PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH UNITED NATIONS RADIO NETWORK DISCUSSED BY INFORMATION COMMITTEE

Press Release
PI/1066

PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH UNITED NATIONS RADIO NETWORK DISCUSSED BY INFORMATION COMMITTEE

General Exchange of Views Continues

The United Nations should consider the possibility of making better use of existing media networks before creating its own international radio network, the representative of the United States said this morning, as the Committee on Information continued its general exchange of views. While looking forward to a forthcoming feasibility study on the proposed network, she said that by providing fast, accurate information to existing networks, the United Nations could avoid trying to compete with them.

It should also continue making use of the various redisseminators of information, she said. The media, non-governmental organizations, academics and think tanks could tell the United Nations story to wider audiences. The efforts of the dedicated press corps at Headquarters and of the United Nations information centres around the world also played an important part in that process, she said.

Addressing the same question, the representative of the Solomon Islands said the argument for concentrating on established media instead of setting up a direct broadcasting capability disintegrated in the face of editorial realities. The editors who received stories from the United Nations press corps were not interested unless the subject was especially dramatic or significant, he said. Direct radio would enable the United Nations to tell its own story daily and put a human face on its endeavours.

Some countries were taking advantage of their monopoly over modern communication equipment to continue imposing their ideas and cultural values upon others, the representative of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea said. Only a few countries were reaping the benefits of the new information technologies, while most developing countries remained marginalized. He called on the Department of Public Information (DPI) to continue training information officials from the developing countries, in order to strengthen their national information and communication capacities.

Ted Morello, of the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA), said there was concern among correspondents about apparent favouritism at Headquarters against third world journalists and all but a select few from

Committee on Information - 1a - Press Release PI/1066 4th Meeting (AM) 7 May 1998

developed nations. One complaint was that United Nations officials presiding over press conferences -- particularly those featuring the Secretary-General or other high-profile newsmakers -- tended to pass over those who were considered "minor" reporters in favour of such "big-ticket" media as the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Reuters, The New York Times, The Washington Post and Cable Network News (CNN).

Statements were also made by the representatives of Tunisia, Costa Rica and Lebanon.

The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, 8 May, to continue its general exchange of views.

Committee Work Programme

The Committee on Information met this morning to continue its general exchange of views. (For background, see Press Release PI/1060 of 1 May.)

Statements

HONG JE RYONG (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) stressed the importance of establishing a new and equitable world information and communication order. At present, only a few countries were benefiting from rapidly developing information technologies, while the majority of the developing countries remained marginalized. Consequently, the gap between the developed and developing countries continued to widen.

Some countries were taking advantage of their monopoly of modern communication equipment to continue imposing their ideas and cultural values upon others, he said. That practice distorted the reality of the developing countries, and impeded the promotion of understanding and harmony among countries. A new and equitable world information and communication order based on the principles of respect for sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries should be established as early as possible.

Reform of the United Nations in the information and communication field should aim at strengthening the role of the Department of Public Information (DPI) so its information activities might contribute in earnest to the resolution of international issues and to the implementation of all United Nations activities, he said. The Department should act with impartiality and objectivity, in order to promote a correct public awareness of the Organization and improve its image, thereby creating a favourable environment for the resolution of international problems.

The DPI should also continue to train information officials from the developing countries, so as to strengthen the national information and communication capacity of those countries, he said. The United Nations should give equal importance to the Internet and to traditional mass media, in order to provide Member States with equal access to United Nations information.

Transparency and democracy in the Committee's work would make it possible to resolve all issues in conformity with the common interests of Member States, he said. The establishment of an open-ended working group within the Committee should be given consideration.

ALI HACHANI (Tunisia) said that a free, objective, responsible and creative press was essential for strengthening and rooting democratic principles and human rights more solidly in society. The work of journalists towards that end was appreciated.

The Committee had recently been unable to debate adequately the proposed new directions for the Organization's information activities. The Secretary-General's initiative on a new orientation for the United Nations information activities had rightly stressed that consideration of that issue within the Committee's expanded Bureau did not allow for the broadest participation of Member States. Consideration should therefore be given to the establishment of an informal open-ended working group. In addition to elaborating the Committee's draft report, such a group could help limit the number of formal meetings, as well as the length of time permitted for statements.

It was essential that the views of Member States serve as a basis for the establishment of new information measures, he said. Those views should also be considered in connection with the General Assembly's choice of programmes. While flexibility was required in the allocation of resources, those resources should not be reduced at the expense of programmes, such as those relating to the question of Palestine. Moreover, cooperation in the field should not replace United Nations information mechanisms but add to their outreach capability. Resorting to private contributions was not the best way to remedy the financial issues, as that might affect implementation of the information priorities set by Member States.

The lack of resources for the United Nations information centres (UNICs), was regrettable and damaged their ability to carry out their mandate, he said. Their integration with field offices of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) should be done on a case-by-case basis, taking account of the views of the host country. In the development of a global message, DPI must aligne itself with the need to rid societies of the social scourges that overwhelmed them, such as poverty and extremism, and to promote peace, tolerance and human rights. The African situation, for example, required the support of the international community. The Secretary-General's report on Africa and the intention of the Under-Secretary-General to publicize it were welcome.

EMILIA CASTRO DE BARISH (Costa Rica) said the substantial achievements of the United Nations should be widely publicized so as to reach everyone.

She welcomed the commemoration on 4 May of World Press Freedom Day, at an observance organized by DPI in cooperation with the United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) and the World Press Freedom Committee. At that event, emphasis was placed on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and on freedom of the press, which was one of those rights. Regrettably, that freedom had been undermined by threats, harassment and death. Costa Rica granted the fullest freedom to the rights of freedom of expression and opinion and joined other countries which upheld them.

The task of promoting the free circulation of ideas in words and pictures throughout the world was even more important today than it was 50 years ago, she said. Costa Rica supported the strengthening of DPI, which would enable it to work more effectively with other departments of the United Nations.

Costa Rica attached great importance to the work of the UNICs, especially in highlighting the work done by the United Nations, she said. Their integration with UNDP field offices should proceed along the lines indicated by the General Assembly -- on a case-by-case basis, taking account of the views of the host country, and ensuring that the centres' information functions and autonomy were not adversely affected.

TANIA CHOMIAK-SALVI (United States) said the reorientation of DPI represented an opportunity to raise the profile of public information in the United Nations system and in policy- making process, she said. Her Government had long maintained that issues of public communication should be considered at the start of any policy-making process. The United Nations was also urged to make use of the various redisseminators of information. The media, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academics and think tanks around the world were influential and could tell the Organization's story to wider audiences.

Close to home were the dedicated journalists accredited to Headquarters, whose news organizations reached many audiences around the world, she said. Armed with complete and timely information provided by the Spokesman's Office, their efforts could go a long way in spreading United Nations information. Outside New York, the UNICs did a good job of maintaining strategic contact with their influential audiences. The UNICs played a very important role of the Organization's information strategy; DPI was urged to continue, wherever possible, to integrate the centres under one United Nations flag.

She said the United States looked forward to seeing the feasibility study on the idea of creating a direct international broadcasting capacity for the United Nations through a new radio network. That study should also address the possibility of further exploiting existing international media networks. By providing fast, accurate information to those networks, the United Nations could avoid trying to compete with them.

Public information must be an integral part of every peacekeeping mission, she said. An effective information capacity for peacekeeping operations would explain the mission's mandate and counter misinformation.

She said the United States commended DPI's work in creating an excellent electronic resource which was widely used every day. However, while the technology to use the World Wide Web was now accessible to many, it had its limitations. By far, not all countries had access to that technology, and by far not all official United Nations languages were used in that medium. The UNESCO had worked to bring Internet technology to more countries around the world; the DPI was urged to work to expand the electronic information available in all six languages of the United Nations. The use of information technology by the Dag Hammarskjold Library must also be highlighted and commended.

In this day of growing electronic communications, the traditional media could not be ignored, she went on to say. The DPI had an active publications programme which served many audiences around the world. Further streamlining of that programme as a cost-based, consumer-driven process was vital in order to capitalize on the public information benefits of print publications.

HAROLD FRUCHTBAUM (Solomon Islands) said he welcomed Under-Secretary-General for Public Information Kensaku Hogen, who had a unique opportunity to help guide a critical component of the Organization's reform process. The proposal to develop a United Nations international radio broadcasting capacity was good news. Radio was an indispensable source of information for the people of the small island developing States. The argument that the United Nations did not need a direct broadcasting capability and should concentrate instead on established media disintegrated in the face of editorial reality.

The editors who received stories from the United Nations press corps were not terribly interested in stories about the Organization unless the subject was especially dramatic or significant, he said. While such topics as a major peace settlement or the eradication of a disease would qualify, the necessary day-to-day work accomplished by the Organization would not. Direct radio broadcasting would enable the United Nations to tell its story daily and provide "a human face" to its endeavours. It would also help to narrow the widening information gap between rich and poor. The Solomon Islands asked the Committee to support the proposal.

As members of the Joint United Nations Information Committee had suggested, a review of all United Nations publications on development was needed, he said. That sensible suggestion had implications beyond the development of newsletters. The Organization published nearly 100 periodicals. Most of them were not the products of DPI but of specialized agencies, the Bretton Woods institutions and various other United Nations programmes. Although such periodicals were designed to appeal to the constituencies of the organizations that published them, how effective were they in helping the United Nations meet its overall communications objectives -- and were they worth their cost?

HICHAM HAMDAN (Lebanon) said his country supported the proposed new orientation of DPI. However, it was also necessary to take account of the growing role played by NGOs, as well as of the globalization of the world economy.

He said his delegation had noted the statements made by some of the wealthy countries, complaining that their citizens were unaware of developments in the economic and social fields. That was one reason why the role of information must be strengthened -- to stimulate development assistance worldwide. There had been a reduction in development assistance, which made such a strengthening more urgent.

The United Nations should increase its efforts in the field of professional training, so as to enhance the technological competence of developing countries, he said. In that way, those countries could then benefit from information disseminated through the Internet. Lebanon also supported the need to strengthen the Dag Hammarskjold Library and the role played by United Nations publications.

TED MORELLO, speaking on behalf of the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA), said that a career spent covering the United Nations since its adolescence had led him to an understanding of the needs of the United Nations press corps. Those expectations were not always met by either the United Nations or its membership. While the media was not the implacable enemy, there was, nevertheless, a built-in adversarial relationship. At its most intense, the bureaucracy was resolved to keep a cloak wrapped tightly around any perceived secret, while journalists were equally determined to strip it away on the basis of the public's right to know.

Nevertheless, his colleagues would be hard pressed to identify a Secretary-General who had been more accessible and transparent than Kofi Annan in dealing with the media, he said. Signs pointed in the same direction for the new Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information. However, certain imperfections existed in the system. Most recently, alarm bells sounded among United Nations correspondents when it was reported by an UNCA executive that someone in authority was proposing to curtail journalists' access to Secretariat officials without DPI's permission. While not explicitly denying the existence of such a plan, delegates and United Nations officials had provided a less ominous interpretation by insisting that somebody had been misquoted.

Such a report, whether exaggerated or unfounded, sparked suggestions of censorship, a journalist's greatest barrier, he said. The Secretary-General himself had referred to journalists' quest as one of reporting the news, telling the truth and exposing injustice. Nevertheless, roadblocks in access to news sources remained a high-priority concern.

Another charge frequently voiced against DPI was one of favouritism -- a snake that might be scotched but, unfortunately, not killed, he said. Favouritism allegedly operated against journalists from third world countries, and all but a select few from developed nations, he said. That complaint was usually levelled at the United Nations official presiding over press conferences, particularly those which featured the Secretary-General or other high-profile newsmakers. In such instances, the official tended to pass over reporters who were considered to be minor or from unimportant news outlets in favour of the "big-ticket" media, such as the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Reuters, The New York Times, The Washington Post and Cable Network News (CNN).

A related source of discontent was the selection by the Secretary-General or other senior officials of correspondents to attend private briefings, he said. As with the open news conferences, "the pennant goes to the major league players". A Western Asian correspondent for a major newspaper in his country recently complained that he had been reporting on the United Nations for 15 years and had yet to be invited to a private briefing by the Secretary-General.

Favouritism also reared its head in the assignment of much-coveted work space, he said. Queue-jumping had long been a source of irritation among journalists, some of whom had covered the Organization assiduously for years without so much as a desk or a chair. Meanwhile, a newcomer might slip in ahead of the waiting line. Similarly, an entire room might be held empty for a DPI-accredited correspondent who did not occupy the space or even visit Headquarters for months at a time. Often, a correspondent from an influential Member State might petition his or her mission or ambassador to intervene on their behalf. He appealed for a democratic approach and some even-handedness in the Organization's approach to the media.

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