United Nations public information policies and activities

Emphasizes the importance of the medium-term plan for the period 2002-2005 as a guideline that sets out the overall orientation of the public information programme for the Organization's goals through effective communication; reaffirms that the Department of Public Information (DPI) is the focal point for information policies of UN and the primary news centre for information about UN and its activities and those of the Secretary-General, and encourages a closer integration of functions between the Department and those offices providing spokesman services for the Secretary-General; urges DPI to continue to exhibit transparency to the greatest extent possible, so as to increase awareness of the impact of its programmes and activities; emphasizes the importance of ensuring the full, equitable treatment of all the official languages of UN in all activities of DPI; recognizes that promotional campaigns aimed at supporting special sessions and international conferences of UN are part of the core responsibility of DPI, and welcomes the efforts of the Department to examine creative ways by which it can organize and implement these campaigns in partnership with the substantive departments concerned; welcomes the decision, endorsed in its resolution 56/183 of 21 Dec. 2001, to convene the World Summit on the Information Society at Geneva in Dec. 2003 and at Tunis in Dec. 2005; requests DPI to continue its efforts to strengthen its capacity to contribute significantly to the functioning of information components in UN peacekeeping operations; stresses that radio remains one of the most cost-effective and far-reaching traditional media available to DPI and an important instrument in UN activities, such as development and peacekeeping.

Adopted without vote, 73rd plenary meeting

In: Questions relating to information - A/RES/57/130 - 25 Feb. 2003 - p. 3-14.