Questions relating to information
Report of the Secretary-General
|
Summary |
|
During the first half of 2006, the Department of Public Information continued to address the strategic priorities of the Organization and its reform agenda emanating from the 2005 World Summit. Using a combination of traditional means of communications and the new information and communications technologies, the Department worked in close cooperation with “client departments” within the Secretariat and field offices worldwide to further expand its outreach services. These efforts were guided by four strategic objectives: the targeted delivery of public information, the enhanced use of the new information and communications technologies, increased partnership with civil society and integrating a culture of evaluation at all levels of work. As a result of the Department’s concerted and coordinated efforts, the public information capacity of the Organization was enhanced. |
_____________
*A/61/150.
I. Introduction
1. In its resolution 60/109 B of 8 December 2005, the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to report to the Committee on Information at its twenty-eighth session and to the General Assembly at its sixty-first session on the activities of the Department of Public Information and on the implementation of the recommendations contained in that resolution. Accordingly, the Department of Public Information introduced five reports for consideration by the Committee on Information at its twenty-eighth session, held from 24 April to 5 May 2006 (A/AC.198/2006/1-A/AC.198/2006/5). The deliberations of the Committee with regard to these reports are reflected in its report to the General Assembly (A/61/21).
2. The present report, prepared in response to the above resolution, updates the information already provided to the twenty-eighth session of the Committee on Information, and describes activities undertaken in the past six months by the Department through its four subprogrammes: communications campaign services, news services, library services and outreach services.
/…
The question of Palestine
11. The Department, in cooperation with the Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation, organized the fourteenth annual International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East in Moscow on 7 and 8 June 2006, with the theme “New Challenges in the Middle East Peace Process and Israeli-Palestinian Dialogue”. The participants included 10 Israelis and 12 Palestinians, including the mayors of Ashdod (Israel) and Gaza (Palestinian Territory), and the former mayor of Ashkelon (Israel). They expressed support for joining forces to explore common projects that would benefit both societies, and to meet on a regular basis to assess progress in their inter-community collaboration. The proceedings of the seminar were reported by major newspapers in the Middle East, including the Jerusalem Post, Yediot Aharanoth, Palestine Post, Ha’aretz, WAFA (Palestinian News Agency), Al-Ayyam, and Al-Ahram.
• Stressing the usefulness of the face-to-face encounter, Liat Collins of the Jerusalem Post wrote, “Getting Israeli and Palestinian journalists to talk to each other around a Tel Aviv-style table is entirely to the point.”
/…
______________
Document Type: Report, Secretary-General Report
Document Sources: General Assembly, Secretary-General, United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI)
Subject: Palestine question
Publication Date: 02/08/2006