Fourth Committee, Acting without Vote, Approves Two Draft Resolutions Focusing on Information Flows, Department of Global Communications
The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) approved two draft resolutions today on information as it concluded its debate on that topic, with speakers reiterating their concern about the exponential spread of disinformation and misinformation and emphasizing the need to stand together to address that challenge.
Acting without a vote, the Committee approved both texts as they are contained in Chapter IV of the report of the Committee on Information on its forty-fourth session (document A/77/21).
By the terms of draft resolution A, titled “Information in the service of humanity”, the Assembly would urge all countries, the United Nations system and all others concerned to cooperate with a view to reducing existing disparities in information flows at all levels by increasing assistance for the development of communications infrastructures and capabilities in developing countries.
Through draft resolution B, entitled “United Nations global communications policies and activities”, the Assembly would request the Department of Global Communications to make specific efforts towards identifying and raising awareness about misinformation and disinformation. It would emphasize that all forms of disinformation can negatively impact the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and it would unequivocally condemn all attacks, reprisals and violence against journalists and media workers.
Through that same text, the Assembly would reiterate its request to the Department and content-providing offices of the Secretariat to ensure that United Nations publications are produced in all the Organization’s six official languages. It would moreover encourage the development of new collaborative arrangements to enhance multilingualism in other outputs in a cost-neutral manner, bearing in mind the importance of ensuring the full and equitable treatment of all the official languages.
Prior to taking action, the Committee concluded its consideration of information, with many delegates calling for enhanced multilingualism across the Organization’s public media efforts. “The people of this planet dream, read, hear, watch and gossip in languages beyond the six official languages,” India’s representative said, encouraging the Department to extend the linguistic diversity of its global outreach.
Canada’s delegate, speaking also on behalf of Australia, welcomed new initiatives by the Department of Global Communications to develop original products in various languages. She also expressed concern about misinformation and disinformation, both during the COVID‑19 pandemic and amidst the Russian Federation’s war of aggression in Ukraine. That is a grave concern that must be confronted with a whole-of-Government and whole-of-society approach, she said.
South Africa’s delegate said that reliable information will be key, especially in a climate of widespread disinformation, and welcomed the Department's initiatives to make greater use of digital technology. Citing the case of Shireen Abu Akleh, the Palestinian-American reporter for the Al Jazeera network who was killed in the Occupied Territories in May 2022, he said that the targeting of journalists must always be condemned.
The United States’ representative said that the Russian Federation is using disinformation and misinformation, both domestically and in its war against Ukraine, “but the world knows the truth”. He urged the entire United Nations system to be consistent in all its documents to ensure that the Russian Federation’s aggression is referred to accurately, in line with the Secretary-General’s statements and General Assembly resolutions.
Israel’s representative, acknowledging the Department of Global Communication’s outreach programme on the Holocaust, said that there is a dire need to promote Holocaust remembrance and to combat antisemitism. At the same time, he urged the Department to strive for balance and objectivity, as its special information programme on the Question of Palestine presents a one-sided and unacceptable narrative of the situation in the Middle East.
The representative of the League of Arab States highlighted the Department’s training program for Palestinian broadcasters and journalist, which was renamed in tribute to Shireen Abu Akleh, and voiced support for the activities of the Department in combating Islamophobia. Stressing the need for just, transparent and free flow of information, he highlighted the important role of investing in social media to reach youth, women and other minorities.
The representative of the International Organization of La Francophonie highlighted the significant disparities between the use of English and the five other official languages, stressing that a culture of translation is not enough. The production of content in other official languages ensures the integrity of the message and its compatibility with the intended audience’s frame of reference, she stressed.
Also speaking today were representatives of Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Jamaica, Malaysia and Sudan.
An observer for the State of Palestine also spoke.
Speaking in exercise of the right of reply were representatives of Iran, Israel and the Russian Federation.
The Fourth Committee will reconvene at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 26 October, to begin its consideration of international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.