Questions relating to information – Fourth Cttee debate – Summary record (excerpts)

Special Political and Decolonization Committee

(Fourth Committee)

Summary record of the 16th meeting

Held at Headquarters, New York, on Wednesday, 29 October 2003, at 3 p.m.

Chairman :  Mr. Loedel  …………………………………………………………………….. (Uruguay)

Contents

Agenda item 86 : Questions relating to information (continued)

The meeting was called to order at 3.10 p.m.

Agenda item 86: Questions relating to information (continued) (A/58/21, A/58/175, A/58/16 (chap. III, sect. B, programme 23) and A/58/90, annex)

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35.   Mr. Kanaan (Organization of the Islamic Conference) …

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39.   Inasmuch as the Government of Israel continued its inhumane military campaign against the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territories, it was imperative for the United Nations to exert more efforts in shouldering its responsibility relating to the question of Palestine, including responsibility in the field of information, until such time as a solution that was just in all its aspects was achieved. The Organization of the Islamic Conference commended the Department of Public Information for its special programme designed to enhance public awareness on the question of Palestine. The convening in New York in September 2002 and September 2003 of the International Conference on Civil Society in Support of the Palestinian People, under the theme “End the Occupation”, deserved appreciation and commendation.

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53.   Mr. Tharoor (Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information) …

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63.   The search for peace in the Middle East was one of the highest priorities of the United Nations, and therefore of the Department. Among other examples, he mentioned the creation of a coordinating centre for communications media in Arabic, a seminar for international information media on peace in the Middle East held at Seville, Spain, the annual training programme that the Department provided for Palestinian professionals in the communications media, and the five weeks of practical training in audiovisual production and information which had been provided for ten Palestinian journalists.

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The meeting rose at 5.05 p.m.

  This record is subject to correction. Corrections should be sent under the signature of a member of the delegation concerned within one week of the date of publication to the Chief of the Official Records Editing Section, room DC2-750, 2 United Nations Plaza, and incorporated in a copy of the record.

Corrections will be issued after the end of the session, in a separate corrigendum for each Committee.