FOURTH COMMITTEE CONTINUES DISCUSSION OF INFORMATION QUESTIONS

Press Release
GA/SPD/177

FOURTH COMMITTEE CONTINUES DISCUSSION OF INFORMATION QUESTIONS

Speakers Address Role of Information in Peacekeeping, Building Information Infrastructure in Developing Countries

The success or failure of an entire peacekeeping mission could depend on the dissemination of adequate information to the local population and to the world at large, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) was told this afternoon, as it continued its debate on information questions.

Speaking on behalf of the Western Group of Countries, the representative of the Netherlands said that the role of the information segment in peacekeeping missions and other United Nations activities was often underestimated. It was satisfying that the Department of Public Information was now included in consultations at the earliest stages of peacekeeping and other field missions.

Several other speakers stressed the importance of improving United Nations capacity in the field. The representative of Chile said it was difficult to ascertain if information reached countries in conflict and if it was effective. In cooperation with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Department of Public Information was seeking ways to bring information rapidly to the countries hosting peacekeeping missions. One substantive issue to be further discussed was the question of how to deliver the United Nations message to zones of conflict.

Speakers also addressed the information activities of the Department of Public Information. The representative of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea said the Organization must give due attention to the renewal and modernization of information infrastructure of the developing countries. That was a prerequisite for economic and cultural development, as well as education. Also, impartiality and objectivity must be guaranteed in information activities.

The representative of Bangladesh said that United Nations information should focus more on publicizing the Organization’s activities and accomplishments in economic and social development. The

Fourth Committee - 1a - Press Release GA/SPD/177 23rd Meeting (PM) 17 November 1999

Department of Public Information, through its information centres, could play a significant role in that respect. Efforts should be made by the Department to assist the developing countries to improve their capacity in information-related fields, particularly in the training of journalists.

Also speaking in this afternoon’s debate were the representatives of Kuwait, Mongolia, Libya, Algeria, Senegal, Yemen, Myanmar, Belarus and Tunisia. A representative of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the observer for the Organization of the Islamic Conference also made statements.

The Committee will conclude its general debate at 3 p.m. Thursday, 18 November, when it is also expected to take action on draft resolutions relating to information questions.

Committee Work Programme

When the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) met this afternoon, it was expected to continue its general debate on the questions related to information. The Committee had before it a report of the Secretary-General on the matter and the report of the Committee on Information on its twenty-first session. (For background information, see Press Release GA/SPD/176 issued 16 November).

Statements

NAJEEB AL-BADER (Kuwait) endorsed yesterday’s statements by Lebanon on behalf of the Arab Group and Guyana on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China. He said that the documents before the Committee provided detailed information on the matter under discussion. The Department of Public Information was working hard to make the United Nations efforts known to one and all and to bridge the gap between the developed and the developing countries. The challenge for the coming century was for the Organization to adapt innovative policies in the field of information, and the Department of Public Information had an important role to play in that respect. The United Nations was not just an instrument for maintenance of international peace and security; it also dealt with numerous economic, social and development issues.

Modern technology was now used to ensure that information was available to Member States, he said. He welcomed the expanded use of the Internet and supported the position that its wider use should be promoted. Information in Arabic should be available on the Internet; unfortunately that language was not on the same level as other official languages at the present time. It was important that Member States increase their financial contributions, to ensure that the Department of Public Information was unable to shoulder its responsibilities.

There was an urgent need to ensure the free exchange of information between States, he continued. Data processing should be made available without any restrictions. He endorsed the request of the developing countries to strengthen efforts to promote their interests. They should have increased access to the Internet. He added that information programmes relating to the Palestinian cause should be implemented, as required by relevant resolutions. Information regarding peacekeeping operations should be made widely available.

RI KYONG IL (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) associated himself with the statement by the representative of Guyana on behalf of the Group of 77 and said that the Department of Public Information had devoted many efforts to promoting the activities of the Organization, but access to information remained limited for countries with less developed technical capabilities.

Greater attention should be devoted to actions aimed at stopping abusive use of information, he continued. Actions that violated the sovereignty of countries must not be tolerated. Certain countries used their means of information to impose their views on others, interfering in their affairs and providing misinformation. The United Nations must give particular attention to making friendship and cooperation among States a reality. A new order of communications and information would make it possible.

It was also necessary to strengthen the information capacities of the developing countries, he said. That was a prerequisite to promote economic development, education and progress of cultures. The Organization must give due attention to the renewal and modernization of information infrastructure of the developing countries. Sophisticated technologies for the use of the Internet and traditional means of communication must be transferred by the developed countries.

Impartiality and objectivity must be guaranteed in the information activities, he said. The United Nations was the most universal international organization, and its work must not be aimed at a few States or groups of States. At present, information activities of the United Nations showed signs of partial treatment, where emphasis was placed on the interests of larger countries. Member States’ confidence in the Organization could only be safeguarded if impartiality and objectivity were shown in its information activities.

TSERENPIL DORJSUREN (Mongolia), associating himself with the statement of the Group of 77 and China, strongly advocated a new and more just information and communication order, which should be based on a free and balanced flow of information accessible to the people of all countries. That should still be the international community’s common goal in the sphere of information. The United Nations, particularly the Department of Public Information, was called upon to play an important role in disseminating objective information on world problems and the Organization’s activities.

He supported the document’s efforts to reorient United Nations activities in public information and communications, as well as in introducing modern media systems in that field. He welcomed the recent launching of the Web-based United Nations News Service as an important step in that regard. It also attached importance to the Under-Secretary-General’s outreach strategy involving partnerships with civil society organizations throughout the world. That strategy would help the United Nations project itself as a relevant international body, responding to the needs of its civil society partners in all sectors.

Turning to the Department’s publications, he noted that a great deal of material had been published on the Organization’s main activities and various issues of international concern. He emphasized with satisfaction the publication of Discovering the UN in the Mongolian language, which had been made available to participants in a “One World” seminar during the visit of the Under-Secretary- General last June.

Mr. GHRARI (Libya), associating himself with the statement of the Group of 77 and China, said there should be no monopoly of knowledge and science. People had the right to maintain their cultural identity and religion and to deal with cultural campaigns that tried to impose new, alien values. It was necessary to establish a new information order that would be thorough and more effective in ensuring freedom of information and its dissemination. International efforts should be strengthened to achieve that goal.

Information could be a dangerous tool, he said. If dominated by the developed countries, it could be used to propagate the values of those countries, with the media as their spokesman, while misinformation was directed against the developing countries. Having been a victim of such practices, Libya stressed the need for a strong stand to end them.

Regarding the coverage of United Nations meetings, he stressed the need to use the Arabic language in producing press releases and official documents on an equal footing with other official languages of the United Nations. He favoured the strengthening of United Nations direct radio broadcasting in all official languages, especially Arabic. He also supported the training of journalists from developing countries.

KHALEDA KHANAM (Bangladesh) supported the statement by the representative of Guyana on behalf of the Group of 77 and said that a new structure of the Department of Public Information had been put into place to improve the image of the United Nations. The importance of a coherent and results-producing approach to the activities undertaken by the various bodies involved in public information should be underscored. She was concerned that, in spite of the expanded organizational structures, a sizeable percentage of the population in the developing countries was not fully aware of the activities of the United Nations. Lack of awareness about United Nations activities was, in a way, worse than criticism.

The Department of Public Information had failed to achieve its goals, by focusing on the developed countries and paying less attention to the developing world, she continued. A narrowly-focused policy, such as the integration of the Information Centres with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Offices in the name of financial austerity, had contributed to that. Development of a new culture of communication in the United Nations was important for promoting an overall positive image of the Organization. In that connection, she supported the increased use of advanced technology by the United Nations.

She commended the Department of Public Information for developing and maintaining a very useful and attractive Web site of the United Nations, she said. However, new technological tools should not be developed at the expense of the traditional means of communications, which remained the main source of information in most of the developing countries. More use of radio and television, as well as the establishment of the United Nations news service, could serve that purpose.

United Nations information should focus more on publicizing the Organization’s activities and accomplishments in the area of economic and social development, she said. The Department of Public Information, through its Information Centres, could play a significant role in that respect. Efforts should be made by the Department to assist the developing countries to improve their capacity in the information-related fields, particularly in the training of journalists. The Department should also more effectively collaborate with national governments in the developing countries to include courses on the activities of the Organization in the school and college curricula. The Department's press releases should highlight the intergovernmental aspect of its work and deliberations. At present, the press releases were too focused on the Secretariat’s role.

Turning to the Dag Hammarskjold Library, she said that, besides reduced investment in books, her delegation had found that most of the books related to peace and security had been kept in the United Nations library in Geneva, which caused obvious inconvenience to the delegations. She strongly urged the library to acquire an increased number of relevant publications and periodicals from the developing countries. In conclusion, she said that the policy of integrating the centres with the field offices of UNDP had neither been functionally efficient and effective, nor even financially cost-effective. Clearly the service and programme delivery by those Centres had drastically fallen, raising serious question about the validity of the policy of integration.

NACERDINE SAI (Algeria) said that the new Millennium would witness an explosion of information activities. Technology and progress played an important role in the developments in that field. Distances between peoples were becoming shorter, and the world was becoming a global village. That rapid and positive evolution was a source of satisfaction. At the same time, it was a source of concern, for it posed a question about the fair distribution of technology. About 90 per cent of the computer resources were in the hands of the developed world, making it possible for them to fashion international public opinion in their own interests.

Algeria had also made an impressive progress in the area of information, he continued. The multi-party system had spread even in the field of information. Each political party had its own rostrum and the newspapers belonged to the private sector. The State had given financial and political support to that trend, to promote dialogue between the press and the country's leadership. Today, there were over 28 daily newspapers in Algeria. There were also periodicals and magazines with significant distribution.

Continuing, he supported the statement by Guyana on behalf of the Group of 77 and China and expressed hope that there would be a collective movement in support of that position. Communications and technology were now extremely sophisticated. The world’s decision-makers and the United Nations must preserve and strengthen the written press, which was extremely important. For that reason, he asked the Secretary-General and the Department of Public Information not to diminish attention to those means of information. He also drew attention to the importance of preserving linguistic diversity at the United Nations. It was important that documents appeared in Arabic. That also applied to other computer- related activities at the Organization, including the Web site and the radio.

IBRA DEGUENE KA (Senegal), associating himself with the statement of the Group of 77 and China, said that inequality of access to information and communication technologies posed serious problems. While the countries of the North enjoyed virtually unlimited access to the processing and dissemination of information, the situation was different in the developing world. The challenge to the international community was to promote a new and more just world information and communication order, which would reinforce peace and international understanding based on the free flow as well as wider and more balanced dissemination of information.

For the majority of humanity to gain access, he said, it was necessary to continue attaching importance to the use of traditional media. While radio remained popular, the print media and television were becoming a luxury in the majority of developing countries. The limited access to the United Nations Web site in developing countries was due to the high cost of accessing networks, as well as the inadequacy of infrastructures and telephone lines.

He said his country encouraged the recent involvement of African journalists, including one from Senegal, in covering the fifty-fourth session of the General Assembly. He was also encouraged by measures to develop an international radio broadcasting capacity for the United Nations and was studying ways to contribute.

ABDULAZIZ BA-ISA (Yemen), associating himself with the statements of the Arab Group and the Group of 77 and China, praised the positive efforts being made with respect to information questions. The mind-boggling developments that had taken place contained positive aspects which should be reinforced. The United Nations must play an effective role in disseminating positive values and among all nations.

Developing countries had a long way to go before they could reach an advanced stage in the field of information technology, he said. They should be provided with all the necessary scientific, technological and material resources in order to participate instead of suffering from imbalances which could only lead to their marginalization.

He said that the United Nations information centres must be reinforced while taking into account the financial constraints facing the Organization. Yemen reaffirmed the need for equal footing for all official United Nations languages in order to reinforce the Organization’s linguistic diversity.

U TIN WINN (Myanmar) associated himself with the statement made on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. He said he was in favour of establishing a new world information and communication order, as reflected in General Assembly resolution 34/182 of 18 December 1979, which would narrow the gap in technological capacity between developed and developing countries. The imbalances in both the availability of information and in the capacity of different nations and organizations to process it must be rectified.

He said his country was pleased with the measures taken to restructure the Department of Public Information in the ongoing reform of the United Nations. The Department should be further strengthened as the focal point for United Nations information and communication. Also, he supported exploring the means for creating an information strategy for the Organization, to get the United Nations message across to a global audience.

To address the imbalance in information flows between the developing and developed countries, he said, the extension of increased assistance for the development of communication infrastructures and capabilities, especially in developing countries, was essential. South-South cooperation in the field of information and communication was equally essential in keeping the countries of the South from lagging behind in the information revolution.

He commended the Department for sponsoring the United Nations Training Programme for media professionals from developing countries. Such training programmes not only constituted an important aspect of the capacity-building process, but also gave exposure to innovations in the field of information and communication technology. His Government supported the Department’s work, which would lead to the enhancement of the Organization’s capacity to communicate at all levels, especially the country and regional levels.

EDUARDO COMISION (Chile) associated himself with the statements made earlier on behalf of the Group of 77 and Rio Group and said that on 14 October, a Chilean citizen working for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) had been brutally murdered in Burundi. His message in support of child immunization had been broadcast in that country, and records indicated that he had achieved a three-day truce for the immunizations to proceed. That illustrated the importance of information activities for the work of the United Nations in the field.

It was difficult to see whether information reached the countries in conflict or if it was effective, he continued. At the session of the Committee on Information, his delegation had raised the question of how to reach nations in conflict. In his statement, the Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information had indicated that the Department of Public Information had the challenge of helping to improve United Nations capacity in the field. In cooperation with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, ways were being sought to bring information rapidly to the countries where peacekeeping missions were operating, which was important. The Committee on Information must revitalize its work in that respect. One of substantive issues to be discussed might be the question of how to deliver the message of the United Nations to zones of conflict.

ROB ZAAGMAN (Netherlands), speaking on behalf of the Western Group and associated countries, said that freedom of information was of fundamental importance to all people. It was shocking that many journalists continued to be imprisoned, intimidated and harassed throughout the world. He condemned the use of violence to silence journalists, as well as other attempts to obstruct their work. He also condemned attempts to control or influence the media to distort or suppress information and opinions, or to use the media, for propaganda, for example inciting ethnic hatred and violence.

The Western Group had always supported the work of the Committee on Information and endorsed its recommendations, he continued. One of the most important activities of the United Nations was its peacekeeping role. The role of the information segment in peacekeeping missions, as well as in other United Nations activities, was often underestimated. The success or failure of an entire mission could depend on the dissemination of adequate information, not only to the local population, but also to the world at large. He noted with satisfaction that the Department of Public Information was now included in consultations at the earliest stages of peacekeeping and other field missions. It was also satisfying that the Department served as a focal point for support for information and communications activities in field operations.

The United Nations must revitalize itself to meet the challenges of the information age, he said. In the modern world, it was no longer sufficient for the United Nations to make itself useful only through the variety and quality of its activities. To prove the relevance of the Organization, the public needed to be well informed about the United Nations and its activities. An effective communications strategy was absolutely critical.

Continuing, he supported the efforts of the Department to build partnerships with information re-disseminators, the media, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other elements of civil society, in order to reach public opinion at every level of global society. At present, budget constraints were a reality for the Department. Under those circumstances, the European Union encouraged the Department to set priorities in the areas specified in the proposed draft resolution B.

The Department should continue to embrace the new technologies of electronic communications in order to achieve efficiency in publishing and dissemination of information, he said. In that connection, he noted with appreciation the development of the United Nations Web site and welcomed the report of the Secretary-General on its multilingual development, maintenance and enrichment. The Western Group believed that the development of the Web site should be carried out on the basis of multilingual parity to be achieved through a modular approach. Naturally, such development had to take place in a cost-effective manner.

ULADZIMIR VANTSEVICH (Belarus) said it was clear that carrying out a radical shift in the functions of the United Nations called for a new orientation. He attached importance to the structured reform of the Department of Public Information, which should be oriented to the needs of individual Member States. He said his Government attached importance to the role of United Nations information centres, which in some cases constituted the only source of information about the Organization’s activities. He also valued the role played by the information centres in disseminating information about the special problems of countries with economies in transition. His country had consistently supported measures aimed at integrating the centres with UNDP field offices, which made it possible to diversify information activities and achieve more effective results.

His Government had decided to establish a United Nations House in Minsk, bringing together all United Nations agencies, which would undoubtedly enhance their effectiveness. That decision would be implemented in a full and timely manner. Also, his Government was following closely the development of a direct United Nations broadcasting capacity.

MOHAMED SALAH TEKAYA (Tunisia), associating himself with the statement of the Group of 77 and China, said that the disparities between developed and developing countries could only be reduced through understanding, cooperation and partnership. The United Nations had an important role in assisting the developing countries in that field, while taking into consideration their priorities and needs.

He said Tunisia had given the field of information and communication priority in its own policies, because of the important place they had in promoting democracy, freedom of expression and socio-economic development. His country had strengthened infrastructures established a legal framework and it was also promoting investment in information technologies. While encouraging such initiatives, the role of traditional media remained important in mobilizing public opinion in support of United Nations goals and objectives. For that reason, it was important to support those media and provide them with resources. Preserving and strengthening those structures was one of the highest priorities.

He reaffirmed the need to resolve the issue of integration of United Nations information centres with UNDP field offices. It should be done on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the views of the host governments. Also, he reaffirmed the importance of equality among all official languages of the United Nations.

ANDREW RADOLF, of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), said that today, UNESCO’s communication strategy, formulated in 1989, came to the fore in the planetary discussions on knowledge transfer, new technologies and the Internet. The objective of that strategy was to: encourage the free flow of information; promote the wider and better-balanced dissemination of information; and strengthen communication capacities in the developing countries. Hence, UNESCO’s endeavours to raise development funds for communication training and infrastructure through the International Programme for the Development of Communication.

He said UNESCO’s initiatives in community and public service radio and television, rural newspapers, regional and national news agencies, computer- generated cartoons and documentaries, and women-oriented communication projects to combat AIDS were well known. The most crucial problem to resolve, however, remained the deepening chasm that separated those who owned and managed the technologies of the information society and those who were thus far excluded.

Agreements at the planetary level were needed, he said, to guide communications and telecommunication policies to harmonize international tariffs and level the systems of taxing communication flows, which were intrinsically international. That would contribute to the democratic redistribution of those resources. The UNESCO had a special role in protecting and promoting the world public domain of intellectual property, both material and non-material. In its work, it had to be vigilant and sensitive to the ethical and social dimensions of operating on the Internet.

It was also necessary to strengthen the ability of the United Nations system to provide an intellectual forum to discuss the new information technologies in all their dimensions and ensure the capability of the United Nations to respond to the demands of Member States. National content on the information highway was not merely a heritage for social, cultural and intellectual development. It also represented the nation’s basic “information capital” from which a vast array of value-added products could be derived. A meaningful public domain could only be created if each country produced content and applications in its languages, sensitive to its specific culture.

YUSSEF KANAAN, observer for the Organization of the Islamic Conference, said that the twenty-sixth session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers, held in Burkina Faso from 28 June to 1 July 1999, had called for the implementation of the Islamic Programme for Development for Information and Communication. It was aimed at developing, establishing and supporting the infrastructure of the various sectors of information and communication, with a view to enhancing the contribution of those sectors in the economic, social and cultural development of the Conference’s 56 member States.

Regarding the role of the United Nations, he said it was necessary to narrow the gap between the developed and developing countries in the communications field. Only in that way would the developing countries be able to acquire advanced means of communication, preserve national sovereignty and cultural identity, and guarantee the free and balanced exchange of information. The developing countries lacked the mechanisms to keep up with the speed of news and information transmission.

He said the Department of Public Information should continue its Special Information Programme on the Question of Palestine and extend assistance to the Palestinian people in the field of media development and the promotion of the Bethlehem 2000 project. The Organization of the Islamic Conference looked forward to the enhancement and strengthening of its cooperation with the United Nations.

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