GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT, IN STATEMENT TO WORLD TELEVISION FORUM, SAYS TELEVISION'S POTENTIAL MUST BE HARNESSED FOR BENEFIT OF ALL

Press Release
GA/SM/128
PI/1202

GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT, IN STATEMENT TO WORLD TELEVISION FORUM, SAYS TELEVISION'S POTENTIAL MUST BE HARNESSED FOR BENEFIT OF ALL

Following is the statement of the President of the General Assembly, Theo-Ben Gurirab (Namibia), to the fourth United Nations World Television Forum at Headquarters on 18 November:

As I look around the room this morning, I am struck by the fact that I am among some of the noted leaders of the television industry and operators of broadcasting. Your very presence here today, at this fourth United Nations World Television Forum, is testimony to your strong interest in what this gathering is all about, namely, that of evaluating the impact of television programming on conflict, peace and development.

I add my voice in welcoming all of you to the United Nations and to this important annual event. I would also like to commend Kensaku Hogen, United Nations Under-Secretary-General, and his Department of Public Information for organizing this Forum; and the Permanent Missions of Italy and Japan to the United Nations for their generous support. Without them, as well as the sponsoring partners and co- sponsors, we would not be able to do this successfully. I thank all of you, for now and for future cooperation.

Following the first World Television Forum held in 1996, the General Assembly designated 21 November as World Television Day, which we will observe, once again, in three days’ time. Judging from the impressive record of all the Forums held so far, that decision was another timely and wise initiative by the United Nations in this field.

In reflecting upon the theme of this Forum, I have asked myself how television programming impacts on one of the central missions of the United Nations; that of saving lives and promoting peace and development of the entire human family, now actually numbering 6 billion living people.

I am wondering about this because, for the vast majority of the world’s population living in abject poverty, even the thought of owning a television set borders on madness. Given this reality, how can television programming positively and continuously impact on war, peace and development in places where there is no television? I am reminded of an instructive philosophical question: “Does a tree falling in the forest make a sound if no one is there

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to hear it?” By the same token, how can the best television programming in the world impact on people who will never see it?

In raising this point regarding the impact of television programming on human suffering, peace and development, we should look beyond the viewing audiences in the industrialized countries, where many homes have multiple television sets, as well as cable access to hundreds of channels. Taken together, the population of the North is but a small fraction of the total population of the world. The majority lives in the poor, Third World -- in the developing world where most of the planet’s population lives. If television could impact on their lives, through education and training programming, its success would be unprecedented in human history.

The power of the television image in influencing and galvanizing society into action is unmatched. We see this regularly, in the quick response of the international community to the many humanitarian disasters around the world. And again, when we witnessed the international outcry and swift response to the near and present crisis that was unleashing in East Timor in September this year. Television news was there, and its images told the unfolding disaster for the world to see. The same was true for Kosovo.

But contrast that, for example, with the far too numerous bloodletting and human suffering in some regions of Africa, such as the Ethiopia/Eritrea conflict, which the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) describes as the world’s largest war this year, involving over a quarter of a million soldiers, tens of thousands of casualties and 600,000 displaced persons; or the ongoing humanitarian crises in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi.

No need to exaggerate, but these bloody conflicts and humanitarian crises are virtually forgotten, because there are no television news teams to record the carnage and anguish. No way, therefore, to jolt the collective conscience of the world, especially those who can make a difference. Without any doubt, I believe that our perceptions and public opinion are significantly determined and shaped by the images and sounds of television.

As a powerful factor of modern life, television’s immense potential must be harnessed for the benefit of all. Television should be more than a medium of entertainment -- for sports, situation comedies and tell-all talk shows. I strongly believe that television should also be about the business of informing, instructing and training people everywhere in skills that will improve their conditions of life and enable them to take advantage of rising opportunities. Training will lead to saving lives, development, and, surely, peace and cooperation will follow. If television is to thrive and prosper in the longer term, its programming should reach more of the world’s people.

There is much that you, the moulders and shapers of what the rest of us see on television, can do to effect a positive impact on the entire global audience. Naturally, we must continue to organize and hold Television Forums such as this, which offer an ideal venue for lively dialogue between the

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United Nations and leaders in the broadcasting industry, highlighting those themes of common interest and identifying specific areas of cooperation. Forums are also an opportunity for reflection and introspection by people in the industry with an interest in forging change for the better.

At the same time, we must turn what we learn at such gatherings into concrete action. We should use television as a partner for sharing information and knowledge. Television and its images that foster enlightenment should be accessible to audiences everywhere. In the classroom, with programming in the local languages, television can teach skills needed for self-improvement and development. For people isolated by a lack of resources and geography, television can serve as a bridge to the rest of the world.

But let us face the facts: The best television programming won’t mean much, if the people who need it the most -- the developing world -- lack the necessary equipment and logistics. So, first and foremost, they need television sets and the transfer of the requisite technology. For example, one television set per village, together with the programming to instruct and train the people, could work miracles. Within each local community, the people could gather and learn from television; from programming that would promote social change and greatly contribute to the pace of advancement and prosperity. Advanced media enterprises such as yours can, in conjunction with governments and local authorities, help them acquire the know-how and experience they need to be contributors to their societies.

Television can definitely be a force for good. When utilized for training and technical assistance, it is an important delivery platform for getting a message across and helping to promote peace, development, democracy and respect for human rights. Television has been accused of never having reached its full potential due to over-commercialization. Using it to promote social change, human security and progress would help restore its tarnished reputation.

You in the industry can also undertake more co-productions with United Nations Television, and others, to turn out quality educational and outreach programming. Despite its limited resources, UNTV succeeds in telling the United Nations story. Imagine how that message could be more widely and effectively disseminated if people who are left out had access to television sets to view such programming.

I have raised some serious questions and issued some challenges to you, ladies and gentlemen, because I want you to reflect on them as you examine, over these two days, television’s impact on human suffering, peace and development. I am convinced that, working together, you will come up with workable solutions.

There are exactly 43 days to the end of the millennium. The century that is coming to a close has witnessed both the best and the worst of human nature. But out of this century, there is emerging a sense of global

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citizenship and responsibility, in keeping with the United Nations Charter’s ideal of promoting social progress and better standards of life at all levels of society. I must reiterate that before any society can be peaceful, there must be development and poverty eradication in which all the people are participants and beneficiaries. With your help, ladies and gentlemen, we can build a planet where the North-South divide is narrowed and where no one is left behind, as we work towards achieving the global goal of creating a society imbued with a culture of peace, tolerance, caring and human security.

In closing, I want you to think seriously about these questions: “If I don’t do something, who will? If I can’t help, who can?” Let us not waste the opportunity to engage developing countries and, in unity and solidarity, make giant strides towards creating a knowledge-based, prosperous and peaceful human society in the twenty-first century. I am firmly convinced that you, the dedicated men and women assembled here, can, and will, make a difference in charting a future course in television programming that will be inclusive and beneficial to all of humankind.

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