected public perceptions of international organizations in many countries. Increasingly the media has referred to "donor fatigue" and a general malaise regarding international cooperation for development. Such trends had serious implications for all international organizations. The institutions therefore had to address such perceptions by devoting greater resources to public information activities. Public information was increasingly recognized as the key to sustaining and enhancing public support for the work of international organizations. Public opinion was the driving force in the formation of government policies. Therefore, international organizations must direct their information policies and activities to that central facet of political reality.
It was against that background, he said, that he invited the Committee to examine the current difficult resource situation in which the DPI found itself. The Department had been called upon to absorb a 5.5 per cent cut in its budget. Since then further cuts of 0.3 per cent in funds and, in effect, over 9 per cent in mandated regular budget post vacancies had had to be absorbed. The Department was doing more with less and would continue to strive for that goal.
An open United Nations was crucial to mobilizing support for a public information culture, he said. Public interest in the activities of the United Nations continued to grow, and the great challenge lay in transforming that interest into better public understanding, and ultimately greater support for the activities of the Organization. For that process to be successful, the development of a media culture at all levels of the Organization was an integral part of it. The Department, together with its partners within the United Nations system, was looking for new ways to develop a closer relationship with all constituents of civil society. Strong partnerships with the media had always been a major part of the overall public information strategy.
During the period under review, he said, the Department had continued to sharpen its focus on specific issues, with cost-efficiency as its main approach. While targeting audiences through traditional media, a fourth new medium, information technology, was pioneered.
Turning to the many uses of the newly available computer technology, Mr. Sanbar pointed out the Department's services for monitoring and analysing the vast body of media coverage about the United Nations. Features to be made available include: "UN-Positive", an electronic newsletter highlighting the
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positive media portrayal of the Organization's accomplishments; "UN NewsWatch", a column that challenges negative aspects of media treatment of the United Nations; and, "UN CyberGuide", a column that draws Internet users' attention to the sites, pages and materials that contain information about the United Nations. The Internet was also being used as a new channel to disseminate radio programmes -- an example of the use of low-cost technology to reach wider audiences. In addition, DPI press releases could be accessed through the Internet on the same day they were released.
One of the most exciting recent developments in the use of the Internet, he stressed, had been the redesign and expansion of the United Nations "home page" on the World Wide Web, which DPI had pioneered even ahead of the mainstream media. As a result, the number of registered visits to the Web site had more than doubled from 200,000 in August to some 476,000 by the end of October. Also a "home page" for sales publications was launched in August and had been generating new sales, some from previously hard-to-reach regions. Still another innovative project was the CyberSchoolBus, an interactive educational Internet service on the World Wide Web. It provides an introduction to the United Nations for students and has links to the "home pages" in the system that were appropriate for educational use.
While it was necessary to be fully alert to information technology as the wave of the future, he said, it was important that traditional media not be overlooked. Not only was there a question of limited access to the Internet in developing countries, but even in industrialized countries, it was only possible to reach the main target audience through traditional means.
In the field of television, he said, the Organization was reaching the widest audience ever -- as regular partners in the CNN World Report. The weekly television news magazine item "UN in Action" was distributed to more than 100 countries and was accessible weekly to between 100 and 200 million viewers. The recent video on peace-keeping "No Place To Hide" continued to draw special attention and had been shown on television channels in some 22 Member States, including the host country. Outreach through radio, the main medium in most Member States, had been widened. Following recent restructuring of the Media Division, all radio production and dissemination resources were consolidated into a single service, resulting in efficiency gains and cost-effective delivery
In the current budgetary environment, he said, the Department had had to rely on the creativity and resourcefulness of its staff to successfully meet the new challenges of the electronic technology. Numerous positive comments had been received on the quality of information on the United Nations Web site.
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He went on to say that the number of visitors who took the guided tour since its inception in 1952 was nearing the 40 million mark. Travel agencies had now placed the visit to Headquarters as an integral part of any tour of the host city. While the tour remained one of the most immediate and visible ways of reaching the public, the restriction on the number of people per group for security reasons, and the resulting increase in the staff costs, continued to have an increasingly negative impact on the Department's ability to generate revenue. Unless there was an agreement to restore the number of visitors per tour to 20 or 25 persons, it might be necessary to reduce the hours or days that tours were offered to remain within the budget allocations. That, of course, would turn away visitors and reduce income.
Never before had the free flow of information been more crucial that it was today, he said. The financial constraints of the Organization had a particularly serious effect on United Nations Information Centres. For the centres it had become a year of reckoning. In many locations, information centres had implemented cost-saving measures on their own initiative. The Department had put extra effort in that regard into advancing their computer capabilities.
The Department was preparing an in-depth evaluation of the centres for its forthcoming session. A hard look had been taken at the performance and cost-effectiveness of each and every information centre. While some had made concerted efforts to enhance programme delivery, some others, among them some of those integrated with field offices of the UNDP, had been lagging in that area. That was a matter of some concern. The Department would continue to pursue integration, on a case-by-case basis. In today's harsh fiscal reality, each centre's performance must be scrutinized closely.
Reform, he stated, was being discussed at various levels and the Department of Public Information was involved in that process. He added that "like image-building, reform is a perception". It was also an ongoing process. The DPI had initiated it before the financial crisis had made downsizing a growth industry. Reform was not book-keeping; it was cost- efficient management. "It goes beyond photo opportunity to the dynamic and constant harnessing of resources, and, in our case, the main and most valuable resource is our staff." Reform was the solid adherence to excellence. Reform, like public information, was a living, continuously dynamic movement which, "like a heart, never stops for a second except to beat and breathe again". While provision of daily services in DPI was becoming a daily challenge, the Department continued to strive to fulfil its mandates.
ALI MEHMOUD (Sudan) said borders had been opened by advances in information. He looked forward to the establishment of a world information system that was more honest and balanced. Developing countries were afraid of being dominated by the media of the developed countries. A new international
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information system was required to transfer technology to the developing countries and remove the serious problem of information discrimination. Free information flow would permit countries to be in contact with the rest of the world.
He said he forcefully rejected misleading campaigns depicting his country. Those campaigns sought to distort the nature of Islam and link it to terrorism. He hoped international information would be objective in dealing with developing countries. It should not be based on distorted perceptions.
He said the United Nations had a very important role to play, especially in acquainting the public with its work. He appreciated the United Nations Information Centre that had been established in Khartoum. Such centres should not only disseminate information, but also reflect the positive aspects of culture of the countries in which they were located. He praised the DPI programme for training broadcasters and announcers in the developing countries.
MARWAN JILANI, observer for Palestine, said it was appropriate that the United Nations should use advances in information and communications technology for the benefit of all nations. He stressed the importance of information in raising the awareness of the international community regarding the complexities of the question of Palestine and the situation in the Middle East. The availability of accurate and current information could clearly contribute to advancement of the dialogue and support for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and the Middle East peace process.
The DPI had an important part to play in furthering the Palestinian cause, he said. The situation on the ground required that the public be educated. For years, the General Assembly had approved an annual resolution on the special information on the question of Palestine. That resolution specified the provisions of the programme to be implemented by the DPI. That resolution, however, remained largely unimplemented. Most provisions had budgetary allocations, but they had not been carried out. The Secretariat should not exercise judgement on mandated programmes or arbitrarily apply financial cuts to them.
HUSNI ALMUDIR (Libya) said everyone was aware of the vital importance of information, and yet the technological revolution had led to gaps between the developing and developed world. Information should be a positive tool to promote international relations and should not be used to distort the facts. The world was divided between the rich who had knowledge and adequate information and the poor who did not have it. The poor countries faced additional problems when they had to face biased flows of information.
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In the case of his country, he said a great power had used information to distort the view of Libya and its people. Some of the information media had resorted to a blackout of the positive stands of Libya, which had adopted many significant international programmes and positions. In spite of its rejection of terrorism and cooperation with all parties, the mass media of a great power had ignored many positive Libyan initiatives to settle regional and international conflicts. An attempt had been made to mislead public opinion and convince the world that Libya had sponsored terrorism. A code of conduct in the handling of information worldwide was needed. He added that the DPI should pay more attention to the Palestinian cause. In addition, UNESCO should focus more on the development of the mass media in the developing countries.
MINATA SAMATE (Burkina Faso) said no one could deny the role of information in development. The struggle for a new world information order must be stepped up since it complemented development efforts. The concentration of access to technology in a few countries was becoming more and more of an issue. The United Nations Information Centres played an important role, particularly during the fiftieth anniversary celebration, in disseminating objective information on the Organization. In order to support the centre in his country, his Government had provided, in addition to the physical premises, free air time for United Nations broadcasts. It had cooperated in the production of programmes about the United Nations in local languages.
He reiterated support for regional seminars on the development of independent pluralistic media in developing countries. He went on to say that the necessary resources must be made available to the DPI, and it in turn should guarantee balanced distribution of the resources it received.
ANA TERESA DENGO (Costa Rica), speaking for the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, said it was clear that while communications and technologies were changing rapidly, the developing countries were being left behind. She reiterated the importance of the availability of modern technologies, but also the training of personnel on its use. Special emphasis should also be placed on the continued publication of "Development Update", which had become a basic document on the information of upcoming conferences, as well as with all other aspects linked to the needs of the developing world. The placement of that document on the Internet was a major step.
She expressed concern that the DPI had stopped issuing press releases on decolonization matters. Less importance was given to that subject, while there were still 17 non-self-governing territories in the world. Since the committee had a limited membership, a more efficient and thorough process of reporting information was needed. It should be a priority item. In addition, the downsizing of some information centres had not contributed towards
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achieving the desired objective of attaining efficiency and cost effectiveness. Instead, the process had significantly reduced the capability of those centres to disseminate information about United Nations activities. That policy should be reviewed urgently to restore the independent status of the information centres in the concerned countries.
ABDULSALAM KASSIM AL-AWADHI (Yemen) said the United Nations Charter should be reaffirmed with respect to the freedom of the press. The disparity between the developed and developing countries, and the difficulty of developing countries in disseminating information on their culture and ethics, should be addressed. He stressed the need for developing countries to have access to communications technology to help in radio and television broadcasts, and to contribute to regional communications. Access was also required to communications networks.
He said it was necessary to focus on the needs of the Palestinian people and to implement existing resolutions on that matter. The DPI had played an important role in disseminating information on the peoples and cultures of the developing countries. However, as a member of the Arab group, he appreciated the dissemination of documents in Arabic, and hoped that would increase. He noted that the capital of his country had been the site for a seminar on freedom of the press last January; Mr. Sanbar had participated, as well as the President and Prime Minister of Yemen.
YEVHEN V. KOZIY (Ukraine) underscored the effective work of the United Nations Information Centre in his country. He said serious economic difficulties substantially reduced Ukraine's opportunities to have modern information equipment and related technologies, thereby limiting its access to the world information network. In that regard, his country relied upon the assistance of the developed countries. Dissemination of information by new technologies in the United Nations Headquarters, and at its offices in developing countries and countries with economies in transition, helped to inform those countries about recent developments in the field of information and promoted their utilization at the national level.
He expressed support for the initiative of UNESCO in holding a seminar on media for the States of Central and Eastern Europe in Bulgaria next year, as an important step in preventing a gap in the information field between those of the developing countries, countries in transition and the developed countries. Noting the importance of the opening for signing of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), he expressed regret that his country's unprecedented contribution to practical nuclear disarmament had not received adequate recognition by the international community. The DPI could have been more responsive to what Ukraine was doing. His country welcomed the creation of a consultative mechanism to coordinate access to public information in peace-keeping.
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NIALL HOLOHAN (Ireland), on behalf of the European Union and Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Iceland and Norway, said freedom of information was an essential element in the promotion and preservation of democracy in all parts of the world. The dissemination of information by the media in a fair and open manner could play an important role in civil society, fostering mutual understanding and reconciliation.
At the same time, the media must be criticized when it used its great influence for the purposes of spreading incitement to hatred, bigotry or racism. The broadcasts of the radio station "Mille Collines" in Rwanda during the appalling genocide in that country two years ago were a regrettable example of such behaviour. He added that the information component should be given prominence in all peace-keeping operations. The United Nations Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM), for example, might well have achieved a greater degree of success if it had been able to portray itself in a better light within Somalia and to the world at large.
He said the European Union was fully aware of the difficulties under which DPI must operate in the current financial climate. He gave it credit for the effective and professional service provided under the circumstances. He underlined the importance of the Department's work at a time when the need to project a positive image of the United Nations had never been greater. The DPI must concentrate its resources on priority activities. It should be commended for the continued prompt publication, in both working languages, of its press releases which very effectively met the needs of delegations as well as of the media. It was a positive development to see the progress in documentation on the Internet and the recently introduced Optical Disk System. He supported the idea of a thorough evaluation of the results of the network of information centres so that they could disseminate United Nations-related information in the most efficient manner. For the same reasons, the Union supported an independent evaluation of the activities of the Dag Hammarskjold Library.
KRISHNAVENI PASUPATHI, (Singapore) said information technology was changing the world economy. Mastering those new technologies was the way that countries would prosper and grow in the twenty-first century. The information revolution posed major political, moral and social challenges. It had allowed the media to impinge upon and profoundly effect areas that had been traditionally the responsibility of families and governments, but without bearing responsibility for the outcome. Freedom of information could not be an excuse to blur the distinction between right and wrong.
For Singapore, a small country whose international trade was 300 times its gross domestic product, instantaneous access to new information was key to prosperity, she said. As a small, multiracial and multi-religious nation,
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information brought with it vulnerabilities. His country had set clear benchmarks and parameters for the international media and satellite broadcasting.
She applauded the efforts of the Secretariat and the DPI to harness the technology of the Internet to improve dissemination of United Nations information. The Internet attracted 1 million new subscribers every month, and its potential was vast. However it was infested with violence, pornography, sexual perversion and hate. Singapore allowed expansion of the Internet within a regulatory framework to check abuse and sleaze. The objective was to curb perpetrators and distributors of content that undermined public morals, political stability and religious harmony. Singapore did not hold itself as a model for anyone, she said. Many had become aware of the problem. Even subscribers to First Amendment Rights were talking about imposing restrictions. The United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Germany had taken, or attempted to take, measures to deal with the problem.
WANG XUEXIAN (China) said the DPI, under Mr. Sanbar's leadership, had overcome shortfalls of resources to play an important role in enhancing public understanding of the Organization and its work. The task facing the Organization was to use the media to settle common problems of mankind. Those people who were used to cold-war thinking were taking advantage of and even manipulating mass media under the pretence of "freedom of information". That was in violation of the principles of the Charter. They spared no money in establishing so-called "freedom radios" in order to "peddle clichés smacking of the cold war". They publicized what was backward and negative in developing countries to vilify people and governments.
The manifestation of power politics in the information field should be firmly resisted, he went on. The international community should work in earnest to ensure that media respected facts and objectivity. Developing countries were in danger of being economically marginalized due to lack of access to new technologies. The developed nations were dutybound to provide financial resources and to transfer technology to developing countries to help improve their infrastructure. The information highway should help narrow the distance between countries, not expand the disparities between North and South. He said Chinese, as one of the official languages of the United Nations, should not be weakened, despite the financial crisis facing the Organization. He hoped the Department would further increase the number and outreach of Chinese publications.
WALID DOUDECH (Tunisia) welcomed the Department's initiative to develop and refine its media capabilities, and to develop a unified view of the work of the Organization. The reports of the working group initiated by Mr. Sanbar should be made available to Member States. He stressed the important role of the interdepartmental working group on peace-keeping in which the DPI
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participated. It was certain that when people were better informed about the goals of United Nations missions, they would not be as easily misled about their goals.
It had become increasingly difficult to improve the DPI with declining resources. He drew attention to reductions in programmes relating to Palestine. No justification had been offered for those reductions, which could affect vital activities, such as those carried out by United Nations information centres. One of the draft resolutions before the Committee requested the Secretary-General to produce a report on the functioning of the centres to make it possible to rationalize and supervise their work. New information technologies should be disseminated to all centres. Proper infrastructure was required in developing countries to make that possible.
ANWARUL KARIM CHOWDHURY (Bangladesh) said the DPI was one of the departments which received the biggest jolt of financial streamlining in the United Nations system. While he supported efficient management of the Department, he emphasized that the resources must be used effectively to optimize output. The main purpose of the streamlining exercise should be to make the Department efficient and effective, not to throttle its functions. It was essential, for example, to keep people informed about the success and difficulties of United Nations peace-keeping initiatives. Mechanisms for dissemination of information on economic and social issues needed to be strengthened and focused. Bangladesh also appreciated the dissemination of its own national success stories, in such areas as child survival and development and the empowerment of women, to other members of the world community.
Turning to the role of information centres, he said Bangladesh had been the beneficiary of the useful services of such a centre, but,unfortunately, in the past few years there had been a significant reduction in its ability to effectively communicate messages on key areas of United Nations activity, following integration of the centre with the UNDP. The integration process had not been successful in producing the desired focus and outcome in presenting a comprehensive picture of the United Nations. While appreciating the need to improve efficiency, Bangladesh found it difficult to accept the rationale that integration of the centres with any other United Nations agency would help streamline activities. The independent status of major information centres should be maintained and, where necessary, restored.
IVAN MAXIMOV (Bulgaria) said his country was experiencing unprecedented difficulties in the field of information and communications due to its difficult transition to a free market economy. Bulgaria was actively involved in the development of bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the information field. Such cooperation should be one of the priorities as the
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associated countries of Central and Eastern Europe prepared for full membership in the European Union.
He said the United Nations public information strategy should be directed at guaranteeing equal access of all Member States to the information flow and global cultural exchange. More than ever, the information structures of the United Nations must gain public support for the activities of the Organization. The United Nations public information supply should be objective and accurate in contents, modern in form, audience-targeted and popular in access.
In a time of budgetary crisis, the DPI's work in enhancing coordination and avoiding duplication had become crucial in presenting a unified image of the Organization. However, it was a matter of concern that demands for further cost savings by the DPI, already operating under severe financial constraints, could reduce significantly its ability to shape the image of the Organization. "Doing more with less should not mean doing everything with nothing", he added.
HOLGEL F. MARTINSEN (Argentina) applauded the work of the DPI in correcting misunderstandings on the work of the Organization; the creation of the media response team was an appropriate initiative. The work of the Department in the Latin American and Caribbean region should utilize advanced technology. Resources for activities in the Spanish language should be maintained on a par with those in other languages.
Measures adopted to cut expenses of information centres should include efforts to effect savings through technological improvements, he said. It was important that great care was taken in disseminating information about the Organization, given the delicate nature of many issues with which it dealt. His country was prepared to continue to contribute to the expanded Bureau of the Committee on Information.
HICHAM HAMDAN (Lebanon) said information was undoubtedly one of the most important means for fostering political, economic and social development. But it must be accurate, otherwise, it could become a basis for negative propaganda. With that understanding, he supported the idea of an international code of conduct relating to the flow of information. Information should also be disseminated at the country level in national languages. Emphasis should be put on addressing public opinion in donor countries where the public still was reluctant to support official development assistance programmes.
He said his country subscribed to the Declaration of the Fifth Conference of the Ministers of Information of the Non-Aligned Countries in Abuja, Nigeria. He agreed that the current situation did not favour those
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countries, but cooperation among them could bring a change. It was necessary to ensure diversity of sources and free access to information enabling developing countries to disseminate information and communicate their views and cultural and ethical values.
He called on the United Nations system to develop human and technical resources in developing countries. Advanced information was the key to economic and cultural success, which was why his country had prioritized the rehabilitation of its communication system. He shared the view of the important role of United Nations information centres, but the integration of those centres and other field offices of the United Nations system should proceed on a case-by-case basis.
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