MOBILIZING PUBLIC OPINION BEHIND INTERNATIONAL POLICY MAJOR CHALLENGE FACING UNITED NATIONS, INFORMATION COMMITTEE TOLD

13 May 1997

Press Release
PI/1008

MOBILIZING PUBLIC OPINION BEHIND INTERNATIONAL POLICY MAJOR CHALLENGE FACING UNITED NATIONS, INFORMATION COMMITTEE TOLD

19970513 Chairman of Information Task Force Stresses Using Modern Communication Means to Put Organization Back on Map

Mobilizing public opinion behind international policy was one of the major challenges facing the United Nations, the Chairman of the Task Force on the Reorientation of the United Nations Public Information Activities said this afternoon, as the Committee on Information began its general debate on United Nations information policies and activities.

Mark Malloch Brown, Vice-President of External Affairs of the World Bank, said the Task Force which he chaired aimed to harness the power of modern communication to put the United Nations and the Secretary-General back on the public map. In that effort, a coherent message could be the single most potent tool available to the Organization.

The Task Force was established by the Secretary-General in April to provide him with advice prior to the release of his proposals for reorienting United Nations public information activities, expected in July.

Mr. Malloch Brown said the Task Force would assess global public attitudes, brainstorm on how to position the Organization, and examine appropriate delivery systems for getting the message out. However, it would not be handing detailed management plans to the Department of Public Information (DPI). Rather, it would aim to help the Department, the Secretary-General and the Committee to restore the authority of information within the Organization.

Noting that the Task Force was headed by the representative of an organization whose approach to public information was quite different from that of the United Nations, the representative of Bangladesh expressed concern as to whether it could come up with objective recommendations. It had no members of the Committee on its panel and lack balanced representation from the developing countries. How would it work with the Committee to objectively gauge the views and aspirations of Member States? he asked.

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He went on to say that DPI had already received a serious dose of financial cuts, and that any further budget reductions would cripple it. The loser, then, would be the people in developing countries, for whom the Organization remained a major source of objective information.

The representative of the United Republic of Tanzania, speaking for the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, expressed concern about the proposal to change DPI from a department to an office, and called for greater information to be provided to the Committee. With respect to the Task Force, she stressed that transparency and openness were important in any process geared towards restructuring the Organization.

The representative of the Netherlands, speaking for the European Union and associated States, said the United Nations must win the hearts and minds of the public by explaining itself and its work clearly. That could only be achieved if information and communication were recognized as top priorities and commensurate resources made available. The Organization, being very diverse, should consider what image it would like to transmit as a whole.

Statements were also made by the representatives of Algeria and Uruguay. A representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) spoke on behalf of its Director-General, Federico Mayor.

The Committee on Information will meet again tomorrow, 14 May, at 10 a.m. to continue its general debate.

Committee Work Programme

The Committee on Information met this afternoon to begin its general debated on United Nations public information policies and activities. (For background, see Press Release PI/1005 of 8 May.)

Statements

MARK MALLOCH BROWN, Chairman of the Task Force of the Reorientation of the United Nations Information Activities, said the Secretary-General had made reorientation of United Nations public information activities a priority. His commitment to reform drew on the work of the Committee and owed its parentage to the work of the Department of Public Information (DPI) and Samir Sanbar, the Assistant Secretary-General for Public Information. He hoped the proposals would help DPI perform its important and often difficult functions. The Task Force, which was composed of people with expertise in different areas and a wide range of experiences, would monitor proceedings in the Committee to gain guidance.

He said that as a young refugee official in Indo-China, he had been struck both by the lack of legal protection and the enormous power of the media. He had been able to use the media as a tool to ensure security that was not available through diplomacy. Since then, his work had been devoted to the extension of diplomacy by other means, including the mobilization of public opinion behind international policy. That was also one of the challenges facing the United Nations, which needed to communicate powerfully and directly with people around the world. Everyone was aware of the extraordinary degree of choice which citizens now faced in every area. Those choices were informed by a flood, an explosion, of new information, available to every citizen everywhere in the world.

The Task Force aimed to harness the power of modern communication to inform the world about the United Nations, he said. It intended to approach that task by first reviewing existing arrangements -- not by criticizing and not by looking back, but by looking forward. It was important for all members of the Task Force to understand existing information capacities, as well as drawbacks.

He said the Task Force would also assess global public attitudes towards the United Nations and brainstorm on the most effective way to position the Organization. It would take a hard look at the different messages being conveyed, including the silent, hidden messages of development and the more striking, dramatic messages of peace-keeping. In a sense, the United Nations was blessed with an easy story, as it was not difficult to get world attention for peace-keeping operations, even though there might be more discipline with respect to how the story is presented.

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The Task Force would examine appropriate delivery systems for getting the message out, including both modern technological methods and more traditional outlets, he said. Areas being examined would include how to get stories to journalists in a time-efficient manner and how to best service governments, non-governmental organizations, private enterprises and think- tanks which shaped attitudes towards the United Nations.

The mission of the Task Force was a broad one, but it would not be handing detailed management plans to DPI, he said. Rather, it would aim at helping the Department, the Secretary-General and the Committee to restore the authority of information within the Organization. The Task Force wanted to help outline a coherent message, which could be the single most potent tool available to the United Nations at the end of the twentieth century. It wanted to help ensure a consistency in that message, as well as leverage of the effort to put the Secretary-General and the United Nations back on the public map, from where they had slipped somewhat over the past few years.

HENRIKAS YUSHKIAVITSHUS, of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), speaking on behalf of its Director- General, Federico Mayor, said the effective collaboration between UNESCO and DPI was illustrated by the upcoming fifth international seminar on promoting independent and pluralistic media. Their successful collaboration underscored the importance of concerted action between the two institutions, which should speak with one voice. The field of communication was a sensitive one; only through dialogue within the United Nations system and with professional organizations would progress be made.

Collaboration between the United Nations and UNESCO had contributed to press freedom and also to democracy, he said. The General Assembly had reaffirmed UNESCO's mandate for communication within the United Nations system. Development and democracy were UNESCO's two major purposes. There could be no true democracy without development, and no true development without democracy.

He said UNESCO was concerned about the extremely limited resources provided for the development of communication. The International Programme for the Development of Communication lacked the means to have a real impact in developing countries. A recent report had reaffirmed the urgent need for countries to invest more resources in that area. An appeal to that effect by the General Assembly would be of great assistance.

ROBERT W. ZAAGMAN (Netherlands) spoke on behalf of the European Union and Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Cyprus and Norway. He said that in celebrating World Press Freedom Day on 2 May, the international community had underlined the importance of freedom of information and expression. The unfettered flow of news and information was vital to all peoples and was essential to

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democracy and economic development. He condemned the use of violence to intimidate journalists, as well as attempts to control or influence the press so as to distort or suppress information and opinions.

The Task Force currently elaborating recommendations for the reorientation of United Nations public information activities was in a position to take a fresh look at DPI's responsibilities, he said. In the spirit of supporting the Secretary-General's general efforts to reform the Secretariat, the Union wished to share some views on the reform of DPI. Reform was not primarily a cost-cutting instrument, but rather a means of freeing resources to be reinvested for greater returns.

The United Nations must win the hearts and minds of the general public by explaining itself and its work fully and clearly, he said. That could only be achieved if information and communication were recognized as top priorities and commensurate resources made available. The Organization, being very diverse, should consider what image it would like to transmit as a whole. The new DPI could be a catalyst or nodal point for such self-reflection.

In addition to fostering support for the Organization in general, a focused public information policy could also benefit specific operations and projects. DPI staff should routinely be involved as information specialists, helping other departments and missions in the field to integrate information policy in their substantive work. United Nations public information policy should target those activities immediately relevant to the success of its operations. Specifically, that meant the foreign-policy communities and the opinion leaders of Member States. The Organization should build relationships with Member States' media and non-governmental organizations. Its publications, films and radio programmes should fulfil an identifiable need and be produced in a cost-effective manner. It must also take account of the linguistic diversity of its system.

Information played a critical role in peace-keeping operations, he said. While those operations were handled in other bodies of the Organization, the Committee should consider public information policy as part of such missions. The seminar organized jointly by DPI and the Department of Peace-keeping Operations had been a useful contribution. It was important that the information activities of an operation's civil, military and other components be cohesive, as a cohesive message enhanced the chances of its success. Such an information policy could only succeed if the Head of Mission, the Secretariat and Member States were convinced of its importance, and resources were made available.

He said the Union applauded DPI's increasing use of modern information and communication technologies. It should continue pursuing technological advances with the view to applying those which could be useful. The Dag Hammarskjöld Library was also increasing its use of modern technologies.

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Guided tours provided many with their first direct encounter with the Organization, and it was, therefore, important that they appeal to the general public and project the image of an up-to-date organization. He commended DPI for its efforts to reflect the Organization's linguistic diversity. It was of the utmost importance that Member States, through the Committee and its bureau, remain involved in DPI's work.

RADHIA N. MSUYA (United Republic of Tanzania), speaking for the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, said the Committee's current session was taking place at a decisive moment in the history of the United Nations. Efforts were being made to revitalize the Organization's activities so as to ensure effective delivery of its programmes. Those efforts included the work of DPI, which was the vehicle through which the United Nations disseminated information on its activities. The strengthening and revitalization of the Organization could only be fruitful if that process was adequately projected to the public.

A number of actions were being taken which affected the work of DPI, sometimes without adequate involvement by the Committee, she said. Of particular concern was the proposal to change DPI from a department to an office. Before such a change be effected, Member States should be informed about the reason for the proposal and of the impact it would have on existing services and programmes. As for the Task Force, while the credibility of its members was not in question, transparency and openness were important in any process geared towards the Organization's revitalization and restructuring. The activities of DPI were guided by General Assembly resolutions, which should be fully implemented. If that was not feasible, the matter should be referred back to the Assembly for changes.

She welcomed the recommendations resulting from the recent evaluation of the Dag Hammarskjöld Library. Addressing the recommendation that the United Nations office in each country should be connected electronically, she stressed the continuing need for traditional media to meet the needs of those countries not yet in possession of the equipment and expertise needed to use electronic means. Efforts should be made to seek extrabudgetary funding for new programmes without disrupting existing programmes which were useful.

ABDALLAH BAALI (Algeria) said freedom of the press in his country was a principle baptized by the blood of many journalists who had been killed by Islamic extremists. Yet hundreds of other journalists had taken up the torch for freedom, refusing to bow to the threat of terrorism and continuing to write freely.

He said it was up to the Secretariat to improve the functioning of its diverse mechanisms and the way they served the international community. However, a number of delegations had been unhappy about the level of their input. The Committee had not been involved in the reform proposals, even

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though it was the body mandated to make recommendations on public information policy. The Committee must be fully involved in any reform effort, with a view to transparency, consultation and coordination. The DPI should not merely be a technical liaison office between the Organization and the media. Reforms should emphasize the Department's political function and maintain its role of coordinating United Nations information activities.

Proposals for reform could not be considered in isolation from the information mandates given by the General Assembly, particularly with regard to such issues as the question of Palestine, decolonization, the maintenance of peace, and development. Stressing the need to ensure the independence and credibility of the information centres, he said steps should be taken to improve their efficiency and increased resources provided to enable them to carry out their functions. Translation of all publications should be issued in all the official languages, to reflect the diversity of cultures.

He had no objection to the Committee postponing its recommendations until it had examined the Secretary-General's reform proposals, he said. The past few years had revealed weaknesses and gaps in the system that did not allow for a full examination of texts except in the extended bureau, which had to keep referring back to the regional groups, thus creating inefficiencies and losing time.

ANWARUL KARIM CHOWDHURY (Bangladesh) said he was not sure the Task Force would be able to come up with objective recommendations given its existing structure and mandate. It was headed by the representative of an organization whose approach to public information was quite different from that of the United Nations. The Task Force did not include representatives from the Committee and lacked balanced representation from developing countries. How would it work with the Committee to objectively gauge the views and aspirations of Member States?

He said he hoped the Task Force would consider the almost universal desire by Member States for a balanced global information order spun around the United Nations. It should not serve to widen the existing gap between developed and developing countries on information sharing and usage. Rather, it should create opportunities for the United Nations to be more effective and efficient, in order to bridge existing gaps in perception about the United Nations and the needs of all its Members. The DPI should promote the goals and objectives of the Charter and focus on economic and social development.

The major share of the United Nations budget went to development sectors, a fact that had not been adequately represented in DPI publications and activities, he said. The Department could learn some useful lessons from initiatives by some of the specialized agencies. Nevertheless, DPI had already received a serious dose of financial cuts, and any further budget reductions would cripple it. The loser would be the people in developing

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countries, for whom the Organization remained a major source of objective information.

The efficiency of some United Nations information centres had been reduced after their integration with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) field offices, he said. There was little justification for integrating the centres under the guise of streamlining and financial constraints. The independent status for the Centre in Dhaka should be restored, and DPI and the Secretariat should take a hard look at the issue of integration in the context of new developments.

ALBERTO GUANI (Uruguay) said that it was important that the next part of the Committee's session should not be presented with a fait accompli. Democratic principles must prevail. No action should be taken before the reform proposals were made public in July. The United Nations needed to be known in all parts of the world. It must make use of both advanced communications technology and traditional media outlets.

He said Uruguay had one of the most advanced telecommunication systems because it had turned resolutely to the world of computers. However, it understood the difficulties other countries faced in gaining access to modern communication technology, making radio an invaluable tool. Financial considerations should not be the only factor in deciding what systems to use. For example, the Spanish section of United Nations Radio provided excellent services. The Dag Hammarskjöld Library must be given the resources to perform its task, he added.

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