FOURTH COMMITTEE BEGINS CONSIDERATION OF QUESTIONS RELATING TO INFORMATION

Press Release
GA/SPD/176

FOURTH COMMITTEE BEGINS CONSIDERATION OF QUESTIONS RELATING TO INFORMATION

Under-Secretary-General For Communications and Public Information Addresses Committee

While continuing its efforts to achieve the most effective balance of new and traditional communications technologies, the Department of Public Information had achieved remarkable progress in integrating the newer technologies into its activities, Kensaku Hogen, Under-Secretary- General for Communications and Public Information, told the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) this afternoon as it began considering questions related to information.

He said that alongside the traditional media, the United Nations Web site had become an important tool in communicating the Organization’s message to a global audience. This year, the number of accesses to that site had already exceeded 150 million. The Department planned to continue improving the Web site’s effectiveness in all official languages by the incremental addition of parliamentary documentation and information materials, as well as by improving the site's search facility. However, no additional resources had been allocated so far for that new activity of the Department, he noted.

New Web pages would be added to cover emerging issues and upcoming observances, he said. The Department was also using the Internet to enhance -– indeed revolutionize -- its programme delivery in the audio- visual field. Rapid delivery of United Nations news directly to the media was among the Department’s priorities. In September, the Department had inaugurated the United Nations News Centre on the World Wide Web, which had speedily recorded important news developments as they occurred.

He said the Department had recently launched a pilot project to test the transmission of high-fidelity audio for immediate reuse by radio broadcasters – first with the London-based World Radio Network, and then with China Radio International. The Department maintained a close working relationship with the news media worldwide and was a long- standing member of the Cable News Network's (CNN) World Report Programme. For the fourth consecutive year, the Department was organizing a World Television Forum, which had also become a significant event on the international television calendar, he added.

Fourth Committee - 1a - Press Release GA/SPD/176 22nd Meeting (PM) 16 November 1999

During the general debate that followed, the representative of Oman voiced his country’s appreciation for the constructive role the Department had played during the last decade in conveying to the public the role played by the United Nations in the global campaign against racism and racial discrimination. The Department was a mirror reflecting the concerns of States and peoples throughout the world, he said.

The representative of Ghana said his country perceived a synergy in the reorientation of the Department’s activities and the aspirations of Member States like his own in their mission to facilitate their entry into the information age. Ghana took a keen interest in the strengthening of the Organization’s capacity to communicate at the country level through the United Nations information centres, he added.

Also during this afternoon’s discussion, the representative of Guyana, speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, noted that many impressive technological advances remained out of the reach of developing countries. Recourse by the United Nations to more modern means of disseminating information increasingly favoured the developed nations, primarily because of the lack of access to more sophisticated means of telecommunication technologies in the developing nations. The United Nations must bridge the technological gap.

The representative of Lebanon, speaking on behalf of the Arab Group, reaffirmed the need for linguistic balance in all spheres, including the Internet, in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions. He stressed the need to enhance the multi-linguistic culture in international communications, so that all nations could take advantage of technological progress.

The report of the Committee on Information was introduced by that body's Rapporteur, Sidharto Reza Suryo-Di-Puro (Indonesia).

Also speaking in today's general debate were the representatives of Egypt, Singapore, Mexico (on behalf of the Rio Group), United Arab Emirates, Jamaica (on behalf of the Caribbean Community), Croatia and Cuba.

The Fourth Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. tomorrow, 17 November, to continue its general debate on information questions.

Committee Work Programme

When the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) met this afternoon to begin its general discussion on questions relating to information, it was expected to consider, among other documents, the report of the Secretary-General on that subject, as well as the report of the Committee on Information on its twenty first session.

In his report (document A/54/415) the Secretary-General notes that the Department of Public Information has continued to reorient its activities, concentrating its efforts on the development of the latest technology in order to improve programme delivery in the print, radio and television media and on the Internet. It has also continued to develop a more effective news gathering and delivery system and to strengthen the Organization's ability to communicate at the country and regional levels.

According to the report, despite serious financial constraints, the Department has made the United Nations Web site available in all six official languages through temporary redeployment of staff and other measures. Availability of audio and video elements on the Web has also increased considerably, and new elements are constantly introduced, including the Web pages for Kosovo and East Timor.

Discussions are under way in the Committee on Information and other relevant intergovernmental bodies on possible approaches to further multilingual development of Web pages in all official languages, as resources permit, the report notes. "It must, however, be emphasized that the amount of materials in Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish remains relatively small due to the lack of allocated resources for the maintenance and development of United Nations Web site activities", the Secretary-General states.

The Secretary-General says that a possible course of action to remedy this imbalance -- as recommended in the report of the Secretary-General on Web sites (document A/AC.198/1999/9) -- involves establishing a sound foundation for the current maintenance and enhancement activities of the Web site in English, with provision of content in other languages keyed to the level of usage of the Web sites in those languages.

As part of its reorientation efforts, the Secretary-General says, the Department has created a Web-Based United Nations News Service, through the redeployment of the staff of its Editorial Section to the newly renamed News and Media Services Division. The objective of the News Service is to provide the global media with the news about the Organization, using the latest advances in communications technology. The Organization has also continued to strengthen its capacity to communicate at the country level, and the United Nations information centres have contributed to this goal. Through them, the "global vision" of the United Nations gains a "local voice".

Also, according to the report, the Department of Public Information has cooperated closely with the Executive Office of the Secretary-General in developing and promoting closer ties with the international business community. It produced an information kit used by the Secretary-General, both in his contacts with corporate executives and for press outreach, and strengthened regular contacts with key journalists.

The Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General continued to inform the accredited press, delegations and the public at large on the broad scope of activities of the United Nations. Advance copies of a book published by the Department on the United Nations role in facilitating global commerce were used by the Secretary-General in his meeting with the International Chamber of Commerce held on 5 July.

Annexed to the report is a list of major activities of the Department of Public Information in accordance with General Assembly resolution 53/59 B, which include institutional and thematic publications; fact sheets on the work of the United Nations; briefings for non-governmental organizations; video productions; special radio feature programmes and series; and electronic publishing. Among other major activities at Headquarters are guided tours; briefings; speaking engagements; press conferences; interviews with the Secretary-General; promotional publications; and preparation of audio-visual and photographic materials.

Also before the Fourth Committee was a report on the twenty-first session of the Committee on Information (document A/54/21). That session was held from 3 to 14 May.

The report, in addition to providing an overview of the Committee’s discussion during the session and a transcript of the statement to the Committee by the Under-Secretary General for Communications and Public Information, contains the Committee’s “draft resolution A” -- entitled "Information in the service of humanity". By the terms of that text, the General Assembly would urge all countries, the United Nations system and all others concerned to cooperate and interact with a view to reducing existing disparities in information flows at all levels by increasing assistance for the development of communication infrastructures and capabilities in the developing countries; to ensure for journalists the free and effective performance of their professional tasks and condemn resolutely all attacks against them; to provide support for the strengthening of practical training programmes for broadcasters and journalists from all media in developing countries; and to enhance regional efforts and cooperation among developing countries, as well as cooperation between developed and developing countries.

Further by the draft, the Assembly would urge all concerned to aim, in addition to bilateral cooperation, at providing all possible support and assistance to the developing countries and their media, with due regard to their interests and needs in the information field and to action already adopted within the United Nations system, including:

The development of the human and technical resources indispensable for the improvement of information and communications systems in developing countries; the creation of conditions to enable the developing countries and all their media to have, by using their national and regional resources, the communication technology suited to their national needs, as well as the necessary programme material, especially for radio and television broadcasting; assistance in establishing and promoting telecommunication links at the subregional, regional and interregional levels, especially among developing countries; and the facilitation of access by developing countries to advanced communication technology available on the open market.

Also before the Fourth Committee was the report of the Information Committee on the resumed twenty-first session (document A/54/21/Add.1) held from 1 to 5 November. That report gives an overview of the Committee’s deliberations and contains, in annex, a transcript of a statement made by the Under-Secretary- General for Communications and Public Information at the outset of the session.

The report also contains a revised version of “draft resolution B” -- "United Nations public information policies and activities" -- by which the General Assembly would take note with appreciation, with reference to the Secretary-General's reports on the continuous and multilingual development, maintenance and enrichment of United Nations Web sites, his efforts to develop and enhance the Organization's Web sites in all its official languages. He would be requested to pursue those efforts and to continue to develop proposals for achieving modular parity between official languages in a cost-effective manner and with a focus on textual content. The Assembly would take note, by other terms, of efforts by some United Nations information centres to establish their own Web pages in local languages, and recommend that the Department of Public Information encourage other information centres to develop Web pages in the respective local languages of host countries.

Also by the text, the Assembly would underline the continuing importance of traditional mass media channels in disseminating information about the United Nations, and encourage the Secretary-General to take full advantage of recent developments in information technologies, including the Internet, to improve, in a cost-effective manner, the dissemination of information about the Organization, taking into account its linguistic diversity. It would emphasize that, through its reorientation, the Department of Public Information should continue and improve its activities in the areas of special interest to developing countries and other countries with special needs, including countries in transition. Such reorientation should contribute to bridging the existing gap between the developing and the developed countries in the crucial field of public information and communications.

By further terms, the General Assembly would take note of the Secretary- General's report on the design and scope of a pilot project for the development of an international radio broadcasting capacity for the United Nations, and request the Department to start, as soon as possible, the implementation of the pilot project through, among other means, contacts with interested Member States and other specialized institutions. This would be done with a view to ensuring the assistance necessary for the project’s success, taking into account the need to enhance the existing resources and services.

Also by the text, the Assembly would stress that radio is one of the most cost-effective and far-reaching media available to the Department of Public Information and an important instrument in United Nations activities, such as development and peacekeeping. It would request the Secretary-General to implement fully the recommendations contained in General Assembly resolution 38/82 B of 15 December 1983 with regard to the introduction of full programming in French and Creole in the work programme of the Caribbean Unit of United Nations Radio.

The draft calls for the Assembly to reaffirm the importance attached by Member States to the role of United Nations information centres in effectively and comprehensively disseminating information in all parts of the world, in particular developing countries and countries in transition, and especially in those countries where there is a need for greater understanding about United Nations activities. It would also reaffirm the importance of all information centres meeting the primary objectives outlined by the Information Committee in its report on its ninth session.

Also, the Assembly would take note of the Secretary-General's report on the integration of United Nations information centres with field offices of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and note his intention to make a concerted effort to address the problems encountered in the implementation of the integration exercise in a number of information centres. The Assembly would note with concern that, while the co-location of United Nations information centres with UNDP field offices has, to some extent, been able to promote the image of the United Nations, the integration has, in general, resulted in a lower level of programme delivery and a narrower range of activities. Location of information centres to common premises with the Programme has frequently resulted in higher maintenance costs and has been suffering from leadership and staff problems. To a large extent, the integration policy has not achieved its stated objective of performing functions efficiently, effectively and in a cost-effective manner.

By further terms, the General Assembly would take note with appreciation of the efforts of the Secretary-General to move the Dag Hammarskjöld Library in the direction of a virtual library, and request him to enrich its stock of books and journals, including on peace and security as well as development-related issues, in order to ensure that it continues to be a broadly accessible resource for information about the United Nations and its activities.

Also by the text, the Assembly would note that the request made to the Secretary-General, in General Assembly resolution 53/59 B of 3 December 1998, to ensure full and direct access for the representatives of Member States to the briefings organized at Headquarters by the Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General, and to ensure wider outreach of the outcome of such briefings, has not been implemented, and it would therefore reiterate that request. The Assembly would request the Department of Public Information to continue to ensure the greatest possible access for United Nations guided tours, and to ensure that displays in public areas are kept as informative, up-to-date, relevant and technologically innovative as possible.

By other terms, the Assembly would emphasize that all of the Department's publications should fulfil an identifiable need, should not duplicate other publications inside the United Nations system and should be produced in a cost-effective manner. It would request the Secretary-General to also give a particular focus to educational institutions as key and indispensable partners of the United Nations in its efforts to fully inform the peoples of the world of its aims and activities.

The Assembly would, by further terms, express its full support for wide, accurate, equal and prompt coverage of United Nations activities through the continuation and improvement of United Nations press releases, stress the importance of having those press releases issued in all the Organization's official languages, and request other relevant bodies of the General Assembly to give due consideration to that matter. It would encourage further strengthening of the availability of United Nations radio programmes, in all official languages, on the United Nations Web site, on the Internet.

Also contained in the report is a revised draft decision by which the General Assembly would decide to increase the membership of the Committee on Information from 93 to 95 and to appoint Liberia and Mozambique as members.

KENSAKU HOGEN, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, said that the Secretary-General, at the very onset of his tenure, had identified communications as a central priority in his vision of a revitalized Organization. Indeed, public information was the only Secretariat activity for which he had established a high-level, independent task force. Specific steps taken by the Secretary-General included the appointment of a Director of Communications in his own office and the establishment of a Communications Group, composed of all senior officials dealing with that function. Those measures had brought greater coherence to strategic planning and enabled a new level of coordination and effectiveness within the Organization.

The Secretary-General had also emphasized the promotion of a culture of communications to mobilize deeper public support for the Organization's activities and had issued the Secretariat's first-ever "Media Guidelines", he continued. The fact that the new culture was taking root in the Organization had been illustrated earlier this month by a two-day briefing programme organized by the DPI for editorial writers from all parts of the United States. Also, the new spirit of collaboration with staff in other offices was gratifying. In its work, the DPI had become the outlet of the thematic departments of the Secretariat, especially in the economic and social areas.

After nearly a half century in which the hallmark of the Organization’s policy had been extraordinary caution dictated by the prevailing political environment, the transformations that were needed would not come about overnight, he said. The Department had a long way to travel before it realized the goals that had been enumerated by the Secretary-General. At the same time, real accomplishments had been made. To build greater support for the Organization, it was necessary to emphasize to the world that only true global partnerships -– reflecting the very raison d'être of the United Nations -– were those which helped to overcome the seemingly invincible modern scourges: violence and ethnic hatred, large-scale violations of human rights, as well as poverty, diseases, crime and environmental degradation that knew no borders.

With that broad strategic communications framework, the Department worked through the Communications Group to agree on a joint identification and coordinated execution of both long-term and topical campaigns through all the Department’s mediums and outputs, he continued. An outstanding example of the former was the series of year-long activities undertaken globally with a wide array of audience groups in the run-up to the fiftieth anniversaries of United Nations peacekeeping operations and of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights last year. Topic campaigns also included highlighting the challenges and the wide-ranging actions required to address the problems of small island States. Special efforts in support of the revitalization of the Economic and Social Council and its stepped up programme of work had been praised by that body’s President.

The media was the single most important vehicle through which global opinion was formed, he continued. One of the Department’s priorities therefore was creating a more strategic relationship with the media. Never before had the United Nations seen such a level of access to the upper reaches of the media worldwide as it did now through the senior officials in the Secretary-General’s office, as well as through the Department’s new media-oriented initiatives. The new United Nations-media relationship was reflected in the gathering of global television executives for the World Television Forum scheduled to take place later this week; in the decision by CNN to hold at Headquarters last May part of its annual meeting bringing together nearly 400 producers of national television news; and the participation, for the first time, of renowned journalists from each of the world’s regions in the World Press Freedom Day discussions last May -– to mention only the major events of the last six months.

Within that broad context, one of the Department’s priorities was rapid delivery of news directly to the news media –- which had seen a continuing proliferation of 24-hour news channels -– about the Organization’s activities and objectives. In September, the Department had inaugurated the United Nations News Centre on the World Wide Web, which speedily recorded important news developments as they occurred. That new site, which formed the hub of an integrated multimedia operation, also acted as a gateway to the increasing wealth of news material in all media available throughout the United Nations system. The other major step forward would be taken early next year, when for the first time the United Nations would begin delivering news directly to major media news desks in every Member State. That new service would establish a direct Headquarters connection with the global media, and provide journalists with a central contact point for information on every aspect of the work of the Organization.

Another new media activity initiated by the Department was the systematic placement of op-ed articles by the Secretary-General on priority issues. That would provide the Organization with an occasional opportunity to directly present its views to the world’s public, rather than only through the prism of journalists.

The Department was continuing its efforts to achieve the most effective balance of new and traditional communications technologies, he said. Traditional media, including print, radio and television, continued to reach significant and growing audiences. However, the Department's remarkable progress in integrating the newer technologies should be emphasized. The United Nations Web site had become an important tool in communicating the message of the Organization to a global audience. This year, the number of accesses to that site had already exceeded 150 million. However, while the Web-related activities and the outreach through that new medium had grown exponentially over the last few years, no additional resources had been allocated so far for that new activity of the Department. As requested by the Committee on Information at its just-completed resumed session, the Department was planning to continue to improve the effectiveness of the Web site in all official languages by incrementally adding parliamentary documentation and public information materials and by improving the site's search facility. New Web pages would be added, as appropriate, to cover emerging issues and upcoming observances.

The Internet was also being used by the Department to enhance -– indeed revolutionize -- its programme delivery in the audio-visual field, he said. It had recently launched a pilot project to test the transmission of high-fidelity audio for immediate re-use by radio broadcasters –- first with the London-based World Radio Network, and then with China Radio International. This year, the Department had also produced for the first time a compact disk containing a series of radio programmes on population and development. The Department had begun to use the state-of-the-art MP3 technology through which radio stations received five minute daily news clips via the Internet. At the same time, a full range of programmes continued to be made available on tape. As requested by the Committee on Information, the Department had also begun preparations for the pilot project on the development of an international radio broadcasting capacity for the United Nations.

The Department maintained a close working relationship with the news media worldwide, he continued. As part of ongoing arrangements with international news syndicates, daily television news packages and live feeds of television coverage were provided to them for worldwide distribution. Through co- productions, the Department was forging strong partnerships with a number of media organizations worldwide. For more than a decade, the Department had been a member of CNN’s World Report Programme. For the fourth consecutive year, the Department was organizing a World Television Forum, which had become a significant event on the international television calendar.

He said that great importance was attached to the needs of resident correspondents at Headquarters through the Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General. The United Nations Web site had helped to enormously extend the outreach to the outside press, as well. To take advantage of the available technology, highlights of the daily noon briefing were posted on the Web site by 3 p.m. of the same day to ensure access by the widest possible audience. The Spokesman's Office was also preparing to launch an "Ask the Secretary-General" feature and was exploring ways to deliver more effectively the messages of the Secretary-General. The Department was now finalizing a broad communications strategy leading to the Millennium Assembly and Summit next September. Its message would focus on the global challenges faced by humankind and the fact that the United Nations was the only universal organization that could address those challenges effectively.

The United Nations information centres had a key role to play in that information campaign, he continued. The Department's ongoing educational outreach activities would also be linked to the Millennium campaign. The success of last year's student conference had led to plans to hold a similar conference this year, focusing on human rights and the culture of peace. The Department had also introduced several classroom-ready publications for school students. As civil society, and in particular non-governmental organizations (NGOs), were vital partners of the United Nations, last year the Department had granted association to 29 such organizations, bringing the total number of associated NGOs to 1,581. The DPI had recently organized its fifty-second annual Non-Governmental Organizations Conference, which had been attended by over 1,700 representatives of 426 organizations from 47 countries.

The Department also continued to provide training opportunities to media practitioners from the developing countries, he said. Its annual training programme brought young media professionals to Headquarters for a six-week period during the session of the General Assembly. Another training programme for journalists had been undertaken as part of the special information programme on the question of Palestine. A new and updated exhibition on the United Nations and the question of Palestine was being prepared by the Department now.

Activities and products of the DPI had continued to focus on development and human rights, he continued. Beginning this year, special emphasis was being placed on the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, to be held in 2001. A campaign to build support for that conference would be launched in Geneva during the observance of the 1999 Human Rights Day. The Department was also increasing awareness of the work of the United Nations in the economic field, as well as its closer partnership with the business community and civil society.

This year's dramatic developments had led to increased public interest in the role of the Organization in the maintenance of international peace and security, he said. That constituted both an opportunity and a challenge to the DPI, which had stepped up its efforts to keep pace with events by supplying news coverage and detailed information on peace and security-related developments in a variety of forms. In particular, special Web pages had been set up on Kosovo and East Timor, in addition to the pages on other current missions. To improve the public information capacity of field missions, the Department contributed daily to the planning and support of information components in both new and existing missions. It continued to cooperate with other departments responsible for the missions.

With the emphasis on a demand-driven approach to publications, the Department was making its products more attractive, widely-available, cost- effective and timely, he said. As an example, the UN Chronicle had a dynamic new look, and its contents had been expanded to increase its appeal to a broader readership. Furthermore, the publication programme took advantage of the Internet and CD-ROM technology to maximize its outreach capacity. Also, the Dag Hammarskjold Library's major databases were to be launched on a Web platform before the end of the year. In order to facilitate multilingual subject access to United Nations databases, including the Optical Disk System, the Library had made significant progress in translating the United Nations Bibliographic Information System (UNBIS) Thesaurus, which was already available in English, French and Spanish, into the remaining official languages.

By translating into local voices the global vision of the Organization, the global network of United Nations information centres continued to implement the objectives of the United Nations communications strategy. Through a wide range of activities involving the participation of the local population, the centres helped to show the "human face" and relevance of the Organization. Taking full advantage of the latest communications technology, the centres remained the most authoritative source of timely information on the United Nations. Twenty-seven information centres had established Web pages, many in local languages.

The Department continued to attach great importance to training its staff, he said. With that objective in mind, a training programme for national information officers and information assistance from 18 United Nations information centres in Africa and five from the United Nations offices had been held in Geneva in September. In addition, a training seminar for information centre reference assistants was being organized in mid-December.

In conclusion, he said that in the report of the Committee on Information before the Committee, the Secretary-General was being requested to submit in the year 2000 a case-by-case review and proposals on the functioning of the United Nations information centres which had been integrated with the field offices of the United Nations Development Programme. The review was currently underway with full participation of the Governments concerned. In addition, a working group composed of the representatives of the DPI and the United Nations Development Programme had initiated the preparation of a set of guidelines on the operational framework of the information centres currently headed by the UNDP. The recently-appointed Administrator of the UNDP had expressed his commitment to the strengthening of public information activities in the field, based on complementarity and cooperation between the Department and the UNDP. Early next year, the Department was planning to hold a joint meeting of Directors of United Nations information centres, which would coincide with the annual UNDP meeting of Resident Coordinators and provide an important opportunity for an exchange of views and for the planning of future activities.

Introduction of Report

SIDHARTO REZA SURYO-DI-PURO (Indonesia), Rapporteur of the Committee on Information, introduced that body’s report, describing its contents and highlighting provisions of the draft resolutions contained in it.

Statements

DEXTER WILBURG (Guyana), on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, said that breakthroughs in the telecommunications field had revolutionized everything from business and finance to education and medicine. Through the power of the Internet, it was possible to transfer the entire contents of a library to a remote village, thereby transforming it into a virtual university. Advances in telecommunications had also enabled physicians in developing countries to gain immediate access to life-saving developments in their fields. The telecommunications medium was an integral part of globalization.

However, he said, many of those impressive technological advances remained out of the reach of many in the developing world. As in the past, recourse by the United Nations to more modern means of disseminating information increasingly favoured the developed nations, primarily because of the lack of access to more sophisticated means of telecommunication technologies in the developing nations. Moreover, that disparity had affected inter-State cooperation in areas including commercial and financial relations. In order to stem that negative tide, the United Nations must ensure that the developing countries were more equitably served by bridging the technological gap.

He noted that United Nations information centres were an integral component in the development of the information process. While recognizing their important role in disseminating information in all parts of the world, the Group remained particularly concerned that efforts to integrate them with UNDP field offices could hamper their effectiveness. The Secretary-General’s own Task Force had produced findings suggesting that integration efforts had not been uniformly successful. The Group would continue to demand that any proposed integration be done on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the views of host governments.

The Secretary-General’s report, he said, referred to guidelines for Secretariat officials in their contacts with the media. While those guidelines offered Secretariat officials a freer association with the press, they had not sufficiently addressed the issue of attribution. In the past, some Secretariat officials had made statements purportedly on behalf of the Organization as a whole when in fact they had been expressing the opinion of the Secretariat or of an individual. The Group called for strengthened guidelines.

HASSAN KASSEM NAJEM (Lebanon), speaking on behalf of the Arab Group, said that in view of the amazing technology achievements at the end of the century, there was an urgent need to help the developing countries. He supported the position of the Group of 77 and China and said it was necessary to enhance the effectiveness of conventional media of the United Nations and to strengthen the Internet Web sites, which should be made available in all official languages, including Arab. He stressed the need to enhance the multi-linguistic culture in international communications, so that all the nations could take advantage of the progress in technology.

He also stressed the need to strengthen education and training to make better use of all computer and information technologies at the United Nations. He reaffirmed the need to ensure linguistic balance in all spheres, including the Internet, in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions. In that regard, he called on the DPI to make efforts to issue in Arabic the annual press bulletin that contained resolutions and decisions adopted at the session of the General Assembly.

HOSSAM ZAKI (Egypt) associated himself with the statement made by Guyana on behalf of the Group of 77. He noted that there was concern over the obvious lack of balance in the use of media available at the United Nations. There were clear economic and cultural disparities between the recipients, and that should be reflected in the work of the Organization. While recognizing the importance of the Internet, he believed that it was primarily used by the developed nations. The Secretariat must recognize that conventional methods were the most effective for communicating with large segments of developing countries. Continuing, he requested the Secretariat to redress the imbalance and deal with all the information media in an equal fashion.

Resources were needed to strengthen the United Nations Web site, he said. In the context of information media, he also stressed the importance of achieving parity between all the official languages. The Web site in Arabic was extremely weak. In fact, most documents were published only in English there. He rejected the proposals put forward in the report under consideration for strengthening the Web site. His delegation believed that they were illogical.

He said that at the end of the twenty-first session of the Committee on Information Egypt had put forward a proposal to revitalize the role of that Committee. The proposal merited consideration, and he hoped that consultations would be undertaken to implement it. In regard to United Nations information centres, he said that steps taken to reinstate the Cairo Centre as an entity independent from the UNDP should be welcomed.

SALIM AL-ALAWI (Oman), supporting the statements of the Arab Group and the Group of 77, said his country attributed great value to the Department of Public Information’s constructive role over the last decade in conveying to the public the role played by the United Nations in the global campaign against racism and racial discrimination. The Department was a mirror reflecting the concerns of States and peoples throughout the world. On the threshhold of the new millennium, it was hoped that the Millennium Assembly would meet the aspirations of Member States.

He said that the role of the United Nations should not be confined to the Organization, but should go beyond it to promote partnerships. The Millennium Summit could not be complete as long the problems of developing countries continued to be ignored, especially those countries afflicted by such scourges as disease, poverty and ignorance. It behoved the United Nations to reflect the concerns of all countries and not to dwell only on those problems affecting a small number of Member States.

YAW O. OSEI (Ghana), associating himself with the statement of the Group of 77 and China, said his country perceived a synergy in the reorientation in the activities of the DPI and the aspirations of Member States like Ghana in their mission to facilitate their entry into the information age through the development of high-quality infrastructure, industry and services. Ghana took a keen interest in the strengthening of the Organization’s capacity to communicate at the country level through the United Nations information centres, which now furnished programmes in local languages and promoted activities that emphasized the relevance of United Nations activities in the daily lives of people around the world.

As a troop-contributing country, he said, Ghana could affirm the importance of public information and communication activities aimed at informing the general population of a host country about peacekeeping in order to broaden understanding of the peace process. The threats facing peacekeepers and humanitarian aid workers in Kosovo, East Timor and Sierra Leone underscored the importance and urgency of the Department’s work in disseminating information that would educate the peoples of countries in conflict about the true meaning and significance of international humanitarian personnel.

He considered as timely the DPI’s activities, in consultation with the Department of Disarmament Affairs, in publicizing United Nations activities in the field of arms limitation and disarmament, given the negative impact of small arms and light weapons on conflict situations and on the economies of developing Member States. It was expected that the DPI would undertake public information activities well in advance of the Small Arms Conference in the year 2000, as it had done for the Maputo Conference on Landmines in May, to sensitize the international community to the problems posed by the illicit proliferation and circulation of those arms.

PHYLLIS CHUA (Singapore) said that, in many ways, the next century would see another renaissance brought about by information technology. The new challenges to societies and governments were huge. For example, information technology had weakened the influence of national governments and local authorities and their ability to influence the behaviour of their citizens. It had also exposed the young to the influences of external cultures and lifestyles, thus eroding domestic cultures and value systems. Instead of fighting a futile battle against the inevitable onslaught of new technology, it was necessary to try to harness it and seize the opportunities offered by the information technology revolution.

As a small developing nation with an open economy, Singapore’s survival depended on its ability to adapt to major challenges, she continued. Instantaneous access to new information and its effective management and dissemination had to be its competitive edge. For that reason, Singapore had embarked on such initiatives as the IT2000 plan and Singapore ONE (One Network for Everyone) to turn the country into an “Intelligent Island” -– one fully interconnected and able to make use of new technology for practically every sphere of economic, educational and social activity. The aim was to put in place a national information infrastructure by the end of 1999.

One aspect of the information technology revolution for Singapore was the effort to maintain its sense of identity and core values, she said. In that regard, the country was taking some preventive measures. For example, it allowed the expansion of the Internet within a regulatory framework that introduced elements of responsibility to check abuses. Internet service and content providers were automatically licensed. They also had to abide by a code of practice. They were not required to monitor the Internet or its users, but they might be required to block some undesirable Web sites. Such preventive measures could not be comprehensive, but the regulatory framework was an important attempt to preserve important values. The country was also making efforts to maintain its identity and values through public education, parental guidance and community involvement.

Welcoming the thrust of the proposals contained in the report of the Committee on Information and in the draft resolutions before the Committee, she noted with concern the growing technology gap within and between countries, based on access to the digital economy and the Internet. Therefore, Singapore supported the enhancement of regional efforts and international cooperation to improve the media infrastructure and communication technology in developing countries, especially in the areas of training and dissemination of information.

PABLO MACEDO (Mexico), speaking on behalf of the Rio Group, noted that the Committee on Information had negotiated the drafts before the Committee today. The Group was satisfied that the practice of preparing the texts in the so-called expanded Bureau had been discontinued, because not all countries had access to its deliberations. Turning to the work of the United Nations information centres, he said that their independence in the Latin American and Caribbean region was important. Any attempts to integrate them with other offices of the United Nations system should be made only if such independence could be ensured.

In light of the importance of electronic dissemination of information, the Committee on Information had devoted much time to the study of strengthening the Web sites in all the official languages, he continued. So far, the most developed were the English and French sites, followed by the other languages. Proposals to assure greater parity had been made, and alternatives had been explored. The Rio Group welcomed the proposals made in that regard and the intention to further study the matter.

Turning to particular information activities, he said that the Rio Group had put forward the initiative to maximize the information system for the diplomatic community in Geneva and thanked the Secretariat for its support for that project. United Nations radio programmes in Spanish and Portuguese operating in the Latin American and Caribbean region fully satisfied the needs for providing information to the public about the activities of the United Nations. However, new means also needed to be sought out to enhance the dissemination of information for the area. The Group was prepared to contribute to the initiatives in that regard.

ANWAR BAROUT SALEEM (United Arab Emirates), associating himself with the statements of the Arab Group and the Group of 77 and China, said the entire world had recognized the role played by the media and by advances in information technology, which had changed the nature of international relations. While recognizing the importance of the Department of Public Information in strengthening links between countries, the United Arab Emirates was concerned at the exorbitant cost of information technologies, which had the effect of marginalizing the developing countries.

Aware of the situation in those countries that were deprived of resources and the latest information technologies, he said a transparent international strategy based on equal justice as provided for in international instruments was needed. That would allow the poorest countries to achieve effective programmes that would enable them to correct the existing imbalances between developing and developed countries. There was a need for a new international order providing for the free flow of knowledge and ideas and eliminating the dominance of a few countries.

He said his country was concerned that the DPI did not bring to the Arabic language the same interest it did to other languages regarding translation and dissemination of information through audio-visual and electronic means. The United Arab Emirates supported the Secretary-General’s proposal to create a direct international broadcasting capacity for the United Nations in all six of the Organization’s official languages, including Arabic.

PATRICIA DURRANT (Jamaica), on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), said that, despite the growing popularity of the Internet, radio and television still represented the media through which most people in the Caribbean received information about national and international events. Radio was by far the most prominent source of information. The Department should ensure that the mode of disseminating information was accessible to the target audience it intended to reach.

She said that the creation of a Web page on decolonization was also welcomed by the CARICOM delegations, given that seven of the remaining Non-Self- Governing Territories were within the Caribbean region. Dissemination of information to those territories was a critical factor for the self- determination process. The CARICOM delegations also commended the function of SIDSNET, which served as an important communication tool among the small island developing States.

Referring to the follow-up work regarding the development of an international radio broadcasting capacity for the United Nations, she said that last January, in response to a survey carried out by the Caribbean Radio Unit, 17 Caribbean countries had responded favourably to the proposal to give airtime on broadcasting facilities devoted to United Nations programming. The radio stations had indicated a preference for programmes with a Caribbean focus. That project should be followed up as soon as possible.

She noted that the Caribbean did not have a tradition of shortwave broadcasting. Television and AM/FM radio were the primary sources of information in the region. The two major transmission networks -– the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) and the Caribbean News Agency (CANA) had combined their commercial services under a single umbrella utilizing satellite as the primary distribution system. The DPI should establish close collaboration with the new regional entity. While satisfied with the programming provided by the Department’s Caribbean Radio Unit over the past year, CARICOM remained concerned that the request to introduce full programming in French and Creole had yet to be fulfilled.

IVAN NIMAC (Croatia) said that the establishment of the Web-based United Nations News Service was a significant advancement in the provision of fresh news. The coming Millennium Assembly should motivate the timely realization of the United Nations potential in the field of information. Today’s subject was as much connected with technology as with the principles of access, parity and democracy.

The process of reorientation must proceed quickly, he said, and the question of access to United Nations information should continue to be a high priority for the Department of Public Information. The more traditional information media, particularly radio, were important to the developing world, and the United Nations radio capacity should reflect that importance. His delegation looked forward to the results of the Department’s consultations with Member States and major broadcasters on the availability of extra-budgetary resources for an international radio broadcasting capacity.

The present state of the United Nations Web sites reflected continuous improvement, he continued, but more could be done. The United Nations should emphasize in its public information output the key consensus documents in the developmental, economic and social fields, as well as the role of the United Nations funds, programmes and agencies. The role of the United Nations information centres was important. Croatia hosted a small United Nations liaison office in Zagreb, as well as a UNDP office. He believed that the inclusion of an information component in the liaison office would be useful and could be achieved without budgetary implications.

In conclusion, he welcomed the preliminary consensus reached at the resumed session of the Committee on Information on the question of multilingual development of the United Nations Web sites and said that his delegation looked forward to eventual agreement on a mutually acceptable model. The two criteria for the consideration of the issue of language parity should be the extent to which the accessibility would be enhanced, as well as the cost-effectiveness of any model.

RAFAEL DAUSA CESPEDES (Cuba), supporting the statement of the Group of 77 and China, said that the dizzying development of information and communication entailed bitter contradictions. The more progress and development were made, the wider grew the technological gap between developed and developing countries. Reality today showed that while there was talk in some countries about stepping up the development of the Internet and the most sophisticated means of communications, others were faced with high levels of illiteracy and poverty.

He said that balanced dissemination of information remained non- existent. The globalization of information and communications, while allowing for better relations among different countries, and the possibility of bringing them closer together, also encouraged the imposition of cultural models and information mechanisms that tended to allow patterns that were ever more unfavourable to the interests of developing countries.

While commending efforts to develop United Nations Web sites and to make the Internet and other modern media accessible to developing countries, he said that could not be done without having an impact on the capability and scope of United Nations radio and television programmes. While Cuba could not overlook the need to continue working to develop and improve United Nations Web sites in all the Organization’s official languages, those Web sites contained very little information in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese and Russian, owing to the lack of resources for the maintenance and development of the activities of United Nations Web sites.

Stressing the need to prevent the exploitation of information for criminal or terrorist purposes, he said that more than 1,600 hours of radio aggression were aired weekly to Cuba from United States territory through more than 26 different radio and television frequencies. Some of them were sponsored, controlled and funded by the United States Government, which spent more than $22 million every year in electronic warfare against Cuba. Those broadcasts not only violated Cuba’s sovereignty, but were also flagrant violations of international law.