Mr. Chair,
At the outset, my delegation congratulates you as a the newly elected Chair, Vice- Chairs, and the members of the Bureau. We also pay tribute to the outgoing Chair Ambassador Omar Hilale for successfully steering the 43rd Session of the Committee on Information during his tenure, says a press release received here today from New York.
We also commend Ms. Melissa Fleming, the Under-Secretary-General for Global Communication, for her leadership in these extraordinary and challenging circumstances in widely spreading the United Nations' message of peace and security through multiple platforms
Mr. Chair,
Pakistan aligns itself with the statement delivered by the group of 77 and China.
Today, at a time when media choices have become abundant, it is vital to ensure that information that we receive, disseminate, share, and amplify is not misleading, distorted, or falsified. In this regard, the UN has a role in promoting international cooperation, based on solidarity and goodwill among countries, to accomplish that goal.
Mr. Chair,
The spirit of multilingualism and its promotion is at the heart of the United Nations objectives.
We appreciate the continued efforts of the DGC and Spokesperson’s office in highlighting important communications and messages of the Secretary-General and other UN officials to keep the world abreast of the UN thinking and positions on evolving developments. In recent times, some of those messages were also translated in Urdu, the national language of Pakistan, and other non-official languages, for which we are thankful.
My delegation also welcomes promotional campaigns and initiatives of the Department of Global Communications showcasing troop-and police-contributing countries. Their contributions are vital for international peace and stability.
Mr. Chair,
Media is a fundamental lens through which people interact, see the world and build a perception of the environment. The ever-growing reliance on advanced digital technologies especially during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated the crucial need for building capacities, technological resourcefulness, and access to trustworthy, factual, multilingual and accurate information.
The majority of the poor around the world lack reliable and affordable internet access. These people are further denied access to the benefits of technology and functional requirements during the COVID19 crisis with increasing reliance on more devices and systems that depend on internet connectivity. Bearing this in mind, relevant United Nations entities, within their mandates and existing resources, must continue to devise innovative strategies to bridge this digital divide.
Fully realizing the importance of digital technology, the Government of Pakistan -- on its part -- continues to facilitate the IT industry through numerous sustainable development and accelerated digitization projects, research and innovation, software technology parks and other.
Mr. Chair,
Pakistan welcomes the Political Declaration on Equitable Global Access to COVID- 19 vaccines where Member States pledged to treat COVID-19 vaccination as a global public good by ensuring affordable, equitable, and fair access to vaccines for all.
The United Nations’ Economic and Social Council’s special meeting on a “Vaccine for All” reviewed a number of important proposals to ensure equitable supply and distribution of the Covid Vaccine. We laud the initiatives by DGC in this regard especially through the #OnlyTogether campaign which my country also joined, calling for making available Covid-19 vaccines equitably.
Mr. Chair,
Fake news has always impacted our views and societies in different ways. However, the internet has given fake news an unprecedented scope and outreach that transcends borers and can potentially reach a global audience in multiple way
Unfortunately, since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen a parallel rise in “infodemic” or disinformation. In the words of the Secretary-General, “as COVID-19 spreads, a tsunami of misinformation, hate, scapegoating and scare- mongering has been unleashed”.
We appreciate the effort of the Department of Global communication especially through its “Verified Initiative” in recognizing the threats and challenges confronting the U.N system in curbing false information about COVID19.
The recent investigations by the EU DisinfoLab however showed sophisticated disinformation campaigns targeting the UN bodies, EU, and its member states including my country. In certain cases, disinformation is being weaponized to disrupt societies and wage war through other means. In this regard, we believe that the misuse of UN processes by some fake NGOs & entities that spread fake news and disinformation warrant DGC’s urgent attention.
Mr. Chair,
To advance our discussions, we would like to make the following points
First, DGC should continue ensuring the widest possible multilingual dissemination of information. The department should increase focus on integrating multilingualism in the promotional campaigns, including social media campaigns. We request that this aspect be included in the future Programme budget proposals for the Department. Further, the United Nations Information Centers should extend the United Nations messages in multiple mediums, relevant formats, and local languages of their respective regions.
Second, The Department of Global Communication should increase its technical cooperation and assistance for the development of communications infrastructures and capabilities in developing countries to help them bridge the ever growing digital divide.
Third, The Department should highlight the contributions of individual troop- and police-contributing countries also by paying tributes to the peacekeepers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the cause of peace during the pandemic at great personal risk.
Fourth, The coverage of UN meetings, which has been sharply reduced because of the "liquidity" problem and the pandemic, should now be restored to the normal level for the benefit of all concerned.
Lastly, DCG should initiate dialogue among member states to find realistic solutions aimed at curbing the rising trend of fake news and consider specific initiatives to put an end to the proliferation of systematic disinformation networks.
Mr. Chair,
Pakistan remains committed and stands firm in upholding the principles of the UN charter and would continue to play its constructive role as a viable member state.
In conclusion, I would like to reiterate my delegation’s full support to the Department of Global Communications including climate communication initiative, biodiversity, racism, hate speech and other related campaigns. We also assure you of our full cooperation during the course of this Session of the Committee.
Thank you, Mr. Chair
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