Access to information is a human right, Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council on Tuesday, underscoring that for peacekeepers, it can be “a matter of life and death, and the difference between peace and war”.
“Communications is not a side issue or an afterthought,” he said during the first-ever High-Level Debate dedicated to the importance of strategic communications, calling it “central to the success of all our work”.
He recalled his 2016 pledge when sworn in as Secretary-General, to “communicate better about what we do, in ways that everybody understands”.
“We need a substantial reform of our communications strategy, upgrading our tools and platforms to reach people around the world,” Mr. Guterres declared, noting that the Organization has since embarked on an ambitious Global Communications Strategy.
Weapons of war
The landscape in which UN peacekeepers operate is more hazardous today than any time in recent memory; geopolitical tensions at the global level reverberate locally; conflicts are more complex and multi-layered; and international discord often translates into heightened tensions on the ground, the UN chief said.
Moreover, peacekeepers are facing terrorists, criminals, armed groups – many with access to powerful modern weapons, and “a vested interest in perpetuating chaos”, he continued.
“The weapons they wield are not just guns and explosives. Misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech are increasingly being used as weapons of war” with a clear aim “to dehumanize the so-called other, threaten vulnerable communities – as well as peacekeepers themselves – and even give open license to commit atrocities”, Mr. Guterres spelled out.
Deadly disinformation
Strategic communications are critical across UN peacekeeping to achieve its multiprong mission of protecting civilians and preventing violence; securing ceasefires and safeguarding political settlements; and investigating and reporting on human rights violations – all while ensuring the safety and security of peacekeepers and the communities they serve.
“That is why strategic communications is a top priority within the Action for Peacekeeping+ initiative,” he explained.
“We know disinformation is not just misleading, it is dangerous and potentially deadly,” he said, fuelling violence against peacekeepers, mission staff, and UN partners, transforming “our blue flag from a symbol of security into a target for attack”.
“Fake news, diffused through messaging and social media, is difficult to distinguish from reality and will soon be virtually undetectable.”
