IMPORTANCE OF 'PUBLIC INFORMATION CULTURE' IN UNITED NATIONS STRESSED, AS INFORMATION COMMITTEE BEGINS 1997 SESSION

13 May 1997

Press Release
PI/1007

IMPORTANCE OF 'PUBLIC INFORMATION CULTURE' IN UNITED NATIONS STRESSED, AS INFORMATION COMMITTEE BEGINS 1997 SESSION

19970513 ASG for Public Information Calls Consensus In Committee Prerequisite for Further Progress in UN Information Activities

At a time when there was still a tendency in some quarters to view public information as merely a subsidiary support service, building a public information culture within the United Nations represented an important challenge, Assistant Secretary-General for Public Information Samir Sanbar said this morning, as the Committee on Information began the first part of its 1997 session.

The Department of Public Information (DPI) was acting to promote a clear and coherent message through enhanced collaboration with senior officials throughout the United Nations system, Mr. Sanbar told the Committee. Although DPI had strengthened its communication programmes and media services, their impact depended on having such a message.

Mr. Sanbar stressed the importance of the consensus achieved by the Committee in recent years. "We will creatively build on this accomplishment with the confidence that such consensus does not preclude progress, but is one of its strongest prerequisites." He said DPI supported the Secretary-General's reform efforts and had initiated such measures well before the financial crisis made downsizing an imperative.

Reviewing DPI's activities over the past year, Mr. Sanbar said it had expanded its use of the latest technologies, such as the Internet, while continuing to use such traditional media as radio and television to reach the widest possible audience. While doing more with less, it had maintained its professional credibility, sharpened the focus on specific issues, developed wider audiences, and streamlined its operational machinery.

In an opening statement, Committee Chairman Jose Alberto de Sousa (Portugal) said the Secretary-General had made clear that the process of reform would be undertaken in consultation with Member States. The first part of the Committee's session represented a timely opportunity for Member States to express their views on the future of the United Nations communications and media services.

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At the outset of the meeting, the Committee considered the decision of its extended bureau to hold its 1997 session in two parts. Under that arrangement, the Committee would meet from 13 to 19 May to hold its general debate, and resume from 2 to 8 September to take its decisions. That would allow it to consider the proposals on the reform of United Nations information activities, to be issued by the Secretary-General in July.

Prior to approving the split session, a number of speakers expressed concern about the manner in which the extended bureau decided on those arrangements, without consulting the entire Committee. They also expressed concern about the possibility of the Committee being presented with a fait accompli by the Task Force established by Secretary-General to make recommendations on the reorientation of DPI.

The representative of Zimbabwe stressed that the Committee was the intergovernmental body mandated to make recommendations about United Nations public information policy and could not be guided by a Task Force made up of non-governmental participants. The representative of Ireland said it was in the interests of all concerned to reflect on the Secretary-General's forthcoming recommendations so the Committee might take them into account in September.

Statements on the matter were also made by the representatives of Argentina, Iran, Syria, Mexico, Jamaica, Brazil, Egypt, Chile, Tunisia, Netherlands, Bulgaria and Algeria.

Also this morning, the Committee, acting by acclamation, elected the following officers: Jose Alberto de Sousa (Portugal), Chairman; Holger Frederico Martinsen (Argentina) and Salman A. Abbasy (Pakistan), Vice- Chairmen; and Alyaksei Skrypko (Belarus), as Rapporteur. A third vice- chairman will also be elected.

The Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. today to begin its general debate.

Committee Work Programme

The Committee on Information met this morning to begin the first part of its 1997 session, at which it is to conduct its general exchange of views. It is expected to meet again from 2 to 8 September to formulate its recommendations.

During the debate, the Committee will have before it reports by the Secretary-General on the publications of the Department of Public Information (DPI), including those relating to development, as well as on the communications infrastructures of developing countries. Other reports concern the United Nations information centres and their integration with field offices of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the work of the Joint United Nations Information Committee, and an evaluation of the Dag Hammarskjöld Library. (For additional background, see Press Release PI/1005 of 8 May.)

Discussion on Arrangements for 1997 Session

NGONI FRANCIS SENGWE (Zimbabwe) said he had a procedural problem regarding the decision to separate the current session into two parts. It was the Committee, not its bureau, which made recommendations. On the reforms to be proposed by the Secretary-General, he said that even if consultations were held concerning them, there would still have to be a full meeting of the Committee before any decisions could be taken. The Committee, an intergovernmental body founded in 1946, could not be guided by a task force made up of non-governmental participants. The Committee's decisions must be factored into the deliberations of the Task Force on the Reorientation of the United Nations Public Information Activities.

HOLGER FEDERICO MARTINSEN (Argentina) said the decision to hold the session in two parts had been motivated by the will to preserve the Committee's independence and enable it to make its decisions regarding the recommendations of the Secretary-General.

JOSE ALBERTO DE SOUSA (Portugal), Committee Chairman, said the decision to hold the current session in two parts was meant to allow the Committee full input with respect to the reform proposals.

JALAL SAMADI (Iran) said he wanted to place on record his reservations regarding the decision of the extended bureau to hold the current session in two parts without consulting the Committee.

FAROUK AL-ATTAR (Syria) expressed concern that the decision to hold the current session in two parts had not been taken in full consultation with the Committee, as was required.

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Mr. DE SOUSA (Portugal), Committee Chairman, said he had taken note of the reservations expressed and proposed that the Committee take a brief recess to hold consultations.

NIALL HOLOHAN (Ireland) said that, from the point of view of rules and Committee procedure, the representatives of Iran and Syria were correct. Decisions of the kind being considered must be taken by the Committee as a whole. Nevertheless, it was in the interests of everyone concerned to reflect on the Secretary-General's recommendations, to be issued in July, so the Committee might take them into account in September. It would be a great mistake if the Committee's draft resolutions did not take those recommendations into account. He appealed again to those delegations which had made correct statements about procedure to join in preserving the consensus the Committee had enjoyed in recent years.

EMMA RODRIGUEZ-SIFUENTES (Mexico) said that if the Committee approved the decision to hold the current session in two parts, the second segment should include a brief general debate.

Mr. SENGWE (Zimbabwe) said everything should be done to observe the rules of procedure; the Committee should reject decisions made elsewhere. The Secretary-General would make his recommendations in July, and the General Assembly would take them up in September. He said he had questions about the Task Force, which did not include representation by Member States, and he had great problems with the current procedure.

Mr. MARTINSEN (Argentina) said the bureau had consulted with regional groups on the possibility of a resumed session in September. Concerns over procedure should not preclude a clear examination of the issues. In the view of the Latin American and Caribbean countries, the September session should not merely be a fait accompli. The Committee's competence in information must be duly respected. The Secretary-General's proposals were not decisions, and many countries wished to express their views on them.

WAYNE ST. JOHN McCOOK (Jamaica) asked if the Task Force would be making a substantive presentation to the Committee during the resumed session. How would its report be handled? Would there be a general debate on its contents? How could good use be made of a decision to split the current session into two parts?

MIAN QADRUD-DIN, Committee Secretary, said the report of the Task Force and the Secretary-General's report would be available in late July. A debate could then take place during the second part of the Committee's session. Extended bureau meetings could be resumed to take up the reports when they were issued. Negotiations among the regional groups could begin around mid- August. The Committee could then take a decision on those proposals and have a say on the recommendations that went to the General Assembly.

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ANTONIO JOSE FERREIRA SIMOES (Brazil) said Zimbabwe's point of procedure was a substantive issue. The main point was that the Committee would like to have input into the Task Force's deliberations before any action was taken on its recommendations. It did not want to be presented with a fait accompli. A small debate should be held during the second part of the current session. There had to be some way to involve the Committee more in the work of the Task Force. Members wanted a clear and constructive way to say what they would like.

HOSSAM ZAKI (Egypt) said he endorsed the point on the procedure to be taken for the decision to hold the Committee's session in two parts. However, the Committee had to play a positive role and could not merely react to reports presented in July. Therefore, during the first part of its session, it had formulated proposals and recommendations to be taken into account by the Task Force. It could then check to see if the Task Force took its recommendations into account and made its decisions accordingly. The Task Force should be informed clearly and fully of the viewpoints expressed by the Committee during the first part of its session.

WALDEMAR COUTTS (Chile) said the Permanent Representative of Chile, Juan Somavía, was on the Task Force in his personal capacity. He had consulted with various delegations and held a series of meetings with the regional groups, including one yesterday with the European Union. He would meet with representatives of the "Group of 77" developing countries tomorrow.

Mr. SENGWE (Zimbabwe) said it was the responsibility of the Committee to make specific proposals on the future of DPI. It would be appropriate to revisit that issue again in September to consider the Secretary-General's proposals. The composition of the extended bureau needed to be reviewed to ensure that it was representative.

EL WALID DOUDECH (Tunisia) said such major decisions as were being suggested must be taken by Member States. It was appropriate to make proposals on how a reorganization would take place. By expressing its views on the matter during the first part of its session, the Task Force would be in a position to study the Committee's views against the background of the Secretary-General's proposals. Then, in September, the Committee could examine the Secretary-General's report and take its decisions.

ROBERT W. ZAAGMAN (Netherlands) said the representative of Chile had outlined how the Task Force had held consultations with Member States and regional groups, including an exchange of views between representatives of the European Union and Ambassador Somavía. In those exchanges, Ambassador Somavía had not been telling the European Union the Task Force's ideas. Rather, he was "picking its brain", with the explicit understanding that the Task force would make use of that input. It was also made clear that there would also be meetings with other regional groups as part of an ongoing process of

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consultations. Such consultations were the most fruitful and effective way of involving the Member States in the reform process. As that process would continue to evolve over the coming months, it would not be fruitful for the Committee to formulate recommendations now. It was up to Member States to take up the invitation of Ambassador Somavía and consult with him.

IVAN V. MAXIMOV (Bulgaria) said he regretted the current discussion. Speaking as former Chairman of the Committee, he reminded members that the extended bureau enjoyed representation by all the regional groups, including the Group of 77. When the Secretary-General first announced his proposals, the extended bureau had met immediately to discuss them, on the assumption that the Committee had a mandate to discuss proposed reforms of DPI. It had also assumed the Committee and its bureau should support the Secretary- General's reform efforts. As a result, it then decided to hold the two-part session, to allow all members to express their views after having studied the Secretary-General's proposals. He had urged the regional groups to hold consultations and express any reservations they might have about the proposals to hold a two-part session, and there were none. Accordingly, he had informed the Secretary-General of that decision.

He went on to say that the bureau had also asked him to write a second letter to the Secretary-General, requesting that the Executive Coordinator for United Nations Reform, Maurice F. Strong, and the Chairman of the Task Force, Mark Malloch-Brown, address the Committee about the work of the Task Force. If anyone had questions about the extended bureau, they should remember it had always worked within the mandate given to it by the Committee and had taken the only reasonable decision.

NACERDINE SAI (Algeria) endorsed the views of Egypt and Tunisia with respect to holding the Committee's session in two parts. Nothing should be done to change the structure of DPI until the Committee had taken its explicit decision on the matter. While recognizing Ambassador Somavía's competence, he was the only diplomat on the Task Force, and that was a matter of great concern.

Mr. DE SOUSA (Portugal), Committee Chairman, said there seemed to be broader consensus that the Committee should hold a two-part session. Representatives had also expressed concern that ideas of the general debate should be forwarded to the Task Force. He would ask the Task Force to follow the Committee's deliberations closely.

The Committee then decided to hold the current session in two parts, with the first segment to conclude on 19 May.

Ms. RODRIGUEZ-SIFUENTES (Mexico) asked if there would be an opportunity for delegates to express their views in the second part of the current session in September.

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Mr. DE SOUSA (Portugal), Committee Chairman, said there was no reason why Member States could not make general statements during the second part of the session in September.

The Committee then approved its agenda for the current session.

Opening Statements

Mr. DE SOUSA (Portugal) Committee Chairman, said the Secretary-General had made clear that the process of reform, which would be directed towards publicizing the Organization's activities with greater vigour and purpose, would be undertaken in consultation with Member States. This first part of the current session would provide a timely opportunity for Member States to express their views on the future of the Organization's communications and media services. The Committee's extended bureau had made itself available to both the Secretary-General and his Task Force on the reform of DPI. It welcomed the reform process as another step towards readying the United Nations for the challenges of the next century.

The existence of a free and unfettered press was fundamental to meeting those challenges, he went on to say. On World Press Freedom Day, several speakers had stressed the importance of an independent, pluralistic and free press for the development and strengthening of democracy. Press freedom was the key to strong media establishments in both developed and developing countries. Member States should welcome the reform and reorientation of United Nations public information activities as a continuously dynamic movement aimed at providing better services for the media, non-governmental organizations and other redisseminators.

Members should also welcome DPI's work in the field, he said. Last year, several speakers had pointed out the need for DPI to keep pace with new channels of information, such as the Internet and other electronic disseminators. Since then, significant progress had been achieved in the development of the United Nations home page on the Internet, which included a "reform site", thus giving more transparency to the on-going process.

He cited the introduction of electronic access to treaties, Security Council resolutions, press releases, the Secretary-General's statements and other texts, as well as the easy access to other United Nations web sites and the enlargement of the French and Spanish home pages as positive actions. The DPI should be encouraged to provide such information in the largest possible number of languages. He also noted the launching of "the Cyber School Bus".

In January 1996, 489,000 files had been downloaded per month from the United Nations site, he said. In February 1997, 3,700,000 files had been downloaded. Members should look forward to another challenge in the reform plan: that of expanding the use of information technology to connect all

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missions electronically by June 1997, and expanding access to United Nations information in all countries.

Even in places where access to the Internet was easy, there was still a considerable demand for print and audio-visual material about the Organization, he said. The future role of United Nations information centres must take into consideration the needs and interests of the audience in countries where these centres produced information materials. Radio was a cost-effective and potent tool for the dissemination of information, and adequate resources must be made available its full use.

The ingredients of a good recipe for United Nations public information activities were at hand, he said. The secret was how to mix them together in order to better serve the international community. The Committee could add the proper salt for that purpose, and if it stirred in the amount of consensus mastered in the past, it would have a much better taste for the future.

SAMIR SANBAR, Assistant Secretary-General for Public Information, said there had been close collaboration between DPI and the Committee through regular meetings with its extended bureau. The consensus achieved within the Committee over the past few years had been both encouraging and inspiring. "We will creatively build on this accomplishment with the confidence that such consensus does not preclude progress, but is one of its strongest prerequisites." The current session was particularly significant in view of the special importance the Secretary-General attached to the role of public information in promoting the Organization's objectives.

Recalling the observance on 2 May of World Press Freedom Day in the General Assembly Hall, Mr. Sanbar said the affirmation of press freedom by the Assembly dated back to the beginning of the Organization. The Assembly had also proclaimed the right to information in article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. During an age of information technology, news crossed national borders. Access to information had become an established right for societies, and freedom of expression was an inalienable right of the individual. The DPI would maintain its commitment to a free and varied press in every region and through every medium, by organizing meetings and seminars, providing the media with practical assistance and promoting an open working environment for the media at the United Nations.

Over the years, DPI had accumulated more than 350 mandated activities, in addition to annual observances for 21 international days and weeks, 13 decades, and five international years, and its involvement in a series of international conferences. As a result the Department had concentrated on specific priority areas, while ensuring a flexible approach in handling its mandates. It had focused on the development of communications policies, programmes and strategies, and the provision of information services to all parts of the Organization at Headquarters and in the field.

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Mr. Sanbar said that, having to do much more with less, DPI had made every effort to maintain its professional credibility, sharpen the focus on specific issues, forge stronger links with media organizations, develop wider audiences, and streamline its operational machinery.

Partnerships had been established or strengthened within and outside the United Nations system, he went on to say. Joint ventures, often using extrabudgetary funds, had been organized with influential media organizations, leaders of civil society, intellectual and educational groups, the business community, appropriate private enterprises and relevant governmental institutions. The DPI had cooperated with other United Nations departments and programmes in developing publicity and media strategies for the recent cycle of world conferences on economic, social and human rights. Currently, it was working closely with the Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development on a publicity campaign for next month's special session of the General Assembly, "Earth Summit + 5".

He said the Department had initiated close working relations with the Departments of Peace-keeping Operations, Humanitarian Affairs, and Political Affairs to ensure the deployment and continuous support of information components in all field operations. It was also working through the Joint United Nations Information Committee to help coordinate the information message of United Nations programmes and the agencies.

Even at a time when television had been described as the sixteenth member of the Security Council, there was still a tendency in some quarters in the Organization to view public information as merely a subsidiary support service, Mr. Sanbar said. "A major challenge facing us, therefore, is to build a public information culture within the United Nations and to consolidate and strengthen that culture." Public information was a demanding profession requiring training, experience and a full-time commitment. It must be delivered regularly, effectively and on time. Being visible meant being vulnerable. "Success may pass unnoticed, yet any error glares in public."

There had been some progress in building a public information culture, but much more needed to be done, he said. The role of the Secretary-General was central, as he personified the Organization and gave a human face to which the media could respond. Heads of departments and other senior officials were also valuable partners in any public information strategy, if the United Nations was to communicate a coherent message which conveyed its relevance to daily life. Thematic messages should be prepared in collaboration with the departments concerned.

While DPI had strengthened its communications programmes and media services, the impact of its efforts depended on presenting a clear, coherent message, he said. "This remains one of our most important challenges." While DPI was accountable for programme delivery, public perception of the United

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Nations was everyone's concern. Enhanced collaboration between DPI and senior officials throughout the United Nations system would consolidate a coherent message and a positive image.

Modern technology would play a crucial role as the United Nations prepared to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century, he said. The DPI had grasped the opportunities offered by that new fourth medium -- information technology -- in its priority work areas. Joining the ranks of such traditional media as press, radio and television, the new medium offered speed, cost-savings, and a direct outreach to wider audiences, including youth and policy-makers.

He said that vital information on United Nations activities, as well as global statistics, texts of international treaties, resolutions and press communiqués were now immediately available on the United Nations home page on the World Wide Web. Recent statistics on access indicated approximately 800,000 "hits" per week to obtain United Nations information. Information technology was revolutionizing the communications strategy of the United Nations. It was also helping to build an inextricable bond with governments, media and civil society.

Nevertheless, information technology was not yet universally available, he said. The challenge for the international community was to enable a free flow of current information so that as many countries as possible might benefit from the new technology. The DPI had continued to make gains in outreach through traditional media because of their crucial importance in all countries, including those already travelling on the information superhighway.

As was promised, DPI's radio capacity had been dramatically strengthened, he said. Last month, the Secretary-General had taken part in a first-ever, live international broadcast organized by United Nations radio. During the one-hour programme, which originated from Headquarters, he had fielded questions from foreign affairs correspondents and editors speaking from radio studios in Australia, Germany, India, Japan, Kenya, Netherlands, South Africa and the United States.

He said that regular United Nations radio information was available in English, French and Spanish, 24 hours a day, by dialling the telephone number (212) 963-3777. Special radio links had been established through a network of more than 1,800 radio stations worldwide. A project was under way to introduce United Nations radio on the Internet, both in a daily live broadcast and as archival files. DPI radio had also strengthened its cooperation within the United Nations system, particularly with such agencies dealing with humanitarian situations as the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

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Through arrangements with television networks, the DPI video product "Year in Review" had reached 360 million households through satellite broadcasts in six languages, he said. An estimated 160 million viewers in 106 countries watched the weekly "UN in Action" , while the United Nations television series "World Chronicle" was broadcast weekly on the International Channel at 7:30 a.m. every Sunday, New York time.

He said DPI's publications were designed to create an informed awareness of the activities of United Nations. The Department was also posting new print products on the United Nations home page. DPI publications were being revitalized through more demand-driven approaches in style and content and through closer collaboration with substantive departments. There had been a major push to make publications more marketable and to offer more of them for sale. Sales revenues had more than doubled between 1994 and 1996. Over the past three years, design and publishing services had been strengthened by introducing desktop publishing technology. New partnerships in publishing had extended the reach of publications beyond the academic market.

The DPI had continued to strengthen its partnership with the community of international non-governmental organizations, he said Celebrating 50 years of cooperation, the fiftieth annual DPI/NGO Conference, to be held in September, would focus on the theme of building partnerships. Last month, the Department had granted DPI association to 50 additional non-governmental organizations from different regions of the world, bringing the total to over 1,500. Weekly briefings for non-governmental organizations provided for direct dialogue on most current United Nations issues.

To facilitate access to United Nations information and documentation, DPI had relocated the NGO Resource Centre to Headquarters late last year, he said. As a result, access to the Optical Disc System, which contained United Nations documentation in all official languages, as well as to United Nations system "home pages" on the Internet, were not available to them free of charge.

He said the guided tours operation at Headquarters had introduced efficiency measures, including the computerization of its reservations system and a staffing structure based on a small core of full-time guides. The majority of its staffing needs were met by part-time guides on Special Service Agreements, thus saving on common staff costs. Moreover, the use of rotating shifts avoided overtime costs.

Security restrictions, however, had seriously hampered efforts to run an efficient and competitive visitors operation, he said. Since 1993, the maximum group size had been limited to 15 rather than 25. Small groups required more guides to handle the number of visitors, increasing staff costs. Total income was reduced since small group sizes impeded an efficient flow of visitors through the tour route -- a message which limited capacity during

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peak periods. "While we strive to attract more visitors, we are often forced to turn them away because of the inability to accommodate them."

Misperceptions and misrepresentation of United Nations activities and purposes in some sections of the media had become a matter of concern in recent years, he said. Instantaneous reporting profoundly influenced public opinion, and sustained and focused false reports could distort reality. A prompt response was needed to set the record straight. Over the past year, DPI had responded with a series of fact sheets in simple, media-friendly format, dealing with media misstatements about the United Nations. There had been a great demand for those fact sheets by individuals, as well as institutions, including media organizations. More significantly, many media reports had quoted extensively from them to strengthen arguments in support of the Organization. All of the fact sheets were posted on the web.

The World Television Forum held at Headquarters last November, under the co-sponsorship of DPI, the Foreign Ministry of Italy and Radio-Televisione Italiana, had been an important initiative, he said. Nearly 150 broadcasting professionals from around the world had examined television's role in covering United Nations-related issues and informing the public around the world.

He said the United Nations information centres were uniquely equipped to inform local audiences about the United Nations. The centres translated the Organization's message into some 60 languages and connected global issues to local interest. They were also positioned to respond swiftly to misperceptions and inaccuracies about the United Nations, as well as to unwarranted criticism of the Organization, which appeared in the media.

Over the past three-and-a-half years, DPI has integrated approximately 30 information centres with the UNDP field offices, he said. That represented close to half of the global network of information centres. The integration process had involved painstaking negotiations with all parties concerned, on a case-by-case basis, with the endorsement by the Committee and the General Assembly. In the process, DPI had taken into full the views of the host Government, the functional autonomy and the professional effectiveness of the information centres, and the imperative that integration should realize savings in the cost of common premises and services.

He said there were three key elements which formed the backbone of the integration process: rigorous selection and training of national information officers; thorough professional briefings of United Nations resident representatives who also served as centre directors; and regular feedback to DPI to ensure that the Organization's public information mandates were being effectively fulfilled.

Technological innovation and the electronic provision of information continued to be priorities for the Dag Hammarskjöld Library, he said. It was

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implementing a new client-server system -- the Integrated Library Management System -- that brought together all major library operations. That system would reduce duplication of work, increase staff productivity, improve control over administrative and financial processes, and enhance satisfaction through a user-friendly retrieval system.

Drawing attention to the recommendations of two independent consultants on the use of cost-effective technological innovations in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library, he said many of them had endorsed initiatives already under way. A number of the recommendations would have financial implications. Should the Committee decide to take action on them, DPI would make every effort to implement them through redeployment of existing resources or through extra- budgetary funding.

He said the Secretary-General's report on publications in the development sphere had provided a comprehensive picture of the principal recurrent and non-recurrent publications of the Department, some of which had come to acquire a prominent place among readers of development publications. An award-winning example was Africa Recovery. Development Business, produced in cooperation with the regional development banks, was a self-financing publication aimed at an audience which included the business world. It enabled developing countries to procure goods and services at internationally competitive prices by providing them with information on opportunities to compete for international contracts.

He said a survey cited in the report on the United Nations information centres had found that local constituents relied on the centres as their most important source of information about the United Nations. Such information was still disseminated primarily by traditional means, since new information technologies were not widely accessible. The survey also confirmed the centres' role as a basic focal point for the United Nations system.

Mr. Sanbar reiterated DPI's full support for implementing the priorities contained in the Secretary-General's proposals for strengthening the United Nations system. He said the Department had welcomed the Secretary-General's objectives from the very beginning of his leadership. Cost-effective management was essential to reform and was an ongoing process. The Department had initiated a reform process well before the financial crisis made downsizing an imperative. Reform-oriented, cost-effective measures and budgetary savings were initiated three years ago with the introduction of the first DPI negative growth budget. In addition, it had been necessary to cut $8 million abruptly in early 1996. All cuts and reform measures were implemented with the full participation of the staff and consensus support from Member States.

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"Reform, like public information, is a living, dynamic movement which, like a heart, never stops for a second", he said. "And as we struggle daily to enhance the image of the United Nations in a swiftly changing world, we know that public information is not just a department -- it is a professional commitment." With that commitment, DPI would continue to put its best efforts into creating innovative outreach projects, particularly those designed for the media and the public. It counted on the Committee's continued support as the Department endeavoured to spread the United Nations message to as wide an audience as possible in the most cost-effective way.

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