Distinguished Excellencies and colleagues; ladies and gentlemen:
In concluding my duties as Chairman of the Committee on Information, I would
like to take this opportunity to thank my fellow Bureau members for their
continuous and effective support; all delegates for their constructive approach to
the work of the Committee, and the leadership and staff of the Department of
Public Information, for their strong and successful efforts in spreading the
universal voice of the United Nations. I particularly commend the proactive
stewardship of Ambassador Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal, Under-Secretary-General
for Communications and Public Information
I also want to welcome and wish the best to the new Chairperson and Bureau
members, who will be elected soon.
Dear colleagues:
Day after day, reality reminds us that information, communications and data
management are key and fast drivers of the political, economic, cultural and
social dynamics of contemporary life.
Faced with this rapidly evolving situation, the Committee and the Department
have to constantly consider a relevant question. It is how to harness the
convulsive energy of today´s transformative communications instruments and
processes for fostering the UN missions, actions and messages, while also keeping
track of the key role still played by the traditional media.
This and other major challenges are accelerating in a time of very limited
resources. Therefore, the COI and the DPI, more than ever, need to join efforts for
turning their overloading responsibilities into inspiring and effective actions. After two years as Chair of the Committee on Information, I have good news to
report on this front:
Our political negotiations in the Committee have followed a spirit of constructive
engagement and increasing openness, within and among negotiating partners.
We still have room to advance in streamlining and better structuring our yearly
resolution, and in overcoming some reluctance to change, but there have already
been important advances in these regards.
The Department, on its part, has updated processes, clarified responsibilities,
better coordinated with other UN instances, and more actively engaged with
member States. It has also expanded its reach through innovative partnerships
with different actors, including academic institutions, NGOs, media organizations,
professional communicators and citizen journalists. It has paid particular
attention to young people as a key audience for interaction. And it has translated
into initial actions a relevant aspiration of the Committee: to disseminate the
message of the United Nations with a multilingual voice.
The issue of multilingualism has become a good example of the enhanced
collaboration of the COI and the DPI. But the productive exchanges and relations
between the two bodies extend to other areas. As examples, let me mention the
joint organization of special public events; the engagement of the directors of the
DPI in inter-sessional exchanges with the Bureau, and the willingness of the
Department to receive and look for suggestions of Member States.
So, I think that we are in the process of producing better results through better
ideas, wiser decisions, more productive resource allocation and a more active
cooperation inside and between our two bodies. There are still plenty of
possibilities for improvement, but we should keep and foster the good steps
already taken.
I am sure that during the upcoming years the Committee on Information and the
Department of Public Information will generate more good news to be reported
to Member States and to our key constituents, “the people of the United
Nations”.
I thank you all very much.
Statement by the outgoing Chairman of the Committee on Information at the opening session of the Committee
Monday, 22 April 2013
Presenter:
H.E. Ambassador Eduardo Ulibarri
Location:
New York
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