COMMITTEE ON INFORMATION TO HOLD 1999 SESSION IN NEW YORK 3 - 14 MAY

30 April 1999

Press Release
PI/1127

COMMITTEE ON INFORMATION TO HOLD 1999 SESSION IN NEW YORK 3 - 14 MAY

19990430 Background Release Reorientation of UN Activities in Public Information And Communications, Enrichment of UN Web Sites, among Topics To Be Considered

An important objective of the reorientation of public information activities was to strengthen the capacity of the Organization to communicate, globally and at the country level, the relevance and success of its work in meeting the challenges of today and of the new millennium, stresses the Secretary-General in one of several reports to be considered by the Committee on Information when it convenes its 1999 session on Monday, 3 May.

The unique power of the Internet has been harnessed by the Department of Public Information (DPI) to expand the reach of its information products and portray the wide range of activities of the Organization, he states in another report. It adds that the United Nations web site today carries a great variety of material and, taking advantage of the synergistic aspects of the Internet, it also carries radio broadcasts and video footage developed by the Department. A very significant development has been the introduction, despite severe resource constraints, of pages in all six official languages.

A related report, on continuous development, maintenance and enrichment of United Nations web sites, notes the availability of on-line information mainly in English and French, with limited materials in the other official languages, and presents three proposals on the issue of language parity in the context of the 2000-2001 budget proposals for public information. The first proposal would ensure full parity among all official languages web sites by the end of 2001; the second would achieve the same objective over a longer period of time; while the third would seek to make available only elements in each of the languages in accordance with the level of funding made available for this purpose.

During the two-week session (3-14 May), the Committee on Information will continue its ongoing examination of United Nations public information policies and activities, as well as progress achieved by the United Nations system in the field of information and communications.

At the opening session, the Committee is scheduled to elect its officers, adopt its agenda and programme of work and hear addresses by its Chairman and the Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, Kensaku Hogen.

Over the two-week session, the Committee will also hold its general debate on substantive questions and prepare and adopt its report to the General Assembly's fifty-fourth session. The substantive issues for the general debate were established by the Assembly under resolution 34/182 of 18 December 1979.

During the general debate, the Committee will also examine reports on the integration of the United Nations Information Centres (UNICs) with field offices of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); allocation of resources to the UNICs in 1998; development of United Nations international radio broadcasting capacity; activities of the Joint United Nations Information Committee (JUNIC); and the proposed medium-term plan for the period 2002-2005 -- programme 23, public information.

A summary of reports before the Committee follows.

A report of the Secretary-General on the reorientation of United Nations activities in the field of public information and communications (document A/AC.198/1999/2) says that the main thrust of such measures focuses on the Organization's response to the imperatives of the "age of information". He best describes the genesis of a response to this imperative as the need for a "culture of communications" to permeate the United Nations. Every effort, therefore, has to be made to ensure that all parts of the Organization come to recognize public information and communications as an integral part of their substantive programmes.

According to the Secretary-General, the new measures adopted to reorient the activities of DPI seek to project the Organization as an open, transparent and public institution capable of meeting the principal objectives of the United Nations Charter. That entails the introduction and employment of the latest developments in the field of information technology to ensure that output and productivity are improved continuously to meet increasing demands from all parts of the world.

The Secretary-General states that new technology in the field of communications is often taken to mean increasing the capacity of the Internet. This rendering does not, however, provide a full picture of the impact of new technology on communications, public information in general, and the work of DPI. The Department has to approach the issues that arise in this context with a view to ensuring progress on a broad front. While taking all necessary measures to stay abreast of the latest developments in the use of the Internet as a medium of public information, care has to be taken to maintain and expand the Department's capacity to use the "traditional" media -- radio, television

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and print -- for dissemination of information, especially in the developing countries, where access to the Internet is only at its initial stages.

To strengthen the Department's capacity to manage and coordinate the United Nations web site, and to underscore the importance that the Department attaches to its role, the Information Technology Section, which manages the Internet operation, has been placed under the Office of the Under-Secretary- General for Communications and Public Information. The Department also coordinates and chairs the Inter-Departmental Group on Internet Matters, and thereby continues to enhance its assistance on Internet matters to other parts of the Secretariat.

The unique power of the Internet has been harnessed by the Department to expand the reach of its information products and portray the wide range of the Organization's activities. Taking advantage of the synergistic aspects of the Internet, the United Nations web site also carries radio broadcasts and video footage developed by the Department. A very significant recent development has also been the introduction of the web pages in all six official languages. The Department's objective is to bring all the web pages on a comparable footing in due course, as resources permit.

Addressing the issue of reaching the media, the Secretary-General states that a more effective news gathering and delivery system, identified last year in his reorientation plan, was being put into operation. Such a news operation can help meet the increased demand for information by news media. To strengthen the current news operation, the Editorial Section has been moved to the Media Division, which will be renamed the News and Media Division. One of the Department's immediate priorities is the development of the United Nations News Service.

The report goes on to say that with the assistance of UNICs, services and other field offices, the information available through this service will be transmitted directly, via electronic mail and facsimile, to the news desks of key media around the world, as well to other important opinion-making constituencies. The centrepiece of the service will be a brief "headline News Alert" on breaking news from the United Nations, which will also be posted on the United Nations web site on the Internet. The Service will also contain an expanded news feature story. For the first time earlier this year, the Department also began the placement, on a worldwide basis, of carefully planned and coordinated op-ed articles by senior United Nations officials.

In addition, with the technology now in place, the Organization's officials will be able to brief senior journalists via telephone on issues of pressing concern. Another priority of the Department is the development of a daily news page on the Organization's web site. When fully operational, this page will provide the media and others with a summary of breaking news on all the major events and activities of the day. It will also provide information

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on upcoming events and meetings. The Department's press releases on the proceedings of the United Nations are now disseminated worldwide almost instantly on the Internet. In the near future, topic-oriented press releases will be sent by electronic mail directly to the newsrooms of journalists.

Addressing developments in radio and television, the Secretary-General states that efforts are now under way to increase the provision of live feeds and other easy-to-assemble raw materials which can quickly be disseminated worldwide and which are more easily adaptable for use by the mass media. Progress in this area will help bridge the existing information gap between the developed and developing countries in this field. Priority, is therefore, being given to the establishment of links with radio stations worldwide, which will enable instantaneous use of the Department's radio programmes, through the most effective delivery system available in each region or subregion.

In addition, continues the report, the Internet is being used for direct broadcast of United Nations programmes to regions where multimedia Internet use is available, through the Organization's first ever audio-visual web site, which was established this year. Other important developments in the current reporting period are the creation of the Organization's first audio-visual web page and the posting of brief news audio clips on the United Nations Radio web page for immediate use by broadcasters. Priority is also being given to the development of the news content of programme production.

Continuing, the Secretary-General says that similar changes are also under way in the visual area. The Department is planning for the change to digital television technology which will completely replace analogue technology in the United States during the first decade of the new millennium. Purchase of appropriate equipment and upgrading of technical facilities are being carried out to ensure that United Nations television can function fully in this new technological environment.

In the area of peace and security, an important challenge has been the introduction of information and communications priorities as part of the core activities of the Organization in the field. The Department has developed cooperative mechanisms enabling it to provide all the programmatic support to the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and other concerned departments to undertake appropriate information programmes. The need to include information- related requirements in the earliest planning stages of field operations has been consistently emphasized.

A recent example of cooperation has been the establishment of mobile FM and shortwave broadcasting facilities for use by the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (MINURCA), the report states. Such a facility adds substantially to the capacity of the Mission to address audiences locally in order to promote a clear understanding of the mandate and generate support for its activities.

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The role of civil society in the redissemination of the message of the United Nations has taken on growing significance, the report adds. Foremost was the Department's close working relations with the corps of resident correspondents at the United Nations. Also, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) continued to seek association with the Department in large numbers. The annual conferences, weekly briefings, and a variety of joint activities were all part of the reinforcement of the services provided to NGOs.

The Department is working closely with the Executive Office of the Secretary-General to help foster a stronger relationship with the business community. As part of the Department's efforts in that regard, a new web site was launched in January. The site, "www.un.org/partners", helps corporations to locate the United Nations services that they require.

The Media Response Group continues to monitor media coverage of the United Nations and advise the Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information on appropriate and timely responses to misinformation or criticism of the United Nations in the media.

On the topic of publications, the Department is engaged in the revitalization of its programme to ensure outputs are demand-driven and demonstrate effectively the relevance of the work of the entire Organization to people around the world. The ongoing revitalization of the UN Chronicle continues to build on the promotion of thematic mandates, development of partnerships with information disseminators and the projection of the central role being played by the United Nations to meet the growing challenges before it.

While retaining its primary focus on the production of print publications, the report states that effective utilization of the electronic media is now vital to the goal of broadening the Departments outreach capability. The DPI is taking advantage of the electronic medium to offer material and search capabilities not possible in hard copy versions. The new medium also allows for more timely updating of information. In addition, new web sites for the UN Chronicle and the newsletter Africa Recovery are eliciting keen interest and are being further developed. Electronic publication is central to the dissemination of Development Business, a publication which provides information on procurement opportunities from the regional development banks, the World Bank and the United Nations system.

The Dag Hammarskjöld Library will continue to move in the direction of being a virtual library with a worldwide outreach, the report states. The Library's services will become increasingly global in nature, as well as increasingly electronic and multilingual. Efforts in that regard include making the full text of United Nations documents available on the Optical Disk System/Internet and further developing the 350 United Nations depository libraries into effective channels of communications with civil society.

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Under structural changes to enhance communications, the Secretary-General has appointed a Director for Communication in his office to assist in developing an overall communications strategy for the Organization. That position will also help coordinate efforts to ensure coherence and clarity in the delivery of the United Nations messages. The Director convenes a Communications Group where senior DPI officials and senior staff from the Executive Office of the Secretary- General meet weekly to discuss communications issues. Also, within DPI, a strategic communications planning group has been established to study relevant developments and outline information strategies for the Department. The group includes all Directors and Service Chiefs under the leadership of the Under- Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information.

An important aspect of the reorientation of the public information activities is to increase the effectiveness of the United Nations information centres and services around the world. Currently, all but a few information centres are connected to electronic mail and most have access to the Internet. Sixteen already have their own web pages in local languages, dramatically increasing their outreach. As a result of the decrease over the years in the number of Professional posts for the field, about half of the information centres are currently headed by staff members of the Department while the rest are headed by United Nations Resident Coordinators. A continuing challenge to the Department is to achieve the most effective utilization of the limited human resources available. The report of the Secretary-General on the continuous development, maintenance and enrichment of United Nations web sites (document A/AC.198/1999/6) presents three proposals for consideration by Member States which seek to address the issue of equitable treatment of all official United Nations languages.

Under proposal A, all languages would be accorded equal treatment on the Organization's web site regardless of the current availability of materials in other languages or the level of technology in those languages. All availability of material among official languages should be overcome by the end of 2001, given the availability of funding required. There are two components in this proposal. The first addresses the issue of the ongoing maintenance of the language web sites on an equal basis as of a particular date. The other addresses the issue of redressing the imbalances between the English and other language sites.

It is felt that the issue of ongoing maintenance needs to be dealt with first, the report continues. Once that is resolved, efforts could concentrate on the second component -- equalizing the documentation and databases, as otherwise there would always be a constant need to "catch up".

Proposal B seeks to establish the necessary infrastructure to service and provide equitable coverage of all official languages beginning 1 January 2001. The level of differences at that time would be addressed incrementally over a period of several bienniums, as staff and technological resources are made available. Under this proposal, all language web sites would be

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maintained and enhanced on an equal basis, once the necessary equipment and staff infrastructure had been put in place.

Each language web site would be incrementally enhanced to achieve parity with the English site, the Secretary-General goes on to say. Unless the question of the increase of differences is first addressed, however, it would be almost impossible to achieve parity. First, the increase in differences would need to be ended. This can only happen if parity in production of all material is attained in all languages. When there is no constant and exponential increase in the differences, as there is at present, those differences can eventually be bridged.

Proposal C presents a modular approach. Under this option, certain modules of the web site would be made available in some languages, while addressing the issue of equality on an incremental basis over a period of several bienniums in accordance with the availability of appropriate resources.

Under proposal C, says the Secretary-General, the Organization's web site would be developed in all official languages as staff and other resources permit. A prioritized list of items to be made available in all languages has been developed and should be implemented. Parity would be introduced in modules specific for each of them, with a number of common modules for each language. The audio-visual content could also be considered as a module itself. The modular approach would be a continuous process which should eventually reduce the differences with improvements in the level of technology in other official languages. According to the Secretary-General's report on integration of United Nations Information Centres (UNICs) with field offices of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (document A/AC.198/1999/3), in April 1992 an initiative was launched to integrate operations of certain United Nations information centres with field offices of the UNDP. The main objectives were: to present a unified image of the Organization in the field; to enhance information activities in all areas of the work of the United Nations; to achieve economies of scale through the sharing of common services; and to facilitate inter-agency coordination and avoid duplication. It was agreed that the 1990 Agreement between UNDP and DPI on cooperation in the field would form the basis on which to build further cooperation. It was also agreed that the integrated information centres would continue to maintain their functional autonomy. The Secretary-General notes that the process of integrating information centres with UNDP field offices "has not been uniformly productive". In general, DPI has also found that the integrated information centres have a lower level of programme delivery and narrower range of activities than those which have not been integrated. The interaction with DPI at Headquarters and the frequency of reporting on activities is also often weaker. The report attributes some of the difficulties to diminished resources. Other problems

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are related to lack of familiarity by some UNDP Resident Representatives/United Nations Resident Coordinators with the mandate of DPI and the work of the Organization's information centres.

The Secretary-General states that in his reform plan for the Organization he indicated that the capacity of the United Nations to communicate at the country level must be strengthened, and its operations at that level should be unified in "United Nations Houses". Achieving the original objectives of integration will depend on effective partnership between DPI and UNDP and the constructive involvement of the whole United Nations family. There is also need for a concerted effort to address the implementation problems encountered in the integration exercise in many information centres. The Secretary-General has, therefore, asked DPI and UNDP to strengthen their cooperation with the aim of achieving better results. The Deputy Secretary-General will provide guidance when and if required.

The unique functions performed by the global network of UNICs in the Organization's communications and public information strategies is emphasized in another report of the Secretary-General on UNICs, concerning the 1998 allocation of resources from the regular budget of the United Nations (document A/AC.198/1999/4). It states that the centres promote greater public understanding of the Organization's work through activities that raise awareness of priority issues while reaching the widest possible sectors of civil society. Information centres also keep the Secretariat informed of local public opinion, media coverage of United Nations activities, and respond to misperceptions about the Organization when they arise in the local media. Highlighting activities in 1998, the Secretary-General says that the role of information centres as communicators and catalysts was particularly evident in the range and depth of activities carried out in 1998.

Throughout the fiftieth anniversary celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1998, information centres conducted successful public outreach programmes by joining forces with all segments of society to publicize the achievements of the Organization in the field of human rights and to raise awareness of the need for further action, the report goes on. The June 1998 special session of the Assembly devoted to the world drug problem provided another opportunity for centres to publicize the diversity and relevance of United Nations activities.

Commenting on staff resources, the report notes that the number of established regular budget posts available to all information centres in 1998 was more than 40 per cent below the 1990 level. During the same period, four new information centres were established without additional implications for the regular budget. The contribution of host governments providing extrabudgetary posts to information centres has therefore become more valuable and essential than ever.

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In view of diminishing human resources, a continuing process of professional training has assumed greater importance, whether in the use of information technology or the development of substantive knowledge, the Secretary-General notes. Addressing financial resources, he says that funds to cover the operating costs of the information centres were below the levels of previous years.

The level of extrabudgetary funding did not reach the levels achieved in earlier years, continues the report. It should be pointed out, however, that financial assistance provided by several host governments has been invaluable to the information centres and their continued operation. In addition to annual financial contributions received from governments, more than 30 governments continue to provide centres with rent-free premises. Some governments provide extrabudgetary posts, while others provide ad hoc contributions for funding special information projects within the mandate of the centres.

The Secretary-General's report on development of the United Nations international radio broadcasting capacity: design and scope of a pilot project (document A/AC.198/1995/5) is submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 53/59 B of December 1998, which requested that DPI contact Member States in order to ascertain their preparedness to provide technical facilities for the pilot project. The project would be designed to test the feasibility, programming capacity and listeners' interest in such a radio broadcast.

Based on its research, the Department concluded that a small-scale pilot programme for direct international radio broadcasting project could be launched in the six official languages for rebroadcast in all linguistic target regions for a period of one year. It would seek to test the technical feasibility, programming capacity, resources requirements and listeners' interest for the purposes of the development of a United Nations international radio broadcasting capacity.

The pilot radio broadcast would include such services as: a daily package of five to 15 minutes of news, interviews and features; weekly magazines focusing on issues, activities and personalities of exclusive regional interest; special news bulletins covering meetings of the Security Council and the General Assembly which are of particular regional interest; and feature programme series on issues of interest to national, regional and international audiences.

The report states that, in view of the need for linguistic diversity and with due consideration to resource constraints, diverse telecommunications technologies and the availability of timely rebroadcasting facilities, programme design and frequency of delivery may vary from region to region. The overall emphasis of the project would be on the production and delivery of timely news packages on a daily basis using more effective modes of transmission, including satellite distribution and the Internet.

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Successful implementation of the pilot project will depend on the support of Member States, the report says. As yet, no concrete commitment has been made by any Member State or broadcast organization to provide the technical facilities needed for the project. Similarly, no Member State or institution has responded to the Secretary-General's request to contribute resources for the development of the United Nations broadcasting capacity. Approximately $4 million a year for several years would be required for international radio broadcasting. In light of that cost, the Department does not plan to initiate the pilot project until there are clear indications that resources will be made available.

The Secretary-General's report on the activities of the Joint United Nations Information Committee (JUNIC) during 1998 (document A/AC.198/1999/7) details the Joint Committee's twenty-fourth session held last July in Rome. Deliberations focused on a number of topics relating to inter-agency cooperation in public information and communications matters. The JUNIC also continued its broad-based discussion of ways and means of promoting better public understanding of the role and achievements of the United Nations.

Also during the Rome meeting, JUNIC discussed ways and means of improving its effectiveness as a forum for discussion and exchange of experience among information professionals within the system. It agreed on the need to reinvigorate the Committee, especially between sessions, and to strengthen the ongoing communications among members through the development of an Intranet connection, teleconferencing, ad hoc visits during the year and other means. The JUNIC also emphasized the need to provide a public information and communications budget for all major United Nations initiatives, including major observances and special sessions of the General Assembly. Communications outreach, JUNIC noted, should not be limited to the media, but should also include constituencies that can generate political and financial support for the organization, such as legislators, government departments, NGOs and businesses.

The importance of a rapid response capacity within all organizations of the system, enabling them to respond to inaccuracies and distortions about their work, preferably within the same news cycle, was stressed by JUNIC. It also discussed such topics as: the precarious financial situation of the Non- Governmental Liaison Service; the importance of computer technology in the field of public information; the United Nations participation in the Hanover Exposition 2000; and the compatibility of computer software in all organizations of the United Nations system. The JUNIC also initiated discussion of a possible public information and communications programme leading to the Millennium Assembly and NGO Forum, to take place in the year 2000.

The next session of the Joint Committee is scheduled to take place from 6 to 8 July in Vienna. In addition to promoting public understanding of the United Nations, JUNIC is expected to take up arrangements for the Hanover Exposition and the Millennium Assembly.

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Another Secretary-General's report (document A/AC.198/1999/8) contains the draft programme on public information (programme 23) of the proposed medium-term plan for the period 2002-2005. The medium-term plan is the principal policy directive of the United Nations. In it, the various mandates adopted to guide the Organization are drawn together and a set of concrete objectives and strategies to cover the relevant four-year period are defined. It provides the framework for the biennial programme budget.

The basic mission of the United Nations public information programme is to promote an informed public understanding of the activities of the Organization among peoples of the world, says the report.

Under the draft programme, DPI would continue to strengthen its cooperation with all parts of the United Nations system to design and implement public information and communications strategies for mandated priority issues. The various arms of the system would work together, for example, in a more news- centred, media-friendly multimedia operation providing information directly to foreign editors in all Member States. To reach that objective, the Department will also rely on the network of United Nations information centres, services, and United Nations offices worldwide to effectively extend its outreach to national audiences.

The report also states that the United Nations information centres would continue to develop local language web sites to meet the needs of the local audiences. Those include the media, NGOs, youth, academic institutions, businesses and professional organizations, and others. The Department would continue to emphasize the cumulative advantages of planning and implementing integrated information strategies targeting key redisseminators.

Committee Membership

The 93 members of the Committee are: Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lebanon, Malta, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Senegal, Singapore, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Yugoslavia and Zimbabwe.

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