UN’s Reach Hinges on Communicating across Languages, Cultures, Speakers Stress, as Information Committee Concludes Annual Session

Concluding the regular part of its forty-eighth session today, the Committee on Information adopted its report containing two resolutions concerning United Nations information activities that the General Assembly will vote on later this year.

The session began on 27 April, during which the Committee — established to consider UN public information efforts — commenced its general debate on the activities of the Department of Global Communications.  That debate concluded on 28 April, following which Committee members met in a working group format on 29 and 30 April to negotiate the report.

UN Messaging Must Inform … and Inspire

“The general debate this session made clear that the products and services which our Department delivers have never been more consequential,” observed Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications.  She noted that many delegations agreed that the UN “needs to be an authoritative source of information, solutions and also inspiration” in a deteriorating information environment.

Further, information must be provided “in the languages people speak and on the platforms where they get their information”, she said, noting that multilingualism featured “both as a value, as well as a demand” in the debate.  “The UN’s message is only as powerful as its reach — and that reach depends on communicating across languages and cultures,” she emphasized.

And while artificial intelligence (AI) can serve as a tool with which to expand access and bridge linguistic gaps, delegates affirmed it requires human oversight and “must strengthen, rather than erode, the quality of information we provide”.

“The challenges this Committee has debated are also the challenges the Department confronts every day,” she stated.  Going forward, the Department will communicate with wider reach, sharper focus and greater urgency “about what the United Nations is doing and why it matters”.

Also providing insight into the general debate was Committee Rapporteur Alyson Calem Sangiorgio (Monaco), who recounted delegations’ concerns over the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation.  Many pointed out that, as false narratives can have real-world consequences, the UN must continue to serve as a trusted, timely and impartial source of information.  In that vein, she noted that many speakers underscored the importance of empowering individuals to critically assess information.

Cost-Cutting Must Not Undermine Core Multilingualism, Inclusivity Mandates

She also reported that the safety of journalists and media workers featured “prominently” in the general debate, as many delegations condemned attacks, intimidation and censorship — particularly in situations of armed conflict.  Additionally, speakers noted the challenges posed by budgetary constraints and cautioned that efficiency measures must not undermine the core mandates of multilingualism, inclusivity and geographical balance.

Report Adopted by Consensus … with Critiques and Cheers

Following that, the Committee adopted by consensus the report of its forty-eighth session (to be issued as document A/81/21), which also contains two resolutions that will be considered by the General Assembly during its eighty-first session later this year.  These constitute largely technical adjustments, but also include new provisions relating to the biennialization of Committee resolutions.

Before the adoption, Iran’s representative said that some of the amendments introduced at the editorial level exceed “what we would consider purely editorial adjustments”, emphasizing that modifications like these should be shared with delegations in advance.

After the adoption, the representative of Uruguay — speaking for the Group of 77 and China — said that biennializing resolutions will make the Committee’s work more efficient.  He looked forward to a substantive dialogue in 2027, “focused on taking stock of the resolutions’ implementation and exploring further avenues for the [Department’s] work”.  He welcomed that the resolutions were adopted in the six official UN languages, showing a strong commitment to multilingualism as a core value of the Organization.  “Access to impartial, accurate and accessible information is central to the pursuit of sustainable development,” he said.

Argentina’s representative, however, disassociated from the report’s references to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  These represent “non-binding commitments that each State can interpret and apply in line with its national priorities and policies”, he said.  He also disassociated from references “related to matters of gender and concepts, such as misinformation, disinformation and hate speech”, as “broad, imprecise concepts such as these could give rise to interpretations that are incompatible with the freedom of expression”.

Other delegates spoke to specific portions of the report, with the representative of Türkiye stating his delegation’s understanding regarding the use of peacekeeping terminology.  Peacekeeping operations are “inherently complex”, he explained.  Each mission is shaped by its own dynamics and the perspectives of all stakeholders must be considered.  Hungary’s representative, while disassociating from language relating to migration, said that — following 12 April parliamentary elections — the new Government will define national foreign-policy priorities.

Nevertheless, the representative of the European Union, speaking in its capacity as observer, lauded the “collective efforts and spirit of compromise” that led to the consensus adoption of the report.  “In doing so, we continue a proud 39-year tradition within this Committee,” he said.  The report provides strong guidance to the Department to uphold information integrity and counter the information manipulation that undermines the UN’s work.

‘Responsibility’ to Equip Department of Communications with Resources Needed

“The rapidly changing information ecosystem requires a United Nations that is equipped and agile,” said the representative of the Philippines.  “It is the responsibility of Member States that proper guidance to the Organization is provided.”  He called for providing the Department with the political and material support it needs to fulfil its core functions, describing the delivery of credible and reliable information as “one of the United Nations’ greatest strengths”.

In closing remarks, Committee Chair Rein Tammsaar (Estonia) described his country’s two-year Chairmanship as both an honour and a responsibility at a time when information, communication and the Department’s work are “more important than ever”.  He urged the Committee to continue working with “patience, mutual respect and willingness to preserve common ground”, stressing that, in a time when consensus can no longer be taken for granted in the UN system, it remains a “precious commodity that should not be broken”.