Speakers Spotlight Need to Boost Connectivity, Tackle Disinformation in Conflicts and Elections, as Fourth Committee Continues Its Information Debate
The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) continued its general debate on questions relating to information today, with speakers stressing the urgent need for a collective effort to combat the pervasive threat of disinformation, which undermines democracy and international peace, while emphasizing the crucial role of the United Nations in promoting accurate and reliable information across diverse media platforms.
Foreign information manipulation and interference worsen regional and global conflicts, as seen in the Middle East and in the Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine, said the representative of the European Union, in its capacity as observer. In this context, she condemned the Russian Federation’s “persistent foreign information manipulation and interference to attempt to undermine democratic elections and the choice of the Republic of Moldovan people for a prosperous, stable and peaceful European future”. Also deploring Moscow’s war of aggression in Ukraine, she underscored the bloc’s pledge to intensify efforts to counter Russian disinformation.
Elaborating further on the situation in the Republic of Moldova, the representative of that country noted that this past Sunday, it concluded a cycle of presidential elections and a referendum for European integration. During that time, the Republic of Moldova “withstood relentless interference by Russia on its democracy”, he said, adding that, nonetheless, the people made their choice democratically. Looking forward, the Republic of Moldova will proactively focus on educating its citizens in latest trends and tactics in disinformation to build resilience to this threat.
The representative of Pakistan, referring to Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and occupied Palestinian territories, deplored the use of disinformation by occupying States to suppress the people’s voices. Noting that fake news and misinformation undermine trust in the United Nations, especially in the context of rising geopolitical tensions, ongoing genocidal war in Gaza and climate threats, he called for a “sustained communications campaign” by the Department of Global Communications, in collaboration with Member States, to highlight the UN’s achievements and contributions. Highlighting the need for collaboration with tech companies, like Facebook and Google, he warned that their “profit motives” might conflict with the cooperation needed to curb disinformation. Therefore, he suggested that the Global Principles for Information Integrity should address the role of individuals in spreading misinformation, as well as “empowering users through media literacy”.
Cuba’s delegate highlighted the impact of the United States’ economic and financial embargo on his country’s communications sector. “No country can engage in a technological modernization programme successfully” under such conditions, he said, adding that the United States is also using cyberspace to subvert the Cuban political and legal system. It is funding the development of digital platforms generating ideological content that overtly calls for the tearing down of Cuba’s constitutional order. Condemning the United States’ desperate media campaigns attempting to destabilize his country, he said Cuba has made development of its information and communications technology (ICT) sector a priority, despite such challenges.
Spotlighting his country’s efforts to address use of social media by terrorist and extremist groups, Iraq’s delegate said it is tackling hate speech as well as promoting human rights and respect for religions. Highlighting the Iraqi constitution’s “framework of plurality”, he called on the Department of Global Communications to “explain the cultures of the world” and shed light on important international issues. Further, it must seek accurate and reliable sources of information as much as possible. Noting the rapid pace of technological and scientific development, he said the international community must use this quantum leap to disseminate ideas of peace and dialogue.
The representative of Burkina Faso, noting that new technologies facilitated radicalization and the spread of violent extremism in his country, pointed to the establishment of its Higher Council of Communication, which raises awareness among citizens and media professionals to ensure better regulation of information. Stressing that poor governance and misuse of these technologies are partly responsible for current terrorism in the Sahel, he commended the role of the United Nations Information Centre in supporting his country’s fight against hate speech, radicalization and violent extremism.
Lauding efforts of the Department in providing accurate, reliable and balanced information, the representative of South Africa said this was particularly valuable at a time when “disinformation has become the order of the day”. In this regard, he highlighted the “section on countering disinformation” launched on the UN’s website in 2023. Encouraging the Department to continue strengthening UN Information Centres, which provide accurate and unbiased information about UN work, he stressed the need to activate more crises communication cells to provide information on the UN’s role in dealing with crises.
Sri Lanka’s delegate, in turn, highlighted efforts of the United Nations Information Centre in Colombo and Office of the Resident Coordinator, which implemented a trilingual communication initiative aimed at promoting the Integrated Plant Nutrient Management System among paddy farmers. It utilized various platforms, and used Sinhala and Tamil languages, to raise awareness about agricultural best practices. By promoting a diverse media landscape, protecting journalists, and fostering dialogue, the UN actively cultivates an environment conducive to the free exchange of ideas and perspectives, he said.
Some delegates expressed concern regarding the growing digital divide within and among countries and urged the Organization to secure greater Internet connectivity. The representative of Nepal stressed the urgency in bridging the digital gap, a new form of inequality, noting that one third of the world’s population remains unconnected, particularly in developing countries. Therefore, she urged the Department to highlight this disparity and support steps to create a more equitable digital ecosystem. Underscoring the significance of UN peacekeeping operations for the maintenance of international peace and security, she called for raising awareness of the evolving dynamics, achievements and challenges faced by peacekeeping missions. She also encouraged the Department to highlight contributions of individual troop and police-contributing countries.
Iran’s delegate also noted that the widening disparity between developed and developing countries, especially in broadband connectivity, is a pressing issue that demands immediate international action. Further, certain countries continue to misuse modern communication technology to distort or fabricate events and realities to advance their narrow political interests. The international community must tackle this by providing affordable access to technology to developing countries, establishing partnerships and sharing resources as well as expertise, he said. Noting that Islamophobia is being inflamed by bigoted rhetoric in the media, he called on the Department to combat this phenomenon through educational and outreach activities.
Stressing the need to bridge the digital divide between nations, areas and groups of people, Malaysia’s delegate said this disparity can further widen unless corrective action is taken, especially given the rapid pace of development in this field. Noting that more and more people are relying on the digital space for information, she said misinformation, disinformation and hate speech can also be amplified quickly by digital media. In this regard, she commended the Department’s work to establish a central information integrity team as part of its effort to detect and tackle misleading or threatening narratives about the Organization. Highlighting the information manipulation in the unfolding conflict in the Middle East, she condemned willful attempts to misinform and mislead, and even misdirect blame to the victims.
Pointing to the destructive impact of disinformation as regards ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the representative of Saudi Arabia underscored the importance of raising public awareness about Arab issues, especially the genocide and forced displacement of the Palestinian people. He urged the UN to assume its responsibilities towards some media outlets that incite hatred, extremism and seek to disrupt security and stability. Against this backdrop, he called for intensifying media campaigns to combat hate speech, including hatred of Islam, and to shed light on it to reduce acts of violence and all forms of incitement against Muslims. He also called on the Department to take necessary measures to reduce misinformation and disinformation.
The representative of Israel emphasized the urgent need for global action to curb the spread of disinformation, including anti-Semitic rhetoric, which spiked after the violence of 7 October 2023. Also, there is need to ensure that false narratives are not adopted by the United Nations, she said, stressing the need for impartiality and neutrality within the Department, which has “presented one-sided misleading narrative on the Middle East disregarding the role of terror organizations such as Hamas”. Warning that the misuse of information can create divisions between communities and countries, she commended the Holocaust outreach programme implemented by the Department.
The representatives of Israel, Iran and Pakistan spoke in exercise of the right of reply.