IMPERATIVES OF INFORMATION AGE REQUIRE ADEQUATE AND IMAGINATIVE RESPONSE, UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION SAYS

3 May 1999

Press Release
PI/1131

IMPERATIVES OF INFORMATION AGE REQUIRE ADEQUATE AND IMAGINATIVE RESPONSE, UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION SAYS

19990503 Committee on Information Begins Two-Week 1999 Session; Elects Vice-Chairmen, Rapporteur

The imperatives of the information age required an adequate and imaginative response and necessitated the creation of a communications culture throughout the United Nations, Kensaku Hogen, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, said this afternoon as he addressed the opening of the twenty-first session of the Committee on Information.

During its two-week 1999 session, the Committee 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. It will also hold its general debate on substantive questions and prepare and adopt its report to the General Assembly's fifty-fourth session.

Mr. Hogen also said that the international community had long recognized the unique capacity of the United Nations to bring its members together to resolve issues with global impact. It was the responsibility of the Department of Public Information (DPI) to work with the Organization's various thematic departments to promote a public understanding of that essential role. In the context of the reorientation of the Department's activities, strengthening of working arrangements with the thematic departments was key in improving the content and quality of the Organization's messages on global issues.

The representative of Guyana, for the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, made a number of recommendations for action in the area of communications. He said the developing world was clearly disadvantaged by its lack of access to advanced technologies, and the United Nations must therefore ensure that the developing countries were more equitably served. Also, as radio remained, for most developing countries, the major source of information, strong efforts should be made to strengthen the United Nations Radio and to proceed with the radio pilot project.

He said that the question of objectivity and impartiality of DPI's publications and reports remained of major importance. On the United Nations homepage and all its sites, respect should be given to balanced, comprehensive and objective information on all issues. On the integration of the United Nations Information Centres with other United Nations field offices, he said there was a need for a thorough review of that policy. There should also be a case-by-case review of the performance of all integrated centres to be conducted on a priority basis and in full consultation with the host governments.

Also calling for a review of the policy of integration, the representative of Bangladesh said the policy had been neither functionally efficient and effective, nor cost saving. Integration had been taken in the name of financial austerity and the consequence of such a lopsided policy was clear today. The strength of the United Nations was not just measured in terms of its financial support from major contributors, but also on the good will and support of the people around the world. The DPI could play a crucial role in mustering that support.

The representative of India said state-of-the-art technologies in communication had rendered the world a tight global community. Yet the gulf between developing and developed countries remained, and DPI had an important role to play in bridging that gap. The question to be squarely addressed was the extent to which the reorientation exercise currently underway would meet the aspirations of the developing world and correct the present imbalance against it in the field of information and communications. The focus of any strategy had to be on developmental issues. He urged DPI to do more to highlight critical issues in that area. The compression of the entire human community and concatenation of global activity had created an intimate interdependence, "which can be denied only at our peril".

The Director of the Communications Division in the Communications, Information and Informatics Sector of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), said the world could not overlook the challenges of an information society, namely that of access to information and technology. A key challenge was the equal and free exchange of information. For a large portion of humanity, the old and conventional technologies, such as telephones and televisions, were still a dream; however, those items were low-cost ways of reducing the information gap. National policies must help accelerate access to such forms of communication.

Also this afternoon, the Committee elected most of the members of its bureau for 1999-2000. Holger Martinsen (Argentina), Ivan Nimac (Croatia) and Pieter Mollima (Netherlands) were elected Vice-Chairmen. Sidharto Reza Suryo- Di-Puro (Indonesia) was elected Rapporteur. The African Group had not yet nominated a candidate for Chairman.

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The delegations of Angola, Republic of Moldova and Solomon Islands were welcomed as new members of the Committee.

The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. Tuesday, 4 May, to continue its general debate.

Committee Work Programme

The Committee on information met this afternoon to begin its 1999 session. It was expected to take up the election its officers and its agenda and programme of work; to hear a statement by the Under-Secretary- General for Communications and Public Information, Kensaku Hogen; and to begin its general discussion of the substantive questions before it for the session.

During the session, which will be held from 3 to 14 May, the Committee is to discuss, among other things, reorientation of United Nations activities in Public Information and Communications and enrichment of United Nations web sites. (For background information on the session and on reports before the Committee, see Press Release PI/1127 of 30 April.)

Statement of Under-Secretary-General

KENSAKU HOGEN, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, said he had been profoundly impressed by the strong tradition of consensus that had characterized the work of the Committee. He was confident that the same spirit would prevail this year, and "enable us to carry forward together the message of the United Nations as we give meaning and substance to our mandates".

He said the Department of Public Information (DPI) had played its part in responding to the call for reform by the Secretary-General. Of the seven reports before the Committee, the one on the Reorientation of United Nations activities in the field of public information and communications (A/AC.198/1999/2), dealt directly with progress in the implementation of the Department's reform measures. "The imperatives of the "information age" require of us both an adequate and imaginative response". Sensitivity to the needs of this era in international relations and in public affairs necessitated the creation of a "communications culture" throughout the Organization.

He said the advent of the "information age" was synonymous with the advent of "information technology". "As we are aware that new technologies are not readily available to many developing countries, the Department continues to move forward on a broad front". The so-called traditional means of dissemination had to be maintained and improved, while new technology had to be introduced rapidly and should be ever conscious of the specific circumstances of each country or region. At Headquarters and in several

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United Nations information centres, progress had been made in using the opportunities provided by the Internet. The United Nations web site was now available in all six official languages. The strong interest shown by Member States in the availability of that site in all official languages was indicative of the remarkable interest in it worldwide.

He said the multimedia capacity of the Internet was now being used by DPI as an additional medium for the transmission of both radio and video programmes. The Internet was also being used for direct broadcast of United Nations radio programmes for regions where multimedia Internet use was available. In the visual area, the Department was following technical innovations which would enhance the use of television and video clips on the Organization's web site. New technology was key in expanding outreach and in getting timely messages to target audiences. However, the importance of the content and quality of messages was the key to effectiveness. Important steps had been taken to develop a new capacity to improve news gathering and delivery systems.

The international community had long recognized the unique capacity of the United Nations to bring its members together to resolve issues with global impact, he noted. It was DPI's responsibility to work closely with the various thematic departments of the Organization to help promote a public understanding of that essential role. In the context of the reorientation of the Department's activities, strengthening of working arrangements with the thematic departments was key in improving the content and quality of the Organization's messages on global issues.

Foremost was the Department's partnership with the media, and particularly with the resident corps of correspondents. It was a partnership that he was personally committed to fostering. In addition to the significant steps being taken to improve the Department's capacity to deliver the news speedily and effectively, there was also a constant strengthening of "our cooperation with media organizations". The Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General held daily briefings at noon for the United Nations- based press corps and for delegations at 12:30 p.m. The briefing, which reflected the Secretary-General's activities and thinking, newsworthy developments originating from Headquarters, as well as major United Nations activities worldwide, were a main source of the latest information on the Organization, he added.

In the field of television, cooperation with major television organizations from around the world in organizing an annual television forum continued with added support from larger numbers of sponsors. The Department was also helping to facilitate the convening of a major Cable News Network (CNN) conference at Headquarters this week, to foster the cooperative relations that already existed with that media organization. He said what he

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wished to underscore was that the Department had adopted a dynamic and proactive approach to its cooperation with its media partners.

To encourage new partnerships and generate support in the business community, the Department had recently launched a new web page. That service would help corporations to locate the United Nations services that they required. Within 36 hours of the launch of that page in January, more than 10,000 accesses had been recorded. The Department's publications programme was also being revitalized to focus on demand-driven publications that demonstrated the relevance of the Organization's work to the lives of people everywhere.

Addressing the vital functions performed by United Nations information centres abroad, he said the guiding principle in that context was the idea of "a global vision, local voice". "We have sought, with the limited resources at our disposal, to improve the access of our centres to new technology, thereby improving communications with Headquarters, as well as locally". The information work carried out by United Nations information centres had to be seen in the light of the enhanced role envisaged for communications under the reorientation programme. The pool of resources available to the centres, however, had been shrinking in recent years. "We are seeking to meet this challenge by continuously improving productivity". Despite limited resources, however, many information centres had been able to record some remarkable successes in working with the media, local governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), in producing local language publications, and in developing web pages in local languages.

He said the creation of a "communications culture", the reorientation of the Department's activities towards that end, and the generation of a dynamic response by DPI to the challenges of the "age of information", all called for change and renewal. Those were being achieved in two ways: through structural changes in the Department effected in conjunction with the Executive Office of the Secretary-General; and through changes in work methods and improvements in productivity. Key structural changes had occurred with respect to the strategic management of the Organization's information and communications policies, and development of overall communications strategies.

Statements

BABACOR FALL, Director of the Communications Division in the Communications, Information and Informatics Sector of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), said that on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, observed at Headquarters this morning, the world must reaffirm the vigilance and the desire to defend freedom of the press, and the Committee played a large role in that regard. It also must be recognized that impunity for crimes committed against journalists must be stopped. Everyday on the planet, hundreds of journalists and communications

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professionals were detained, harassed or killed. Last year, 20 journalists had been killed and 500 had been killed in the past 10 years. In a majority of cases, the killers were still at large and had not been brought to trial.

He said that UNESCO had condemned violence against journalists and he called on Member States to stop all actions that deprived journalists of their rights. It must be stressed that World Press Freedom Day was not just for journalists and media professionals, it was at the heart of the interests of all citizens. It had been said that "God gave us freedom at the price of eternal vigilance".

The world could also not overlook the challenges of an information society, particularly that of access to information and technology, he said. A key challenge was the equal and free exchange of information. For a large portion of humanity, the old and conventional technologies were still a dream -- telephones and televisions were still not accessible to many people. However, those items were low-cost ways of reducing the information gap. National policies must help accelerate access to such forms of communication.

The concept of communication for development was of major importance for UNESCO, he said. In that regard, emphasis had been placed on strengthening access to traditional forms of communication. In Asia, UNESCO was developing a programme called "woman speaking to woman" to allow illiterate women access to the Internet. In the African region, UNESCO had helped to launch the first web site for an African press agency. Technology should be used to help reduce the costs of development.

S.R. INSANALLY (Guyana), for the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, acknowledged the presentation made by Mr. Hogen and welcomed his assurance that information and communication would be fully integrated in the activities of the United Nations. He said he was disappointed that none of the reports for the Committee had been available within the six-week time frame and that some of them were not ready even as the Committee began its session.

As in the past, he said, recourse by the United Nations to more modern means of disseminating information increasingly favoured the developed countries to the detriment of the peoples of the developing world, who were clearly disadvantaged by their lack of access to such advanced technologies. That information-technology gap was likely to affect inter-State cooperation in a number of areas, including commercial and economic relations. The United Nations must ensure that the developing countries were more equitably served in the field of communications and information.

He said that the Secretary-General had acknowledged that currently about 90 percent of the access to the United Nations web site came from developed countries. The Secretary-General had thus made the assurance that DPI would

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continue to expand the use of traditional means of communication given the constraints faced by developing countries in the computer age. However, that seemed to be contradicted by the discouraging conclusions of DPI regarding the pilot project for the establishment of the United Nations broadcasting radio facility. The radio remained, for most developing countries, the major medium for the dissemination of information. The Group of 77 would therefore expect that diligent efforts would be made to strengthen the United Nations Radio and to proceed with the pilot project, in order to reach a world-wide audience and thus redress, to some degree, the imbalances and inequalities between developed and developing countries.

A major concern of the Group of 77 was for the objectivity and impartiality of DPI's publications and reports, he said. Since the United Nations homepage and all its sites were essentially publications, they must be treated like other publications -- with due respect for balanced, comprehensive, and objective information on all issues before the Organization and in all the official languages. Equally important was the need to maintain editorial independence, impartiality, accuracy and full consistency with all relevant resolutions and decisions of the General Assembly.

He then spoke on the question of the integration of the United Nations Information Centres with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). He was gravely concerned that, despite the General Assembly's decision that the integration exercise should take into account the views of host governments, as well as follow a case-by-case approach, the review had ignored those key requirements. A thorough review of the policy of integration of the United Nations Information Centres with the other United Nations field offices should be conducted. The Group of 77 reiterated its call for a case-by-case review of the performance of all integrated centres to be conducted on a priority basis and in full consultation with the host governments. A report on that review should be presented during the fifty-fourth session of the General Assembly through the Committee on Information.

KAMALESH SHARMA (India) said "mass media" was a powerful tool which should be the channel of free and balanced dissemination of information: monopolies crowded out players and distorted that essential function in a compressed and globalizing world. State-of-the-art technologies in communication transcended barriers of time and space and had rendered the world a tight global community. Yet the gulf between developing and developed countries remained. The United Nations, through DPI, had an important role to play in seeking to bridge that gap. The desired outcome of the measures adopted to reorient the activities of DPI was to project the Organization as an open, transparent and public institution capable of meeting the principle objectives of its Charter. He cited the areas of peace and security, economic and social development, and human rights, among others.

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He said that, notwithstanding the various measures undertaken or under implementation, the question which needed to be squarely addressed was the extent to which the reorientation exercise currently underway would meet the aspirations of the developing world and correct the present imbalance against it in the field of information and communications. The focus of any information and communication strategy had to be on developmental issues, which were the basic challenges of the developing countries. He urged DPI to do more to highlight critical issues in that area. The cause of multilateralism stood at a crucial juncture, he added. Shared global problems could be addressed effectively in a collective manner, with a sense of common but differential responsibility dependent upon the endowment of financial and other resources.

He said the compression of the entire human community and concatenation of global activity had created an intimate interdependence, "which can be denied only at our peril". The challenge before the Committee therefore went beyond spreading the word about the United Nations and its activities. Enhancing awareness of the centrality and accomplishments of the Organization in "information societies", where that information lacked the currency it deserved, was important. There was also a need to open up the Organization's deliberations and activities to embrace other actors in the wider world. In addition, a comprehensive projection of developmental activities being undertaken by the United Nations would find resonance in all developing countries.

He said India also attached great importance to the role of traditional mediums like radio and television. Enhancing those mediums would only serve to give much wider coverage to the Organization's objectives and activities than at present.

ANWARUL KARIM CHOWDHURY (Bangladesh) said it was worrisome that a sizeable percentage of the population in the developing countries, which had been the traditional reservoir of support for the United Nations, was now not fully aware of the activities of the United Nations. Perhaps that was the result of focusing too much of the Organization's attention on certain developed countries so as to get increased funding. In the process, the United Nations had clearly ignored its responsibilities to the people of the developing world through undertaking narrowly-focused policies, such as the integration of the United Information Centres with the other offices of the Organization in the name of financial austerity. The consequence of such a lopsided policy was clear today. The strength of the United Nations was not just measured in terms of its financial support from major contributors, but also on the good will and support of the people around the world. The DPI could play a crucial role in mustering that support.

He said the concept of a new culture of communications should not be an in-house issue -- it needed to be translated into promoting the overall image

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of the United Nations. His delegation believed that the Organization should focus more on publicizing the activities and accomplishments of the United Nations in the field of development. He also cited sustainable human development issues such as poverty eradication, health education and women's rights and empowerment as key areas of focus. Efforts could also be made by DPI to assist developing countries to improve their capacity in the information-related field. The United Nations Information Centres could more aggressively collaborate with national governments in developing countries to include the activities of the Organization in school and college curriculums.

He said his delegation was seriously concerned about the current status of the integration process related to information centres and United Nations field offices and the condition of integrated centres. As the Secretary- General's report clearly testified, the policy of integration had been neither functionally efficient and effective, nor cost saving. His delegation did not share the view that more training for the Resident Coordinator of the UNDP would improve the situation when the policy was fundamentally flawed. He therefore requested the Secretary-General to review the entire policy of integration and to undertake case-by-case reviews of all integrated Information Centres, in full consultation with host governments, with a view to submitting a report at the fifty-fourth session of the General Assembly.

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