Fourth Committee, 16th plenary meeting - General Assembly, 81st session
General Assembly
Date: 2 November 2026
Language: English
Transcript: https://transcripts.un.org/en/ga/c4/81/16
Transcripts available through this tool are created by using automatic speech recognition and are not official records nor official documents of the United Nations. Official records and official documents are available on the Official Document System of the United Nations.

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4th Committee · Chair [0:05]:

I call to order the 16th meeting of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee, the Fourth Committee. The committee will now begin examination of item 51 of the agenda, titled "Questions related to information." Committee has before it the report by the Information Committee from its 48th session under the code A/81/21, as well as the report of the Secretary-General on questions pertaining to information, code A/81/341. The rapporteur of the Committee of Information will introduce the report, the Under-Secretary-General for Global Communication will then take the floor, after which an interactive dialogue will take place. Then the Committee will begin general debate on the item under consideration. I invite the rapporteur of the Information Committee, Madame Allison Callem San Giorgio from Monaco, to present the report of the Committee.

You have the floor.


Monaco · Vice-Chair and Rapporteur, Committee on Information [1:25]:

Thank you.

During the general debate, statements were made by representatives of Uruguay on behalf of the G-77 and China. Latvia, on behalf of the Baltic States, the European Union, on behalf of its member states, Angola, on behalf of the community of Portuguese-speaking countries, and it's on behalf of Armenia, on behalf.

Of the group of French-speaking ambassadors, Spain, on behalf of friends of the Spanish language within the UN, the Ukraine, Thailand, Portugal, Costa Rica, Yemen, Cuba, Colombia, Israel, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Philippines, Senegal, Kenya, Ghana, Mexico, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Japan, Sudan, Tunisia, the Republic of Korea, United Kingdom, Romania, Argentina, Lebanon, Monaco, Italy, Egypt, Pakistan, India, El Salvador, South Africa, North Macedonia, Belgium, China, Greece, Chile, the Dominican Republic, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, the United States, Morocco, And the International Organization of Francophonie general debates began after an introductory meeting. It was recalled that the global information environment is increasingly fragmented. The problem is not only disinformation, but also there's an erosion of a factual and common foundation.

The way of perceiving conflicts, governance, and multilateralism is changing, while it's more difficult to detect disinformation in this context.

It was underscored that the United Nations must remain an impartial and credible source of information based on.

The UN Charter and sensitive to various publics.

The Department of Global Communications was congratulated for having adapted its tools, and communication played a key role in the process of reform of the organization.

Also, particular attention should be paid to artificial intelligence, which has expanded the scope of information, but also raises complex issues related to trust, responsibility, and the improper use that can be made from it. It was also underscored how important freedom of the press was, given that in many regions of the world, journalists are subjected to restrictions, intimidation, and growing violence. It was concluded that delegations should exchange constructive suggestions turned toward the future in order to strengthen the activities of the Department. Undersecretary General for Global Communication also made a statement where she gave an overview of the activities of the department. She indicated that this was marking its 80th anniversary and has constantly modernized the UN information to reach people where they sought information in their own language. She also mentioned that the department underwent a significant restructuring. She took this opportunity to fine-tune its strategy. and develop partnerships. She presented the activities of the Department around its priority areas, action in favour of peace, thanks to the campaign “Understand Us” and acting for a peaceful world, also promoting climate justice, defending human rights, and promoting sustainable development, thanks to the campaign “Let’s Act”. She described the effectiveness of the work of raising awareness conducted by the Department and underscored that the Some 70 million people followed social media of the Department. She also mentioned the efforts to develop multilingualism and drew attention to information and media services of the Department that covered current events in various forms, including podcasts, blogs, and other forms. She also underscored the essential role that UN Information Centres played in some 60 countries so that the message of the organization was conveyed to the local population. She concluded by reaffirming the determination of the Department to demonstrate the relevance of the UN to the global public during the consideration of the substantive issues that the Committee examined. delegations expressed their concern about misinformation and disinformation, mentioning that this could have a concrete impact, including threatening peacekeeping personnel. And questioning humanitarian efforts. Many insisted that the UN must remain a source of impartial and updated information, and also many stressed the importance of UN information centres and the need to protect the information ecosystems. Many representatives recalled the importance of media education and targeted awareness raising that allowed individuals to have a critical eye on news and to identify erroneous information. A number of speakers underscored the adoption and implementation of the UN Principles for the Integrity of Information, considering them as an essential framework to promote a safer, inclusive, and humane information systems. Several delegations insisted on the fact that strengthening information ecosystems was a shared responsibility, requiring a balanced, non-exclusive participation of all stakeholders, Some warned against the concentration of control of the information sector. Multilingualism was one of the recurring and central topics. Speakers mentioned that the provision of information in the six official languages was an issue of equity. insisting on the fact that language equality was not merely a formality, but one of the founding principles of the Organization in favor of cultural diversity and linguistic diversity. Growing demand for products by the Organization in non-official languages was also underscored. Many mentioned the important work of UN Information Centres, which translated global mandates into local contexts to reach populations that didn't have a broad access. Speakers also urged the department to examine innovative solutions, including using artificial intelligence with human supervision to make progress toward achieving its goals of multilingualism. in spite of financial constraints. The question of the safety and security of media workers and journalists occupied a central role in the debate. Many condemned attacks and censorship, especially in situations of armed conflict. Speakers highlighted that journalists continue to run serious risks while doing their job, mentioning figures that Tens have been killed in just this year. Delegations urged the international community to uphold their obligations in protecting media workers and to ensure accountability. Delegations also recognized the difficulties created by budgetary restrictions, and they emphasized that efficiency measures should not undermine the main mandates. including geographical balance, multilingualism and others. Lastly, one of the speakers mentioned that transparent, credible and human-centred information is essential. The Information Committee plays a key role in a global information environment that is increasingly complex and constantly evolving.

Thank you.

Thank you.


4th Committee · Chair [10:09]:

Thank you for presenting this report. I would also like to.

Welcome Under-Secretary-General for Global Communication, madam Melissa Fleming, and I would invite her to present the Secretary-General’s report on information. Thank you. You have the floor.


UN Secretariat · USG Global Communications [10:26]:

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and also many thanks from me, Allison Calum San Giorgio, for your comprehensive summary of the Committee on Information's general debate, also for your dedication as vice-chair and rapporteur. It is a pleasure to address the Committee on the work of the Department of Global Communications, and I thank all delegations for their constructive engagement with DGC, which was so clearly reflected in that summary and in the session that we had at the Committee on Information in May. I extend sincere thanks to Ambassador Reen Tamsar of Estonia for his steadfast leadership over the past two years, and to the Bureau members from Bolivia, Djibouti, Lebanon, and Monaco for their close cooperation. And I recognize all negotiating partners, with special appreciation for Ms. Kulupa, Suopree of Thailand, who, on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, skillfully guided consensus on the resolution, including the biennialization agreement now before this committee. Excellencies, let me begin by the world we are communicating in. Our information environment has changed more profoundly in the last couple of years than it has in the last decades. Information risks, such as misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech, can now spread at unprecedented speed and scale, eroding trust in institutions, including the United Nations. Rapid advances in artificial intelligence are transforming how information is created, how it is shared, and also how it is consumed. People are more connected than ever, but also They're feeling overwhelmed. They have more content than they can absorb, but also too few sources they feel that they can trust. And what rises to the top of our feeds is rarely a faithful picture of what people actually think. The loudest voices can drown out many who quietly want what the UN Charter promises us all, and that is peace, justice, human rights, sustainable development, and a healthy planet. So our task is to reach people with accurate information in their own languages, to engage them and make them part of a larger community that is working for change. And that reality was front of mind through the independent and impartial review of the department, which member states requested and which has now been completed. Its driving question was a simple one: Is the United Nations Communication Department built for the world it now has to communicate in? The review examined our mandates, our workforce, our operating model, also the way we deploy resources. And the findings were clear. The mandates Member States have entrusted us with remain fully relevant. If anything, the need for accurate, authoritative, engaging, multilingual communications from the United Nations has only grown. The review, though, is also candid about where we need to do better. It points to a more integrated operating model, stronger strategic planning, closer coordination between headquarters and the field, smarter use of technology, and also moving existing capacity to where it matters most. In line with these findings, the Secretary General has proposed to organize the department around three mutually reinforcing pillars: strategy and planning, news and media, and outreach. In practice, this would connect our work in a single workflow, from planning to content production to distribution to measuring impact, instead of keeping it in separate silos. It would also allow us to deliver on all of our mandated activities while advancing the modernization you Member States have asked us for. Excellencies, within existing structures, we have already begun testing more integrated ways of working, and the results over the last few months have been encouraging. In June, we launched the DGC Activation Lab. This brings teams from across the department together around priority moments with one shared approach, plan, create, distribute, measure, and then sharpen our messaging and content based on what the data tells us. The first major test was the high level week. So instead of each team planning its own coverage, we worked from a single strategy and one set of key messages, underscoring the convening power of the United Nations and its vital role tackling the most pressing global issues. The demand was there. Nearly 3,300 journalists were accredited, and more than 1,300 civil society representatives took part. Audiences across the world wanted to know whether multilateralism can still deliver on the issues that they care about, ending conflict, addressing climate change, or placing guardrails around AI. Working this way showed that our reach was stronger than it was last year. Traffic to the General Debate website rose 42%. And the number of broadcasters using our Unifeed material grew by nearly a quarter. We also had messengers of peace, goodwill ambassadors, and influencers who carried our messages to more than 180 million of their followers. And this was up 125% on last year. We connected especially strong with young people. The UN YouTube channel drew almost 13 million views, and these from mostly 18 to 35-year-olds. And our social media channels, social first features and campaigns, such as 8.1 Seconds of Hope, generated 22 million views and 3.5 million engagements, and gained for us more than a half a million new followers to our social media accounts just in that two weeks. UN News received more than 2 million page views during the high-level period, and UN Web TV piloted AI-generated live captions and transcripts in all six official languages, receiving more than 6 million views. We also hosted important conversations that reinforced the key messages, including in the strategy for High-Level Week, included in the strategy for High-Level Week. I think many of you probably saw the SDG media zone out on the plaza. Inside that tent, we had 45 sessions with 120 speakers. Also, we had an information integrity solutions dialogue co-hosted with Brazil, the Executive Office of the Secretary General, UNDP, and UNESCO, discussing solutions for a healthier information ecosystem with member states, civil society, academia, and the private sector. Beyond High-Level Week, our campaigns are designed to move people from awareness to action across the three pillars of the organization's work. The Hear Us Act Now campaign held more than 350 peace circles in 60 countries, and what young people said there is informing the Secretary General's independent study on youth, peace, and security. Also, the World Cup gave new momentum to Football for the Goals. The Act Now Football for the Goals Cup challenge generated more than 120,000 additional actions for the SDGs, taking the total past 30 million. Verified for Climate, our joint initiative with Purpose, continued making visible the support that already exists to climate action. Roughly nine in ten people want their governments to do more on climate, yet many underestimate how many others feel the same way. Digital storytelling on the Global Alliance for Human Rights reached 2.5 million people. And our remembrance work also continues. For example, UNIC Rio adapted Holocaust and Roma genocide education materials into Portuguese. More broadly, our UN Information Centres are where global action becomes local relevance. From Dakar to Mexico City, Rio to Windhoek, Jakarta to New Delhi, they work with young people, volunteers, cultural institutions, and media. They are also at the forefront of information integrity, a strategic priority anchored in the UN Global Principles for Information Integrity. We now have pilot centers of excellence at UNIC Mexico City, UNIC Dakar, and UNIC Brussels. to offer sustained local engagement as well as training and capacity building for solutions. With UNDP, we are also developing a global information integrity exchange to strengthen coalition building and connect country-level solutions with global support. Artificial intelligence poses some of the biggest risks to information integrity, and it's also transforming how we work in the department. We are embracing it, but we're doing so responsibly. In August, we issued guidelines on the ethical and responsible use of AI in communications. We aim to establish an internal AI governance group, which will act as our first port of call on all AI questions as related to communications. Our system-wide AI lab will also be discussing new tools while weighing their risks. The Dag Hammarskjöld Library is building the Research Commons, an AI-powered single point of access to UN information. And with DCO, a new community of practice is building skills in data, digital, foresight, and behavioral science across UN Information Centers and Resident Coordinator offices. Excellency, the review has given us a clear assessment and also a practical roadmap. And with your support, we will use it to build a department that works as one, puts its resources where they count, and reaches people where they are in their own languages. We will keep defending the facts, amplifying solution, and encouraging action, so that people everywhere can see themselves in the work and in the promise of the United Nations. Thank you.


4th Committee · Chair [22:31]:

I thank Under-Secretary General. Your Excellencies, the Committee will now begin interactive dialogue on item 51 of the agenda. Is there any delegation that wishes to take the floor? I give the floor to the European Union.


EU · EU [22:58]:

Thank you, Chair. I am Madam Under-Secretary General, I have the honor to deliver the following three questions on behalf of the European Union and its member states. First, at a time of growing geopolitical tensions and increasing attacks against the United Nations and multilateralism, How is the department strengthening its strategic communications to explain the relevance and impact of the organization? You mentioned already the department's efforts to reform, but perhaps you can provide further details. Second, we support implementation of the UN Global Principles for Information Integrity, and we welcome your efforts to translate them into practical action. Looking ahead, What will be your priorities to advance this work? Again, you mentioned the pilot project in Mexico City, but we will appreciate further details on this work. And third, on conflicts and humanitarian crisis, including Ukraine, Gaza, or Sudan, it's key, the need for timely, accurate, and reliable information. At the same time, new technologies and artificial intelligence are transforming the information environment, as you rightly pointed out. How is your department adapting its communications approach to ensure that reliable information reaches those communities, counters disinformation, and gives visibility to those humanitarian needs?

Thank you.


4th Committee · Chair [24:33]:

I thank you and now give the floor to Cuba.


Cuba [24:41]:

Thank you very much indeed, Mr. Chairman. We are grateful to Undersecretary General for DGC for the presentation of her report on information issues. That report outlines the activities undertaken by the DGC and the communication priorities of the organization. These include strengthening information integrity. With that in mind, we wish to pose the following questions to you, Madam. What actions is the DGC undertaking to avoid the UN Web TV platform being used to promote agendas and messages which are openly harmful and which seek to openly undermine the sovereignty of UN Member States? My second question: How Do you guarantee that the use of UN Web TV is in accordance with the administrative resolution STAI/2019/4? In particular, how do you guarantee that audiovisual material projected maintain due respect for the organization's dignity, and how do you ensure that they are compatible with the UN purposes and principles? My third question: what reconciliation mechanisms are there to join together the DGC and the DGACM, what synergies are there to ensure that there is no politically motivated use of UN Web TV targeting one Member State of the UN in particular? I thank you.


4th Committee · Chair [26:10]:

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Uruguay.


Uruguay · G77 + China [26:18]:

Mr. Chair, distinguished delegates, on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, I congratulate you on your election. and assure you of our full cooperation. We commend the outgoing Bureau and thank the Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, Madame Melissa Fleming, for her report and for the Department's continued efforts to enhance global awareness of the work and principles of the United Nations. Mr. Chair, the Group of 77 and China has taken note of the report of the Secretary-General on the activities of the Department of Global Communications contained in document A/81/341. The group recalls that the Committee on Information concluded its 48th session on May 8, 2026, where the draft resolutions of the committee were adopted by consensus on the basis of a technical rollover. We thank all delegations for their constructive engagement and look forward to the adoption of these resolutions by consensus in this committee and in the General Assembly, thereby renewing our support for the Department of Global Communications at a crucial time in the media landscape around the world. We commend the Department in advancing the United Nations efforts to combat misinformation, hate speech, and disinformation, and to foster international solidarity, as well as supporting the United Nations agenda on issues such as peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights and fundamental freedoms. Recognizing that safe, secure, and trustworthy artificial intelligence systems have the potential to contribute to progress in all dimensions of development, The group also note with concern that their improper or malicious use could undermine information integrity and access to information, particularly through disinformation and misinformation. Mr. Chair, the group underscores the urgent need to bridge the digital divide and promote digital cooperation. Equal access to information and communication technologies is vital to enabling all countries, particularly developing countries, to participate meaningfully in the global digital environment. The group calls on all stakeholders to expand connectivity, foster collaboration, and promote the dissemination of factual and evidence-based information, ensuring that digital transformation benefits all. The group stresses the importance of mainstreaming multilingualism in all of the organization's activities as an essential pillar for mutual understanding, inclusivity, and diversity. We encourage the Department of Global Communications to mobilize resources to promote multilingualism and address the disparity in the use of all official languages in the United Nations public information materials and platforms. In this context, the group further emphasizes the vital importance of multilingualism and local content, and encourages all stakeholders to promote the creation of an access to educational, cultural, and scientific content online so as to foster quality of access and ensure that all people and cultures can express themselves and have access to internet content in all languages, including indigenous languages. We are gratified to see that on this occasion, the resolutions can be adopted in the six official languages of the Organization, which shows a strong commitment, not only of the G77 and China, but also of all the delegations involved in this process, to multilingualism as a core value of the Organization. We strongly urge the DGC to intensify its efforts to combat disinformation, including that directed against United Nations peacekeeping operations, to raise awareness of the new realities, successes and challenges faced by peacekeeping operations and special political missions, and to provide accurate content, including in local languages and in coordination with national authorities, to strengthen understanding of United Nations peacekeeping mandates, manage expectations, and build trust and support. The Group expresses serious concern over attacks against journalists and media professionals, especially the deliberate targeting in Lebanon and Gaza since October 2023. Impunity for such attacks remains a major challenge, and ensuring accountability is essential to prevent future violence. Mr. Chair, we commend the Department's global strategic communications response to challenges such as climate change and proliferating conflicts. The Department should continue to enhance public awareness about reinforcing multilateralism and addressing humanitarian crises. We also call for greater focus on disseminating factual, clear, accessible, multilingual, and science-based information, and on promoting messages of tolerance, peaceful coexistence, and interfaith and cultural harmony. harmony among all religions and nations. The Group wishes to underscore that the biennialization of the Committee's resolutions is a relevant measure for achieving greater effectiveness in the work of the Committee on Information. In this regard, the Group welcomes the opportunity to participate in a substantive dialogue next year focused on taking stock of the implementation of the resolutions. and exploring further avenues for the work of the Department. It is the Group’s hope that the transition to a longer reporting period will also allow the Department to optimize its resources and deliver even more impactful substantive reporting. In conclusion, the Group of 77 and China reaffirms its full support for the Department of Global Communications in fulfilling its vital mandate to communicate the UN’s mission effectively, to combat disinformation while respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, to bridge the digital divide, to promote multilingualism and accessibility, to strengthen peacekeeping and peacebuilding communications, and to ensure accountability for attacks on journalists. The group remains ready to engage constructively in future negotiations to further strengthen and support the work of the Department, convinced that access to impartial, accurate, and accessible information is central to the pursuit of sustainable development, leaving no one behind. Together, we must safeguard the United Nations as a source of accurate and reliable information for the global public good. I thank you.


4th Committee · Chair [33:00]:

I thank you. I just would like to remind that we are having now the interactive dialogue on 51. We are not yet in the general debate. Do we have any delegation wishing to take the floor on the interactive dialogue? I see no. So I give the floor back to Madam Under-Secretary-General, if you have any response to give.


UN Secretariat · USG Global Communications [33:44]:

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And so I think there were two distinguished delegates from Member States asking questions. So I'll first address the three questions addressed to me by the distinguished delegate from the EU. So at a time of political tensions and attack on multilateralism, how are we strengthening our communications? I think that, as outlined in my statement, a prioritization exercise is absolutely critical. And one of the things that we work on in information integrity is looking at what narratives are out there and what perhaps reputational risks the organization faces. but also what kind of existential risks the organization faced. So, you know, ahead of the General Assembly, you probably read some of the same think pieces, news articles, quotes, who, and the repeated kind of phrase was multilateralism is under attack, is the UN still relevant? So we, in designing the strategy for the General Assembly, we made it a focus to really shine a light on the convening power of the United Nations, continue to pump into the information ecosystem the kind of explainers on what the United Nations does, the breadth of its membership, the depth of all of its activities around the world, the relevance in addressing current issues of our time. For example, you know, AI was very – it wasn’t on really – there wasn’t any high-level meeting, but it was very high on the agenda. We were, in our coverage, able to emphasize what member states were saying, as well as what many of the participants from civil society and other actors from the SG's AI panel were saying. So this has become a kind of, going forward, we recognize that actually we need to educate people on the basics of what the UN stands for and why we need global solutions for today's problems in looking at each problem. problem individually, whether it is war and the ripple effects of war, whether it is climate change, whether it is a pandemic or an Ebola situation, we need to work together to solve these problems. So I think looking at the press coverage from a qualitative lens after the General Assembly, we felt that we did make some progress in this dimension. There was a lot of recognition of the convening power of the UN, that everybody wanted to be here, and that this was the center for global action, and we're going to be continuing moving forward. On the global principles, what priorities we have to advance this work, I mentioned that we are looking to build on regional and local capacity, and that we are piloting UN Information Integrity Centers of Excellence in Mexico City, Dakar, and Brussels. And we aim to extend the model to additional regions. These centers will help develop practical skills in the UN family and beyond. We have a methodology that we have developed and have been rolling out in training programs, but also just using it day to day as we at the UN face information risks. And this is based on what we call our 3R approach: research, risk assessment, and response. The research is to look at the harmful narratives that are circulating, where are they coming from, what are they saying, assessing the risk of how they are affecting the UN, perhaps leaders in the UN, or the work that we are trying to carry out, and then what our communications response should be that would be effective in this information environment. We plan to extend this training to civil society, media, governments, and other partners. So just to note also that we work with the whole UN system. We have focal points from across the UN working on this issue in our working group on information integrity. And we're building also coalitions. I think many of you are familiar with the Global Initiative for Information Integrity and Climate Change, co-led by Brazil and UNESCO. And a number of member states have joined the initiative. And we hope to use this model for other thematic areas. And so that's pretty much what I would say on that. There is much, much more exciting work in that dimension. The distinguished representative of Cuba asked some questions. Just to say, we have, in addition to covering UN meetings, Web TV does routinely cover side events and special events by Member States at the request of Member States or groups of Member States that are held here in Headquarters. on a cost recovery basis, and that we do not make decisions based on the topics or themes of such events, but treat all requesting Member States equally. And that's all I will say on that. And thank you very much for your statement, distinguished representative of Uruguay, on behalf of China and G-77.


4th Committee · Chair [40:28]:

I thank the Under-Secretary-General. In view of the fact that no other delegations are asking to take the floor, I wish once again to thank Ms. Fleming for the information provided to the Committee. Ladies and gentlemen, we are now going to kick off our general debate under agenda item 51. I wish to remind delegations that they have until 6:00 PM today to inscribe their names on the list of I'd also like to remind delegations that statements must be limited to 10 minutes when they are made in a national capacity and must be no longer than 15 minutes when they're made on behalf of a group, in order to make best use of our time, I invite all speakers to deliver an abridged version of their statement and to send the text in full to estatements@un.org so that it can be published in the United Nations Journal. I now give the floor to Spain, speaking on behalf of the Group of Friends of Spanish.


Spain · Group of Friends of Spanish [41:36]:

Muchas gracias.

Thank you very much indeed, Mr. Chairman. I have the honor of taking the floor on behalf of the 20 member states of the Group of Friends of Spanish at the United Nations. Spain has had the honor of chairing that group over the course of 2026. We are grateful to the USG for Global Communication, Ms. Melissa Fleming. for presenting the Secretary General's report on information issues, and we thank the rapporteur of the Committee on Information for presenting the report covering the 48th session, the report issued as A/81/21. We also wish to thank the DGC and all of its staff. Particular thanks must be extended to the Spanish units of the DGC for the work they've done in a particularly difficult year for the organization. Chair, multilingualism is not only a fundamental value of the United Nations, rather it is the very prerequisite for genuinely inclusive multilateral dialogue. Our conviction is a simple one: the Organization can only communicate about what it is doing if that communication is done in the languages that the citizens it serves use to speak, read and inform themselves. Today, Spanish is the mother tongue of more than 500 million people. It is spoken by more than 600 million across the globe. In the digital ecosystem of the United Nations, it is consistently the second most widely spoken language. Around a fifth of the UN web users get their news in Spain, and the UN News channel audience uses Spanish continues to grow year on year. This demand is a fact documented by the very reports of the Secretary General, and this growing demand for Spanish must be met with a commensurate supply of information in Spanish. We are acutely cognizant of the context in which we work. The liquidity crisis and the UN initiative, 80 initiative, are forcing the department to do more with less, but multilingualism is not a secondary budget line which can be sacrificed when adjustments must be made. It is a principle enshrined in the charter and the most effective way of ensuring that every dollar invested in communication reaches more people. Cuts cannot once again manifest themselves as a silent reduction in the use of official languages other than English. For this reason, it's absolutely vital to ensure the equal treatment of the six official UN languages and appropriate distribution of resources across websites, social media, and all department products. There must be data broken down by language so that we can measure We must move from a genuinely, move towards rather, a genuinely multilingual culture, a culture in which content in Spain are designed as originals from the very design stage of every campaign. That is why we must provide full support to the information centre networks. And that is why it's vital to have a staffing policy that reflects the organisation's linguistic diversity. We welcome the fact that this Assembly recently adopted by consensus the resolution on multilingualism. The our group, the group of friends of Spanish, participated constructively in those negotiations, always showing a desire for consensus. This resolution and the one today being considered by this committee are mutually reinforcing, and we ask the department to implement them in a comprehensive, integrated fashion. Chair, allow me now to refer to draft resolutions A and B contained in the report of the Committee on Information. This year, the committee approved a technical rollover of resolutions 80/84A and 80/84B. and B, with no substantive updates being made to the text. This was done on the understanding that the next session would broach a in-depth reform of the text, a review rather of the text. The group participated constructively in negotiating resolutions which were briefer, clearer, and more operational, and demonstrated with indeed, the importance of multilingualism in negotiations, but concision cannot mean that progress is being undone. Any text must conserve its call the equality of six official languages, as well as enshrining the principle of the appropriate distribution of financial and human resources across languages, and the Secretariat must remain obliged to integrate multilingualism into all activities of information and communication. is an environment marked by disinformation, and in this context, the United Nations, in our group's view, must remain a source of information that is reliable, credible, and accessible in all official languages. Our group is ready and willing to continue working with the DGC, with the Committee on Information, and with all delegations to ensure that multilingualism is a daily reality in the way this organization communicates. Thank you, Chair.


4th Committee · Chair [46:37]:

I thank you and now give the floor to Thailand, speaking on behalf of ASEAN.

Thailand, you have the floor.


Thailand · ASEAN [46:51]:

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN. ASEAN expresses its appreciation for the Secretary-General's 2026 report on the activities of the Department of Global Communications and commends the department for its endeavours to ensure the timely, accurate, and multilingual communication of United Nations activities across all media platforms. ASEAN also congratulates His Excellency Mr. Rain Talmsa of Estonia for his continued leadership as Chair of the 40th session of the Committee on Information, and we affirm its full support. Mr. Chair, I wish to highlight three key priorities. First, as in Chair's concerns over the rapidly evolving digital landscape, and its associated risks, including the spread of disinformation, misinformation, hate speech, cybercrimes, and the misuse of artificial intelligence, and online scams. We acknowledge the critical need to safeguard people in vulnerable situations, including women, children, youth, persons with disabilities, and the elderly, from the adverse impacts of harmful online behavior and to ensure the protection of their digital rights and privacy. To counter misinformation and disinformation, ASEAN stresses the importance of providing, promoting, and facilitating access to and dissemination of independent, fact-based, timely, targeted, clear, accessible, multilingual, and science-based information. We underscore the need for all individuals to be equipped with media literacy skills and cybersecurity awareness to critically assess information and make informed decisions. Furthermore, we also encourage collaboration with social media platforms to implement transparent, regionally relevant guidelines and content moderation standards that address harmful content while allowing for freedom of expression and data privacy. Second, ASEAN is taking decisive regional action to translate these principles into practice. We continue to advance our 2035 vision toward a transformative, responsive, and resilient information and media sector, aim at building a safe, dynamic, and people-centred information ecosystem while promoting social responsibility through cross-border digital and media platforms, and fostering mutual respect in cyberspace to uphold integrity and sovereignty. This vision is supported by the Da Nang Declaration on Media and the ASEAN Guidelines on the Management of Government Information in Combating Fake News. Through the new ASEAN Work Plan for Information and Media 2026-2035, ASEAN is actively strengthening our regional cooperation to combat online scams, cross-border digital crimes, and enhance strategic crisis communication. To narrow the digital divide and foster inclusive growth, ASEAN has accelerated the implementation of the Bandar Seri Begawan Roadmap and is advancing efforts towards the signing of the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement. These initiatives will transform ASEAN into a leading, secure, and digitally connected community by the year 2045. And third, regional efforts must be anchored in strong multilateral partnerships. ASEAN welcomes the commitments in the Pact for the Future and the Global Digital Compact, which promote responsible information environments and ethical AI governance. We also welcome the signing by 95 member states of the United Nations Convention Against Cybercrime, reaffirming our shared commitment to promote a safe, secure, and responsible digital ecosystem. We emphasize the importance of enhancing the technological infrastructure of the Department of Global Communications to expand its outreach and to improve the UN website in a cost-neutral manner. As in, we affirm that public information must remain central to the strategic management of the UN. We support the Department of Global Communications and UN information centers in providing objective, transparent, and multilingual information. We also emphasize strengthening the UN's crisis communication capacity to counter disinformation targeting UN peacekeeping operations while maintaining cost-effective digital infrastructure. Mr. Chair, in conclusion, CEN reiterates its steadfast support for the Committee on Information and the Department of Global Communications in safeguarding information integrity, bridging digital divides, and advancing sustainable development for all. Thank you so much for your kind attention.


4th Committee · Chair [52:58]:

Je vous remercie.

I thank you. I now give the floor to the Russian Federation, speaking on behalf of the Group of Friends for the Defense of the UN Charter.


Russian Federation · Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations [53:11]:

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Russian Federation has the honor to take the floor on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations. We have taken due note of the Secretary-General's report on the activities at the Department of Global Communications. contained in document A/81/341. We recognize the important role entrusted to DGC in promoting a broader understanding of the work of the United Nations, as well as the purposes and principles enshrined in its Charter. In fulfilling this mandate, the Department must consistently uphold the principles of editorial independence, impartiality, accuracy, and objectivity. The information resources of our organization should provide comprehensive, balanced and objective coverage of international developments, while duly reflecting the positions of all Member States without discrimination. We stress the importance of ensuring that the Department's activities remain fully consistent with the mandates and priorities agreed upon by Member States. We reiterate the fundamental importance of multilingualism. which is indispensable to preserving linguistic and cultural diversity and ensuring equitable access to information about the work of the United Nations. We call upon the Department to redouble its efforts to ensure the full and equitable treatment of all six official languages across the Organization’s information platforms, publications, and multimedia services, including through the timely dissemination of relevant content. We also encourage continued efforts to reach audiences in other languages, particularly through the network of United Nations Information Centres. We attach particular importance to the Department’s efforts to raise awareness about important issues to developing countries, including the adverse effects of climate change and their adaptation needs, the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the contribution of United Nations peacekeeping operations and the need to bring colonialism in all its forms and manifestations to an end. We encourage the Department to continue highlighting these issues, including through the preservation and dissemination of the Organization's historical records relating to decolonization. Our group reaffirms its unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people and its support for the realization of their inalienable rights, including the right to self-determination, and reiterates its call for a sovereign and viable state of Palestine based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the basis of the two-state solution, in line with international law and relevant UN resolutions. We underline the importance of ensuring comprehensive, accurate, and impartial coverage of the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territory, as well as of the efforts undertaken by the United Nations to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions and international law. Mr. Chairman, despite considerable technological progress, profound inequalities persist in access to information and communication technologies. Bridging the digital divide between developed and developing countries remains an urgent priority. We call for stronger international cooperation to ensure affordable and non-discriminatory access to these technologies, including through technology transfer, capacity building, scientific and educational exchanges, and knowledge sharing free from political preconditions. Such efforts are indispensable for establishing a more just, equitable, an effective international information and communication order, and advancing sustainable development. In this context, we reiterate our grave concern over the continued application of unilateral coercive measures which restrict access to modern technologies, components, and software, hinder international cooperation, and undermine the development efforts of affected countries. Such measures also impede the modernization of national telecommunications infrastructure and further deepen existing technological inequalities. We reaffirm our rejection of these measures, which run counter to the Charter and international law, and renew our call for their immediate, complete, and unconditional lifting. We are equally concerned about the growing concentration of technological power in the hands of a limited number of private companies, whose dominant position in global information markets may deepen the dependence of developing countries and undermine their digital sovereignty, including through practices of a neo-colonial nature. Lack of transparency in content moderation and arbitrary restrictions on access to information further aggravate these challenges. At the same time, while recognizing the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence, including for multilingual communication, we emphasize the need for transparency, human oversight, accountability, and appropriate safeguards to ensure accuracy, respect for cultural and linguistic diversity, and technological independence, inter alia through the use of open source software, models, and data. technology transfer, and relevant capacity building initiatives. We express serious concern over the spread of misinformation and disinformation, including through online platforms, which may fuel hatred, racism, xenophobia, discrimination, violence, as well as the dissemination of ideologies of superiority, including fascism, Nazism, and neo-Nazism. At the same time, efforts to counter these phenomena must not be used as a pretext for censorship or for suppressing legitimate views and freedom of expression. We underline that initiatives pursued within the United Nations in this sensitive area should be based on intergovernmentally agreed mandates and developed through transparent and inclusive consultations with Member States, without substituting for intergovernmental decision-making processes. We also stress the urgent need to ensure the safety of journalists in both conflict and non-conflict situations. Attacks, threats, intimidation, harassment, and arbitrary restrictions on their professional activities, including unwarranted obstacles through accreditation and access to information, are unacceptable, irrespective of their nationality, affiliation, or editorial position. We call upon the relevant international mechanisms to respond to such violations consistently, impartially and without discrimination, while strengthening efforts to ensure accountability and combat impunity. The increasing use of ICTs also presents challenges to international peace and security. We firmly reject their malicious use to interfere in the internal affairs of sovereign States. undermine their stability, or carry out attacks against critical infrastructure. Addressing these challenges requires inclusive and non-politicized international cooperation under the auspices of the United Nations, with full respect for the sovereignty and sovereign equality of States. In this regard, we welcome the adoption and opening for signature of the United Nations Convention Against Cybercrime, and call upon all Member States to sign and ratify the Convention as soon as possible, with a view to ensuring its early entry into force. We also called for the speedy elaboration of the additional protocol to the Convention aimed at preventing and countering the use of ICTs for terrorist and extremist purposes. Mr. Chair, In conclusion, our group reiterates its firm commitment to strengthening international cooperation and solidarity in the field of information and communications in full accordance with the purposes and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law. We remain convinced that equitable access to information and communication technologies, respect for the sovereignty of states, and genuine international cooperation are essential for advancing peace, development, and mutual understanding among nations. I thank you.


4th Committee · Chair [1:02:32]:

Thank you. I give the floor to the European Union and its Member States.


EU · EU [1:02:44]:

Thank you, Chair. Mr. Chair, Madam Under-Secretary-General, distinguished delegates, I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States. The candidate countries, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Georgia.


4th Committee · Chair [1:03:03]:

Please, one second. The interpreter. Thank you.

Please take the floor.


EU · EU [1:03:58]:

As I was saying, the candidate countries, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Georgia, and the EFTA country Norway, member of the European Economic Area, as well as Andorra and San Marino, align themselves with this statement. At a time characterized

by increasing tensions and more frequent attacks against the UN and the multilateral system, the role of the Organization as a source of credible information that is impartial and reliable is more important than ever. We applaud the continued efforts of the Department of Global Communication to promote multilateralism, defend the principles of the Charter, and explain the importance of international cooperation. Effective communication by the UN should demonstrate the relevance of the organization, make visible its activities and their impact, and contribute to strengthening understanding and trust of the public. We encourage the Department to continue with its efforts. to reach new publics, particularly young generations, and make the work of the United Nations more accessible and more relevant for the populations that we serve. Young people must be active partners also in elaborating and disseminating the message of the Organization. Mr. Chair, the integrity of information remains a priority. Manipulation of information and Foreign interference and misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech erode trust, fuel division, and threaten peace, security, and democratic institutions. We strongly support the implementation of global principles of the United Nations for the integrity of information and commend the work of the department aimed at translating these principles into concrete actions. Partnerships with civil society and independent media and the academia are essential. Their expertise and commitment contribute to strengthening education in media and information. They also promote a diversified and pluralist information environment and enhance resilience in the face of the manipulation of information. We also recognize the opportunities offered by digital technology and artificial intelligence. Their development and use must be focused on human beings and must be guided by human rights and international law, accessibility and inclusion, transparency, and responsibility, as well as by appropriate human supervision. We reaffirm the need to protect journalists. and media professionals and ensure their security, as well as their freedom to inform, in particular in conflict situations. Attacks against journalists must not remain unanswered. Reliable information and independent journalists must not become the collateral victims of war. Chair, the work of communication of the department plays a particularly important role in ensuring visibility to the crises and conflicts that occur around the world. This includes the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, the situation in Gaza and in the Middle East as a whole, the devastating crisis in Sudan, and other humanitarian emergencies. Accurate, timely, and impartial information contributes to raise awareness on the humanitarian needs, mobilize international support, counter false narratives, and promote accountability. It's also important to ensure visibility to the work of the UN personnel and humanitarian workers that protect the civilian population, as well as to offer a platform for experiences and voices of the communities affected by the conflict. Communication must also continue to highlight the central role of human rights and the importance of promoting gender equality and the role of women in peace and security. Climate change is an area in which accessible and evidence-based information is essential. The Department plays a key role in raising awareness on the urgency of climate action. and to provide visibility to efforts that are being made throughout the UN system and together with its partners. At the same time, communication must continue to defend the importance of sustainable development and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The Sustainable Development Goals are our common road map, communicating its relevance and its impact on the daily lives of people. starting from the eradication of poverty, education, health care, climate action, and economic opportunities. All this is essential to maintain our commitment and commitment to the citizenship and to mobilize the partnerships that are necessary to fulfill those goals. Multilingualism is at the very heart of multilateralism. The six official languages are essential to ensure that the United Nations are accessible, inclusive, and representative. This is why we underscore the importance of their full and balanced use in all the activities of the Organization, including its public information and communication. With this in mind, the United Nations Information Centres play a particularly valuable role in bringing the priorities and the messages of the Organization to local communities, adapting global realities to local communities, and to ensure that communities can take part in the work of the United Nations.

The European Union reiterates its support for the important work of the Department of Global Communications. The Department must be adequately equipped to remain agile and forward-looking. to reach people where they are and to communicate in languages they understand, through information they can trust. We look forward to engaging constructively in this committee to provide the Department with strong, relevant, and consensus-based guidance. Communicating the UN is ultimately about communicating the value of multilateralism and our shared commitment to peace, human rights, sustainable development, and a better future for all. Thank you.


4th Committee · Chair [1:11:18]:

I thank you. I give the floor to Israel.


Israel [1:11:34]:

Mr. Chair, my delegation concurs with views already expressed regarding the important work of the Department of Global Communications raising public awareness of the work of the United Nations through digital and traditional platforms, the operation of information centers, and by civil society engagement. Israel strongly supports the Holocaust Outreach Program, which educates future generations about the Holocaust, fostering lessons of tolerance and moral courage. We remain committed to cooperating to promote greater understanding and to combat hatred and racism. The United Nations has historically built a name as a worthy, respected, and reliable source of information, but worthiness has to be maintained. Respect has to be earned, and reliability has to be validated. It would therefore be amiss if my delegation were not to share with this Committee its views on the extent by which UN organs and entities have done disservice to the UN Global Principles for Information Integrity, which were established to create a framework for maintaining truthfulness and reliability in the dissemination of information. For when it comes to information regarding Israel, all too often what is disseminated by UN organs and entities is not information, but rather disinformation based on lies, uncorroborated claims, and even pure fabrications. Since the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas, the United Nations has been a primary source of information, shaping perceptions in the international arena on the conduct of the war and the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. Thousands of reports, statements, bulletins, briefings, and online posts by UN agencies and officials have generated a continuous stream of statistics and viral headlines which resonate globally. An analytical review of that material shows that key UN agency and officials exhibited a systematic breakdown of core professional standards and of the principles of neutrality and impartiality in their public statements, resulting in significant factual distortions and consistent bias against Israel and in favor of Hamas, a recognized terrorist organization in the US, EU, and many other states. My delegation would like to share a few examples with the Committee. UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese shared in March 2026 on social media a fake AI-generated image of 165 coffins of schoolgirls to promote her own particularly disturbing support for Iran. Not only did she refuse to delete the tweet after it was proven to be fake, but she had the audacity to respond by stating that the picture is not the issue. Ms. Albanese should be relieved of her position due to her anti-Semitic views and comments, but meanwhile, here in the Fourth Committee, she should be castigated for disseminating fabricated propaganda, which not only negates everything that this committee stands for, but also violates the UN Code of Conduct requiring UN mandate holders to rely only on objective and reliable facts and to use credible sources. The Secretary-General recently said that some of the UN special rapporteurs are out of control. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that some of them are controlled and financed by nefarious actors who are ideologically bent on supporting terrorism. And can anyone forget the outrageous falsehood espoused by the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, who in May 2025 claimed that 14,000 babies in Gaza could die within 48 hours if humanitarian aid was not available? Did the Under-Secretary-General have reliable data, cross-checked information, or objective statistical analysis to back up his claim? Or did he deliberately misinterpret an already sketchy IPC report to engineer outrage and hate, exploiting his senior UN position to give his disinformation a veneer of respectability and authority? His later retraction was too little and too late. Such laundering of disinformation has no place in a UN system that should respect truth over lies, veracity over falsehood, and credibility over duplicity. The United Nations Secretary-General paid tribute at a UN memorial ceremony held on 8 June this year to Imad El-Samhouri, an UNRWA school principal, despite him being a commander in the Mohammed al-Shomal Battalion of the Al-Qassam Rafah Brigade of Hamas. as per a Hamas video. No retraction was made, even after these terrorist activities were proven. How can this be acceptable in the UN? Mr. Chair, UNESCO has also been active in proliferating false information, always to the detriment of one member state, Israel. There are also There are all too many examples of condemnations by UNESCO of individuals allegedly killed in Gaza as journalists, regarding whom it subsequently transpires by both Israeli-released information and by means of official Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad announcements that such individuals were operatives of their terrorist organizations. And in all these cases, UNESCO has refused consistently to retract its pernicious and politically motivated accusations. The following are just a few examples. Mohammed Sami Jarjoun. He may very well have been a journalist for Smart Media, but he was also an active member of the Al-Qassam Rafah Brigade, the primary military arm of Hamas. Hamza al-Daghdoogh. Clearly, his work for Al Jazeera did not prevent him from also being a deputy commander in the Zaytun Battalion's rocket array of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. And Mohammed Manhal Abu Armanah, being a journalist for Palestine Now, still left him enough time to carry out his activities as a Hamas Al-Qassam Brigade platoon commander. Can anyone honestly argue in good faith that these terrorists deserve protection just because they were moonlighting as journalists? UNESCO should decide if it wants to carry on being a tool for Hamas propaganda or be a dependable and worthy espouser of reliable and trusty information. And as we discuss in this committee the importance of objective and credible information, let us ponder on an outrageous comment by the Executive Director of UNICEF, who, in response to a question from CBS regarding data quality and methodology regarding deaths in Gaza, replied: To me, it's kind of obscene that we are having these conversations, arguing about whether the methodology works or not. We know children are dying, right? I am tired of a discussion about, well, are we giving the right information or not? So, here we have it. A senior UN official views the expectation for factual accuracy as obscene. As the Department of Global Communications did not comment, my delegation can only wonder whether objection to critical examination of humanitarian reporting is acceptable in general in the United Nations system, or perhaps it is seen as acceptable only when it serves to further an anti-Israeli narrative. Claims that Israel has killed innocent journalists are also made by various NGOs. Such claims are all too often accepted at face value, rehashed in social media, find their way into respectable publications, and from there into UN debates and statements, all without even basic fact-checking and corroboration of sources. One such NGO, the Committee to Protect Journalists, has made many spurious claims, but at least it removed several Palestinians from its list of killed journalists because they were in fact combatants or were not even journalists. However, many remain on its list despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, including martyr glorification posters published by Hamas and Palestinian Jihad. Unfortunately, such unproven and disproven claims are adopted by the press and in social media, and from there to UN documents and statements. It is outrageous, but not surprising, that Hamas lies are accepted ipso facto as the truth by United Nations agencies and senior officials that in other situations are sticklers for accepted norms and standards regarding the importance of credibility, fact-checking, and impartiality. There cannot be one rule in the United Nations for Israel and another rule for all other member states. Critical analysis and professional fact-checking cannot be imperative for UN information policies and activities around the world, but regarded as obscene when relating to Israel's struggle against Hamas terrorism. This is not impartiality and neutrality, and should not be seen in any way as acceptable in the United Nations. For the more the UN promotes the lies of terrorist organizations, the more it itself becomes complicit in the support of terrorism. My delegation thus calls upon the Department of Global Communications to put an end to this ongoing travesty and the continued violations of all that the UN is supposed to stand for. Thank you.


4th Committee · Chair [1:20:57]:

I thank you. I give the floor to Angola.


Angola [1:21:05]:

President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, Angola aligns itself with the statement delivered by Uruguay on behalf of G77 China, and wish to make the following remarks in its national capacity. We thank the Secretary-General for his reports: 81 and commends the Department of Global Communication for its continued efforts to promote the principles of the United Nations Charter, strengthen public understanding of multilateral action, and expand access to reliable information worldwide. Mr. Chair, at a time of geopolitical tensions, persistent conflicts, widening inequalities, and rapid technological transformation, We need to recognize that credible, accessible, and impartial information is essential in building trust, advancing peace, and mobilizing international cooperation. For Angola, effective United Nations communication must be measured not merely by the volume of information disseminated, but by its accessibility, relevance, and tangible contribution to improving people's lives. In this regard, My delegation wishes to highlight five priorities. First, strengthening multilateralism through effective and result-oriented communication. Angola welcomes the Department's efforts, communicates the implementation of the Pact of the Future and the UN80 initiative. Rebuilding confidence in multilateralism requires demonstrating how United Nations action delivers concrete results. particularly for communities affected by conflict, poverty, inequality, and climate change. We encourage the Department to prioritize accessible, evidence-based communication that highlights measurable achievements, strengthens accountability, and brings organizations closer to the people it serves. Second, Bridging the digital divide and ensuring equitable access to information. While acknowledging the expanding global reach of the United Nations Digital Platform, I want to emphasize that the digital expansion must be translated into genuine inclusion. Millions of people, particularly in Africa and other developing regions, remain excluded by limited connectivity, high costs, inadequate infrastructure, and insufficient digital literacy. We therefore call for strength in the cooperation, technology transfer, and capacity building to expand affordable connectivity, improve digital skills, and ensure that women, young people, persons with disability, and rural community are not left behind. United Nations communication strategy must also combine digital innovation with traditional media and community-based outreach to reach underserved population. Third, safeguarding information integrity and combat misinformation and disinformation. Angola welcomes the United Nations Global Principle for Information Integrity. Misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech undermine public confidence, deepen polarization, and can exacerbate instability, particularly in conflict-affected societies. We encourage the Department to strengthen partnerships with Member States, independent media, educational institutions, and civil society to promote media literacy responsible communication, and access to verified information. This effort must remain firmly grounded in international human rights law, including freedom of expression, media independence, and a right to seek, receive, and impart information. Fourth, ensuring responsible and inclusive use of artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence offers significant opportunity to improve multilingual communication, accessibility, translation, and the dissemination of the United Nations information. However, technological advance must not deepen existing disparity between developing and developed countries. Angola, therefore, advocates strong international cooperation in AI capacity building equitable access to emerging technology and inclusive governance consistent with global digital compact. We encourage the Department to promote transparency, human oversight, and safe guard against algorithmic bias in its communication activities. Technological information must serve humanity, bridge inequality, and ensure that no country is left behind. Fifth, strengthening strengthening multilingualism and ensuring base balanced geographical representation. Angola welcomes the Department effort to expand the multilingual communication, including the dissemination of United Nation information in Portuguese. Multilingualism is not merely a technical requirement. It is essential instrument inclusion, equitable participation, respect for cultural diversity. In this context, Angola reiterates its commitment for the effective operationalization of the United Nations Information Center in Luanda, as requested by General Assembly Resolution 64/243, to address the information needs for Portuguese-speaking African countries. We also encourage more balanced coverage of Africa, highlighting the continent's contribution to conflict prevention, mediation, peacebuilding, innovation, and sustainable development. Africa must be recognized not only through its challenges, but equally through its solutions, achievements, and leadership. Mr. President, on December 1, 2026, Angola will commemorate the 50th anniversary of its admission to the United Nations. This historic milestone reflects five decades of commitment to multilateralism, international solidarity, peace, and sustainable development. Drawing on our national experience of peacebuilding, reconciliation, and reconstruction, Angola reaffirmed its conviction that effective communication can strengthen mutual understanding, foster dialogue, and mobilize collective actions. In conclusion, we call for a United Nations communication system that is inclusive, multilingual, technologically accessible, fact-based, and responsive to the realities of all member states. Its success must ultimately be measured not only by the audience it reaches, but by the trust it builds, the understanding it promotes, and the positive action it inspires. Angola remains committed to working constructively with the Department of Global Communication and all Member States toward this objective. Thank you, Mr. President.


4th Committee · Chair [1:28:55]:

I thank you. I give the floor to Paraguay, followed by Tunisia. Paraguay.


Paraguay [1:29:05]:

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I wish to begin by recognizing the work of the Department of Global Communications at the United Nations and of the work of the COI. I recognize their efforts to bring the organization closer to its people and to promote a better understanding of the UN's activities and goals. This year, Paraguay marks 10 years as a member of the Committee on Information. This provides us with an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to objective, impartial, transparent, institutional communication which is accessible to all. With this in mind, my delegation reiterates the importance of the freedom of opinion and of expression, as well as the importance of access to information and media independence and plurality. These are principles enshrined in our national constitution and recognized in Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil Mr. Chairman, Paraguay has closely followed the debates on disinformation and the dissemination of fake or misleading content, particularly in view of the expedited development of new technologies. However, in our view, it is fundamental to ensure that efforts designed to tackle these phenomena are conducted with full respect for the freedom of opinion and expression, avoiding interpretations liable to justify undue restrictions, censorship or the imposition of official narratives. In this connection, we reiterate the importance of ensuring that measures adopted by States are fully in line with their internal legal arsenals and applicable international obligations in the field of human rights, there must always be full respect for the principles of legality, necessity, and proportionality. Moreover, Paraguay believes that UN communications activities must respect the diversity of perspectives, national specificities, and positions expressed by Member States regarding various instruments, international instruments rather, and international commitments. Chair, my delegation reaffirms its commitment to multilingualism and to parity across the six official languages of the United Nations. In our view, it is vital that we continue to reduce linguistic disparities in the dissemination of information. This particularly holds for digital portals, social media, and the organization's press releases. Moreover, we wish to underscore the crucial work done by UN information centres, particularly given their ability to adapt institutional messages to cultural and linguistic realities of various regions across the globe. Paraguay also attaches particular importance to reducing disparities between developed and developing nations when it comes to access to information and ICTs. With this in mind, We encourage greater international cooperation on this front, as well as in terms of capacity building. We must always bear in mind national priorities and needs. Finally, we value efforts underway to streamline the working methods of the Committee on Information, including the transition towards the biennialization of its draft resolutions, this in line with the institutional efficiency goals at the UN. Paraguay is ready to continue contributing constructively to these endeavours in favour of institutional communication which is effective, inclusive, and which fully respects fundamental freedoms. Thank you.


4th Committee · Chair [1:32:46]:

I thank you. I give the floor to Tunisia.


Tunisia [1:32:56]:

Thank you, Chair. I'm taking the floor for the first time before the SPDC. at this session. I wish, therefore, to, on behalf of the Tunisian delegation, express our congratulations to you on chairing the Bureau of this Committee, and we thank you for the wisdom you have shown in steering our work. We wish you and the members of the Bureau every success. I also wish to thank Ms. Melissa Fleming for her sterling work managing the DGC. And once again, we reiterate that we have full trust in her in terms of promoting the Organization's image and in terms of disseminating its noble principles. We align ourselves with the statement made by Uruguay on behalf of G77+China.

Media issues are some of the main factors affecting economic, social, cultural, and economic aspects, and this calls the international community, especially through the United Nations, to attach more attention to it to deal with common challenges. We commend the efforts of the DGC to raise its capabilities as the voice of the United Nations and its main tool to introduce the objectives of the United Nations among all peoples and to disseminate the objectives of the UN Charter to maintain peace and security and sustainable development for all. We also commend the campaigns by the DGC. to raise awareness about the organization, and we encourage increasing awareness of the public regarding conflict prevention, peacebuilding, eradication of poverty, SDGs, fighting terrorism, promoting the culture of peace, rejecting extremism and violence, gender equality, protecting vulnerable communities, and supporting development. in Africa and vulnerable countries and dealing with climate change. Mr. Chair, as we are convinced of the possibility of information technology to spread information, we urge you to bridge the digital gap and to also use the WSIS tool, which we hosted. and to implement the resolution on the general review, to implement the recommendations of this summit. We also want to emphasize the role of the UNICs on introducing the objectives of the organization on the local level, and their capacities need to be built, and we emphasize the role of everyone in this. We also appreciate the work of the Dag Hammarskjöld Library for increasing the access to digital documentation for all Member States. We reaffirm the importance of continuing to support the Special Information Programme on the question of Palestine because of the just nature of this case and to meet the objectives. We commend the Palestine Unit for the annual training program for young journalists, and we encourage them to continue in these initiatives. We also call on protecting journalists, especially during conflicts. Mr. Chair, multilingualism is a main driver for having a multilateral and open regime. Therefore, we emphasize the need to have an integrated policy for multilingualism at the United Nations and to include and to ensure equity in dealing with all six languages for communication, and to have innovative approaches to this regarding financial constraints while maintaining the role of interpreters. We also emphasized the role of the unit working with and empowering youth, and working with universities and colleges to promote mutual understanding and raises awareness on ongoing challenges. We emphasized that the United Nations is the cornerstone of multilateralism for a world with peace and security, and that their voice must remain high to defend our principles and to maintain the future of future generations. Thank you.


4th Committee · Chair [1:37:29]:

Thank you. I give the floor to Senegal.


Senegal [1:37:39]:

Thank you, Chair. My delegation aligns itself with the statement made by the representative of Uruguay on behalf of G77 and China. We wish to make a number of comments in our national capacity. I wish to hail the tireless efforts of the UN Committee on Information and laud the deployment of the full operational arsenal of the DGC, namely the network of UN Information Centres, United Nations Radio, and the UN Web TV website. These are all reliable sources of information on the United Nations. These make a positive contribution to raising awareness of the UN's activities both in New York and on the ground. In this connection, we wish to point out that Senegal has hosted since 1964 a UN Information Center. This center covers six countries in the West African subregion, and as such, we support these tools of information, particularly the Dakar Hub. That hub guarantees the speedy dissemination of up-to-date information for the benefit of public institutions, local media, researchers, civil society, and the public at large. Chair, the current multilateral context gives us every reason to back multilingualism. Indeed, it points to the need to disseminate information in the six working languages of the UN and, if needs be, in several other languages and local dialects. In accordance with resolution A/80/L114 of September 2026, Incidentally, this underscores the need for the full respect of multilingualism in preparing for, holding and following up on multilateral conferences and processes. In accordance with that resolution, we call upon the DGC to guarantee parity across working languages at the UN when documentation is published and during informal work. It's that that will ensure linguistic balance and equality across the six official languages, and will guarantee that all states make the same efforts to ensure mutual understanding. It's also vital that both the Committee and the DGC play a decisive role in promoting the freedom of expression and access to pluralistic information. Consequently, our organization must remain proactive in overcoming the challenges linked to disseminating constructive, comprehensive, reliable, and neutral information in the face of the increasingly concerning malign use of ITCs for the malevolent purposes of misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech. These are phenomena that fan the flames of discord. Chair, at a time when the international community is rallied behind the search for a peaceful solution to the Palestinian question, my delegation wishes to call for the strengthening of the Special Information Programme on the Palestinian Question. This programme remains a vital tool with which to promote a peaceful solution to the issue and a lasting fair peace in the Middle East. Support for independent media, ensuring their access to the OPT and adapting these tools and indeed communication tools and methods to the realities of this crisis are all vital. We welcome the gradual use of digital tools in communication and the dissemination of information. This must go hand in hand with a desire to build a better digital future. here must be based on the following three fronts: 1) interstate cooperation to overcome challenges linked to security and training, and as such seizing opportunities that ICTs offer through the exchange of good practices and sharing of experience. We must also work on developing sustainable and inclusive technologies, ensuring that technological progress benefits both current and future generations. And finally, we must increase investment in ICT infrastructure and increase support to initiatives which encourage the use of ICTs for sustainable development. in domains such as agriculture, e-agriculture, rather, e-health and e-government. In accordance with these goals, Senegal has implemented its technological new deal. The goal here is to modernize our public services, increase digital inclusion, and make the digital arena a lever for growth, both for citizens and our state. Thank you.


4th Committee · Chair [1:42:19]:

I thank you. I give the floor to Myanmar.


Myanmar [1:42:26]:

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, at the outset, allow me to congratulate you and the other members of the Bureau on your election. Myanmar aligns itself with the statements of ASEAN and the Group of 77 and China, respectively. We thank the Department of Global Communications for its continued efforts to promote information integrity, multilingualism, and public access to reliable information. The rapid advancement of digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, has created unprecedented opportunities for connectivity and development. At the same time, the proliferation of misinformation, disinformation, and malicious Use of digital technologies poses serious challenges to peace, security, and human rights. Mr. Chair, Myanmar reaffirms its support for the United Nations Global Principles for Information Integrity and Global Digital Compact. We firmly believe that the freedom of expressions, independent journalism, and access to accurate and reliable information are essential pillars of democratic societies. Against this backdrop, I would like to highlight three key points concerning the situations in Myanmar. First, restrictions on access to information and the humanitarian consequences. Since the illegal military coup in February 2021, the military junta has systematically weaponized information and communication technologies to suppress dissent and restrict access to independent information. Of particular concern is The hunters continue impositions on internet and telecommunications blackouts, especially in conflict-affected areas. These restrictions obstruct humanitarian assistance, disrupt coordination among relief organizations, and deprive affected communities of life-saving information. In areas subjected to area bombardments and other military attacks, civilians are deprived of essential communications channels to seek emergency assistance, warn others of impending dangers, and communicate with their families. Such restrictions further isolate vulnerable communities and undermine efforts to alleviate civilian suffering. Access to reliable information and functioning communication networks is therefore essential not only for the freedom of expression, but also for protecting civilians, protecting civilian lives and facilitating humanitarian assistance. Second, disinformation and restrictions on independent media. Since the unlawful coup in February 2021, the junta has frequently violated the UDHR and the right to freedom of opinion and expression, silencing truth using lethal force. State-controlled media and digital platforms have been exploited to disseminate propaganda, misinformation, and disinformation disinformation while promoting regime's own narratives, justifying military operations and concealing the suffering inflicted upon the civilians. Moreover, independent media outlets have been forcibly closed or driven into exile, with the publishing licenses of at least 18 media agency officially revoked, dozens of newsroom offices raided, website block, and nationwide internet access routinely throttled. Over 200 journalists had been arbitrarily arrested, and at least seven to 11 journalists and media workers have been killed. According to Reporters Without Borders, Myanmar languished near the bottom globally at 166th. Noting that journalism in the country carries profound risks of torture, imprisonment, or murder, Myanmar condemns its strongest terms killing of journalists at anywhere, at any time. At the same time, ordinary citizens are subjected to a stemset digital surveillance and reprisal for expressing their opinions, including on social media, through the weaponizations of vague and restrictive laws. Myanmar recognizes the indispensable role of independent media and journalists in promoting transparency, accountability, and protections of human rights. The rebuilding of public trust, the full enjoyment of freedom of expression, and the Myanmar people's right to access credible and diverse sources of information can only be ensured by ending the military junta and its dictatorship. Third, misuse of digital technologies for cyber-enabled crimes. Another serious concern is the growing misuse of digital technologies for cyber-enabled scams and transnational organized criminal activities. Since the illegal military coup in February 2021, the military junta's dismantling of the rule of law, widespread corruption, and complicity in criminal activities have created conditions for the proliferation of cyber-enabled scams and transnational organized crimes in Myanmar and make Myanmar become an epicenter of transnational organized crime. The online scam operations are taking place in mostly in area controlled by the military junta affiliated border guard forces. These operations involve human trafficking, forced labor, financial fraud, and the expectations of individuals from numerous countries. Such activities inflict immense suffering on victims, undermine public trust in digital technologies, and pose serious threats to regional and international peace and security. Myanmar therefore calls for stronger international cooperation to dismantle these criminal networks, combat cyber-enabled crimes, protect victims, and ensure accountability for those involved. Mr. Chair, the situation in Myanmar demonstrates how information and communication technologies, when misused by those exercising power, can become instruments of repression and exploitations rather than tools for development and human security. Effectively addressing the root causes of these problems is imperative. In Myanmar, the military junta, military dictatorship, and its enjoyment of impunity are the root causes of all sufferings by the people, including online scams and human rights violations. At the same time, we call upon the United Nations and the international community to work together for protections of journalists and independent media, ensuring unhindered access to reliable information, and addressing the misuse of digital technologies for civilians, repressions, and criminal activities. In particular, we emphasize the importance of ensuring safe, reliable, and uninterrupted communication networks. for humanitarian actors and affected civilian populations. In conclusion, Mr. Chair, freedom of expressions and access to reliable information is essential for safety, dignity, and fundamental rights of the people. Despite facing immense challenges, the National Unity Government and allied democratic forces are coordinating through the Steering Council for emergence of a federal democratic union to provide essential services to the civilians and ensure that no one is left behind. In this respect, I ask the international community to support the SCEF and the people of Myanmar in their collective efforts to end the military dictatorship and establish a federal democratic union where freedom of expression, access to information, and fundamental human rights are fully respected. I thank you, Mr. Chair.


4th Committee · Chair [1:50:41]:

I thank you. I give the floor to the next speaker.


Qatar [1:50:46]:

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We would like to thank you for giving us the opportunity to deliver this statement. The State of Qatar aligns itself to the statement delivered on behalf of the G-77 and China. We thank Madam Melissa Fleming, USG for DGC, for her valuable presentation, and we thank the rapporteur of the Committee on Information for presenting the Committee's report on the work of its 48th session. Mr. Chair, access to accurate and reliable information is of critical importance to States, organizations, and individuals, particularly in light of the rapid spread of misinformation and hate speech, as well as the challenges associated with artificial intelligence technology. In this regard, the Department of Global Communications and the Network of United Nations Information Centres play a pivotal role in raising awareness and engaging with partners, thus strengthening the credibility of the United Nations. We emphasize that the effectiveness of this rule requires transparency, objectivity, accuracy, and impartiality while taking multilingualism into account, including the enhancement of content in the Arabic language and all other official languages equally. The State of Qatar recognizes that the Department is carrying out its mandate under increasing financial constraints and within the context of the UNAT initiative. We encourage the implementation of efficiency measures in a manner that preserves the mandates approved by Member States, particularly the network of information centres in developing countries. In this context, we would like to highlight the vital role of the Special Information Programme on the Question of Palestine, which addresses one of the longest-standing issues on the United Nations agenda. Its importance is even greater at the present stage, where we are witnessing efforts to consolidate the ceasefire in Gaza and implement Security Council resolution 2803 and the New York Declaration on the two-state solution. This phase requires an objective and a balanced presentation of information, Mr. Chair. The State of Qatar recalls the New York Declaration on the peaceful settlement on the question of Palestine and the implementation of the two-state solution. This declaration has commitments that are directly relevant to this agenda item. The declaration affirms that independent and responsible journalism is essential for disseminating the truth and promoting accountability and mutual understanding. It calls for ensuring access for international journalists to Gaza, guaranteeing the safety of all journalists, and addressing misinformation, hate speech, and incitement, and combating disinformation campaigns directed against the United Nations and humanitarian workers. The State of Qatar believes that the Department of Global Communications, especially through the Special Information Programme on the question of Palestine, has an important role to play in supporting the implementation of these commitments and in building media narratives that promote peace. In closing, Mr. Chair, the State of Qatar affirms that the historical records preserved in the United Nations Archives constitute the institutional memory of the Organization and a shared heritage of humanity, and their preservation is an urgent necessity. And here, the project of the digitization of the historical records of the UN is important and has achieved notable progress through the joint efforts of the DGACM and DGC. Qatar is proud of its contribution to the last two phases of this project, where it contributed 7.5 million US dollars help facilitate the processing of documents issued since 1945. We renew our commitment to continue supporting this project in its future phases. We further affirm our readiness to continue working with DGC and the Committee on Information to strengthen the message of the United Nations and expand its reach to audiences around the world. I thank.

You.


4th Committee · Chair [1:54:47]:

I thank you.

I give the floor to Libya.


Libya [1:54:54]:

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Allow me at the outset, as I take the floor for the first time in this Esteemed Committee, allow me to congratulate you and the Esteemed Members of the Bureau on your election to chair the Fourth Committee during this session. We are more than confident in your ability to manage our work effectively, and I assure you of my delegation’s full support and constructive cooperation to facilitate the success of our proceedings. We’d also like to thank U.S. Judge Fleming for her briefing, and we have taken note of the reports submitted under this agenda item. My delegation associates itself with the statement delivered by Uruguay on behalf of the G77 and China. I would like to make the following statements in our national capacity. Mr. Chair, Our General Debate today is taking place in a global informational environment that is becoming increasingly fragmented. Challenges are no longer limited to the spread of misinformation. Rather, it has extended to the erosion of the common foundation of the facts where trust among peoples and nations is built. And here the United Nations as a trusted and impartial and accessible source of information has become more important than ever before. And here we commend the efforts of the Department of Global Communications, despite the liquidity challenges and restructuring efforts. We commend the efforts it is making to reach a global audience in multiple languages. However, we stress, as the Committee of Information did in its reports, that efficiency and reform measures, including those related to the UN80 initiative, should not come at the expense of core mandates, foremost among them are multilingualism, inclusivity, and geographical balance. Mr. Chair, my delegation confirms its support for the department's efforts to address misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech. We stress that these efforts must be carried out with complete respect for the freedom of expression and away from selectivity and double standards, and without allowing control of the information space to be concentrated in the hands of a limited number of actors and companies. In this context, the state of Libya has suffered and continues to suffer from systematic disinformation campaigns that aim to strike at its national unity and reconciliation process, that seek to fuel division and conflict. Libya is the subject of distorted narratives on the irregular and the illegitimate migration file that fail to recognize that Libya is a transit country that is bearing a heavy burden in dealing with this cross-border phenomenon. Therefore, we call for UN coverage that is accurate and balanced of this issue, one that is based on facts, that respects national sovereignty, and is in line with Libya's national priorities. Similarly, Libya is also subjected to stereotypes that associate itself, its name, with terrorism, while overlooking the fact that Libyans themselves were among the victims and those who have paid the highest price in the blood of their own people. as they sought to defeat and expel the terrorist organization ISIS from their country to protect their security and the security of the region and the world. In addition, we stress that the United Nations media and communications activities in countries hosting United Nations missions must be conducted in close coordination with the relevant national authorities and in a manner that respects national ownership and builds trust and supports political processes that are led by the people of the country and controlled by them. Mr. Chair, as for artificial intelligence, my delegation recognizes the opportunities AI offers to expand outreach and promote multilingualism in the organization's communications. However, like many delegations, we are concerned that the misuse of AI may undermine the integrity of said information. We thus welcome the Department's adoption of guidelines for the ethical and responsible use of artificial intelligence, and we stress the need to maintain human oversight to ensure the accuracy of AI-generated content in all official languages. At the same time, Libya reiterates that narrowing the digital divide between developed and developing countries remains a prerequisite for the equitable and fair participation in the digital sphere. We call for enhancing international cooperation, technology transfer, and capacity building. Mr. Chair. Multilingualism is a fundamental value of this organization. It is a principle of fairness and equity among Member States and their peoples, not simply a technical issue. Therefore, my delegation calls for full parity among the six official languages in all the products and platforms of the Department, including the Arabic language, which is spoken by hundreds of millions of people throughout the world. We look forward to practical steps to implement the General Assembly's request that the Department explore issuing daily press releases in all six official languages, Because restricting the coverage of meetings to only two languages deprives a broad segment of the public, including Arabic-speaking audiences, deprives them of the ability to follow the work of this organization in their own language. And in the same context, we call the department to expand its partnerships with national media outlets, universities, and civil society organizations, and the youth, who have become the most affected by the digital sphere and perhaps are the most influential actors in it as well, Mr. Chair. Our session today coincides with the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists. We cannot speak about this occasion without addressing the unprecedented tragedy experienced by Palestinian journalists. Israeli occupation forces in the Gaza Strip alone have killed more than 200 journalists and media workers since October 2023. This constitutes the highest toll in modern history of journalism. International media have been denied independent access to the strip, which is an exposed attempt to conceal the truth and to silence witnesses to crimes of genocide, starvation, and displacement. The State of Libya strongly condemns the deliberate targeting of journalists in Gaza and Lebanon by Israeli occupation forces. We affirm that impunity for these crimes will only lead to more of these crimes. We call for holding those responsible accountable. We reject disinformation campaigns that target UNRWA and its staff. A few minutes ago, we heard an exposed attempt, a blatant attempt to turn the perpetrator into a victim by questioning the integrity of the Secretariat and the staff of this organization and international media, and to name all of those who convey the truth on the crimes, to label them as liars or as anti-Semites. This attack on journalists and media outlets has always been a preparation to target them, and covering the crimes of the occupation is not out of hatred, it is a moral duty. The Palestinian people, after almost eight decades of occupation and disapprehension are deprived of their rights, including their inalienable right to self-determination and to establish an independent, sovereign state with al-Quds al-Sharif as its capital. Therefore, conveying their narrative truthfully and accurately is not merely a media option, but it is an ethical and legal responsibility that is incumbent upon this organization. In closing, Mr. Chair, the State of Libya renewed its commitment to working constructively with all delegations and with the Secretariat to strengthen the role of the United Nations as a source of accurate and reliable information in the service of peace and sustainable development and human rights. We firmly believe that truth, when conveyed honestly, is the strongest weapon against hatred and division. We thank you.


4th Committee · Vice-Chair [2:04:28]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Libya for his statement, and I would like now to hand the floor to the distinguished representative of Romania.


Romania [2:04:39]:

Thank you, Madam Vice Chair. Aligning with the EU statement, please allow me to present a few points in my national capacity as Romania. The current global and regional geopolitical context presents a series of serious challenges and risks requiring our urgent attention. We are witnessing an amplification of global crisis and the use of new and powerful technological means, such as social networks and the AI frontier models that represent both an opportunity for increasing outreach, fact checking, and debunking, but also a direct and persistent challenge to democratic societies. and their resilience. This is increasingly affecting also national security, a situation that prompts the concern for finding effective solutions for safeguards and a human-centric approach with greater transparency on algorithms, content moderation, and data protection. One of the most significant lessons learned in the recent years in the context of the major crisis we are witnessing is that the integrity of the information space is a critical dimension of our societal resilience. Meanwhile, foreign information manipulation and interference, misinformation or disinformation, impedes timely humanitarian access and erode trust in the UN missions, in peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts, fuel divisions, and threaten peace, security, democratic institutions, and processes. The success of our response depends on our joint efforts, both at national and international level, involving transversal and multidisciplinary approach, which combines strategic proactive communication, constant provision of information, debunking, with technological solutions, detection, content analysis. that contribute to strengthening of societal resilience, media literacy, supporting independent media against foreign information manipulation and interference, misinformation or disinformation, as well regulatory frameworks, platform regulation, and transparency requirements. Promoting accurate, accessible, verifiable information and constantly engaging in communication activities on the values we stand for and their impact on people's lives are essential tools to building public trust and a powerful antidote to the spread of falsehood and malign interferences. Safeguarding the information space cannot be done without collaborating with civil society and academia, without their active and sustained involvement, both in the research area and for the amplification and dissemination of information, and for the consolidation of an environment of mutual trust between citizens and authorities. Enhancing inter-institutional coordination with an active and clear communication, systematic enforcement of the existing legislative framework, and the collaboration and dialogue with relevant social media platforms, reporting of illegal content and content violating terms and conditions are best practices that Romania can share. In this vein, We fully support the UN Global Principles on Information Integrity, ensuring the organization is increasingly agile and more effective in responding to information threats. The UN must lead by example in upholding information integrity, and its outreach must be inclusive, multilingual, and accessible, acting as a credible, impartial, and reliable source of information. We welcome the Department of Global Communications' continued efforts to make the case for multilateralism, defend the principles of the UN Charter, and explain the importance of international cooperation. Effective UN communications are about demonstrating the relevance of the organization, making its work and impact visible, and building public understanding and trust. Furthermore, we reaffirm the need for DGC to continue its valuable work with a strong mandate that will allow for strategic, proactive communication with a responsible use of emerging technologies, leading to a safe and trustworthy information environment. We look forward to engage constructively in the committee work, striving for consensus in offering strategic guidance to the department. I thank you.


4th Committee · Vice-Chair [2:09:06]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Romania for his statement, and I would like now to hand the floor to the distinguished representative of Pakistan.


Pakistan [2:09:17]:

Madam Chair, allow me to begin by congratulating you and members of the Bureau on your election. You have Pakistan's full support in the discharge of your responsibilities. Special thanks are due to U.S. G. Melissa Fleming for her insightful briefing today. Pakistan aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of Group of 77 and China. We commend the DGC for its continued efforts to promote an open, inclusive, and participatory information ecosystem and appreciate its engagement with member countries. Chair, we meet at a time of profound geopolitical uncertainty, never-ending conflicts, rapid technological transformation, and declining public trust in multilateral institutions. In this environment, information is not merely a means of communication; it is also an instrument of empowerment, accountability, and peace. The United Nations remains an indispensable platform for international cooperation. DGC has thus a vital responsibility to communicate its work clearly and credibly. ensuring effective coverage of the decisions and resolutions of the Security Council and General Assembly, while highlighting their impact and implementation at the same time. Yet, the global information landscape faces mounting challenges of disinformation, misinformation, and hate speech, increasingly weaponized to polarize societies, manipulate public opinion, and undermine trust, these phenomena are particularly dangerous in situations of conflict and foreign occupation. Internet shutdowns, censorship, digital surveillance, and restrictive media laws are employed to suppress legitimate voices, distort realities, and delegitimize struggles for fundamental rights and self-determination. We must intensify collective efforts to combat Islamophobia, racism, xenophobia, and all forms of intolerance, while promoting peaceful coexistence and interfaith and intercultural harmony. Chair, the rapid advancement of AI presents both opportunities and risks. While these technologies can accelerate development and expand access to knowledge, their misuse can facilitate deception, manipulate public opinion, and undermine information integrity. International cooperation is therefore essential to ensure their responsible, transparent, and accountable use. We must also address the growing concentration of influence among multinational technology corporations and digital platforms, whose opaque algorithms and content policies increasingly shape public discourse. Respect for digital sovereignty and the rights of states to regulate their digital environment in accordance with international law and their national frameworks must remain central to our collective approach. In this context, we reiterate the importance of implementing implementing General Assembly resolution 76/227 on Counting Disinformation, which was sponsored by Pakistan, among other States. We support inclusive intergovernmental dialogue to advance information integrity on digital platforms, consistent with international law, including freedom of expression and access to information. Pakistan, at the national level, has constitutionally guaranteed the right of access to information under Article 19A and enacted the Right of Access to Information Act 2017, establishing an independent Pakistan Information Commission to facilitate its implementation. These measures reflect our commitment to transparency, accountability, and informed public participation. Chair, DGC should pursue a sustained strategic communication campaign in collaboration with Member States and through UN Information Centres, leveraging digital platforms, local languages, and innovative partnerships to showcase the tangible contributions of the UN to peace, security, and sustainable development. Multilingualism remains a core element of the UN information system. We urge the DGC to allocate more resources to promote multilingualism in an attempt to reduce the disparity in the use of all official languages. Chair, in the end, Pakistan reaffirms its commitment to the principles of UN Charter, freedom of expression, access to information, media independence and diversity. We stand ready to work constructively with the DGC and all Member States towards a credible, inclusive, and responsible global information environment. I thank you.


4th Committee · Vice-Chair [2:14:27]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Pakistan, and I would like now to hand the floor to the distinguished representative of Burkina Faso. You have the floor.


Burkina Faso [2:14:41]:

Thank you, Madam Chair.

The delegation of Burkina Faso aligns itself with the statement made by Uruguay and the Russian Federation, respectively, on behalf of G77 and China. the Group of Friends in Defence of the UN Charter. I would like to make the following comments in our national capacity. My delegation thanks you for the reports that were presented and applauds the work of the Department of Global Communications. Starting with its creation in 1945, the UN has put at the heart of its policies strategic and sensitive role of information to make it an essential tool in the promotion of peace, in order to favor international cooperation and allow peoples to participate in public affairs. Madam Chair, acceleration of digital transformation and the emergence of new technologies of communication have fostered the development of positive sources of information and communication, but also have increased campaigns of disinformation and manipulation. In other words, the use made of information makes it a very complex tool today with different complex effects. When it's well used, it strengthens social, cultural, and political links. Even better, it creates the conditions for peaceful coexistence among different communities. However, When it is poorly used, information could fuel escalation and violence or even conflicts. Madam Chair, since 2015, Burkina Faso is facing terrorist attacks and is witnessing the proliferation of false information and manipulation of information through several communication channels. This context has shown that it is more necessary than ever to guarantee an information environment based on truth, inclusion, responsibility, and respect for the principles enshrined in the UN Charter. To confront the danger threatening our country and to demonstrate a sense of responsibility in the choice of words expressed through the media has become extremely important. Therefore, in order to frame discourse and opinions conveyed through communication channels, traditional ones, the Higher Council of Communication elaborated in 2023 instruments to regulate information and promote responsibility in the media and among citizens in the context of a security crisis and social tensions. Madam Chair, unlike My country and the entire region of Sahel continues to experience the attempts to use the media to undermine state institutions and sow chaos. Indeed, certain media have become vectors of propaganda for terrorists and have made the populations of the Sahel have caused suffering. These media have clearly opted for the choice of being channels for terrorists, and they often take every opportunity to provide an apology for terrorism through unwarranted narratives and excess. These media paint a chaotic image of the Sahel and the entire AES confederation in order to accentuate the sentiment of terror created by terrorist criminals and their state sponsors. It is therefore with a full knowledge of its responsibilities that the authorities that regulate the media in Burkina Faso, the Republic of Mali, and the Republic of.

Niger have decided to ban the activities of these media in their territories.

Even more, under the enlightened leadership of three heads of state of the three countries, the Alliance of States of the Sahel has developed a television channel and a radio station. These media have disseminated true information, presenting an image of the Sahel that is, of course, experiencing crisis, but also that offers opportunities, that has resources, that is resilient. Burkina Faso applauds the work of the Information Center of the United Nations of Ouagadougou, which is part of a global network of 63 information centers created to bring the UN closer to.

The people.

This center plays an essential role in disseminating credible information, strengthening the professional capacity of the media, raising awareness of the populations about the goals of sustainable development and combating disinformation. It contributes to a better understanding of the action of the UN in the service of peace, security, and development. During 2025-2026, the Center has undertaken various actions, including a campaign against violence against women, digital campaigns targeting youth, and awareness raising on multilateralism, peace, sustainable development, and human rights. We encourage continuation of efforts making contents of the United Nations more accessible, more closer to local realities, and more available in different languages. On this point, we reaffirm the importance of multilingualism, which is a fundamental principle of this organization. Communication that is truly inclusive implies that people should be able to have access to information in the languages that they understand. Madam Chair, Burkina Faso reaffirms its commitment in favor of an international information system that is more balanced, more inclusive. and more representative of the realities of all the regions of the world. We remain convinced that an information that is accessible, credible, and responsible is an essential factor of peace, international cooperation, and sustainable development. Thank you.


4th Committee · Vice-Chair [2:21:09]:

I thank Burkina Faso. I would now like to give the floor to Nepal.


Nepal [2:21:17]:

Thank you, Chair. Nepal aligns itself with the statement delivered by Uruguay on behalf of G77 and China, and wishes to make the following remarks in its national capacity. We thank Under-Secretary-General Melissa Fleming for her briefing and dedicated leadership of the Department of Global Communications. We also appreciate the Secretary-General's report on DGC's activities. Chair, today we live in an increasingly interconnected world where information is available at our fingertips. Yet, facts remain contested, and trust among nations is in short supply. The rapid spread of misinformation, disinformation, hate speech, and technology-generated deepfakes is eroding public trust, weakening social fabric, and undermining the foundations of an informed democratic polity. At this defining moment, the United Nations must remain a credible, impartial, and authoritative forum, anchored in the principles and purposes of its Charter, grounded in evidence, and accessible to all. On this, we underlined the important role of the Committee on Information in reviewing UN's information policies, assessing communication effectiveness, and promoting a new, more just, and effective global information and communication order. For Nepal, as a leading troop and police contributing country to the UN peacekeeping, information integrity remains vital. Malicious narratives targeting UN's blue helmets can undermine local confidence, jeopardize personnel safety, and compromise missions' mandates. We therefore commend the DGC's innovative approaches to extend on peacekeeping communications, including its service and sacrifice campaign. Chair, Nepal is advancing digital transformation through its Digital Nepal Framework and National AI Policy 2025, focusing on inclusive, digital public infrastructure, innovation, good governance, and responsible technological development. The constitution has guaranteed the right to communication and information as fundamental rights to our people. Our Right to Information and Electronic Transaction Act provide important foundations for information access and digital governance. However, mountainous geography, limited digital literacy, cybersecurity risk, and climate-related disruptions continue to constrain equitable access. For developing countries, particularly LDCs and LLDCs, the digital divide remains not merely a technological gap. It is increasingly becoming a development, opportunity, and participation gap. With over 2 billion people still offline globally, closing this disparity through affordable access, enhanced digital literacy, and equitable capacity building is an urgent imperative for achieving the 2030 Agenda. Our collective efforts must focus on making UN communications more people-centered, accessible, and locally relevant. We must move beyond communicating what the United Nations does or decides to demonstrating what multilateralism really delivers for our planet and the people we serve. Strengthening UN information centers, including UNIC Kathmandu, in partnership with local communities, including women and youth, is vital for translating global commitments into local context. Digital innovation must complement, not replace, radio, television, and community media, which remain indispensable in remote and underserved areas. Chair, multilingualism must be strengthened as a measure of inclusion and multilateral cooperation. We reaffirm the importance of enhancing linguistic parity across all six official UN languages, alongside expanded outreach in local languages. Technology-enabled translation under appropriate human oversight, accessible formats, sign language, and audio content can help reach communities historically excluded from global conversations. It is likewise important to strengthen information integrity through prevention, preparedness, and trusted partnerships. Hence, Nepal underscores the imperative of the UN Global Principles for Information Integrity and DGC's Global Initiative for Information Integrity and Climate Change, Verified Initiative, as a vital framework to foster a safer, more inclusive, and responsible digital ecosystem. We encourage the DGC to further expand media literacy partnership, extend rapid response communications, and collaborate with scientific institutions and responsible digital platforms. Combating disinformation must never become a pretext for censorship. Freedom of expression, independent journalism, and the safety of media professionals must remain fundamental safeguards. With 2031st approaching, we should turn SDG communications into a catalyst for accelerated action at country level. We see the value in greater use of localized SDG storytelling, youth-led communication, and evidence-based public engagement. particularly highlighting the vulnerabilities and solutions of LDCs, LLDCs, and climate-vulnerable countries. Going forward, we also underscore reinforcing a more agile, coordinated, and effective DGC. The UN80 initiative offers an opportunity to strengthen system-wide communication, avoid duplication, and leverage digital innovation without compromising core mandates. We urge for tangible communication outcomes, strengthened coordination with resident coordinators and UN country teams, and predictable, sustained resources for strategic communication outreach. In conclusion, Chair, the United Nations must be able to bridge the gap between its promises and the people's expectation by communicating with clarity, listening with openness, and demonstrating impact with credibility. To this end, Nepal remains firmly committed to engaging constructively with all Member States and partners to extend on the Committee on Information and the DGC for a safer, more open, inclusive, and trustworthy information system. I thank you, Chair.


4th Committee · Vice-Chair [2:26:54]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Nepal for his intervention. I would like now to hand the floor to the distinguished representative of Italy.


Italy [2:27:07]:

Thank you, Madam President. Italy aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union and wishes to add a few remarks in its national capacity. We thank the Secretary General for his report, and we commend the Department of Global Communications for its valuable work. In today's increasingly complex international environment, Italy strongly supports the United Nations and the Department's efforts to reach global audiences, build public trust, and demonstrate the continued relevance of multilateral cooperation. In this regard, we particularly value the role of United Nations Information Centres in bringing the Organization close to local communities. As a staunch supporter of multilateralism and host to several United Nations offices and centres, Italy expects that the long-vacant position responsible for covering our country at the United Nations Regional Information Centre in Brussels will soon be filled. Madam President, Italy supports the Department's efforts to implement the United Nations Global Principles on Information Integrity and address growing information threats with a view to fostering secure information ecosystems and building a proactive and resilient response to information manipulation. We also commend the Department's adoptions adoption of guidelines on the ethical and responsible use of artificial intelligence in communications. Italy recognizes AI's potential to drive innovation and inclusive development, including in information, while emphasizing a human-centered approach grounded in transparency, accountability, and human oversight. On the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists today, we also joined the Media Freedom Coalition in reaffirming that threats and attacks against journalists must never be allowed to become normalized. Multilingualism is another essential tool for making the United Nations more inclusive and accessible. Italy was pleased to co-sponsor the resolution 80/310 on multilingualism on September 4, reaffirming our commitment to promoting linguistic diversity at the UN, including beyond the six official languages. In this spirit, on 22 October, the first Day of Italophony, Prima Giornata dell'italofonia, was celebrated at UN Headquarters, filling the ECOSOC chamber with participants, including many enthusiastic young people and students. The event demonstrated how language and culture can bring people together and strengthen their connection with the United Nations. It also reminded us of the importance of engaging younger generations, not only as recipients of information, but as active supporters of multilateralism. Their participation, creativity, and commitment are essential to building a future of peace, sustainable development, and respect for human rights, core objectives of the United Nations enshrined in its Charter and central to our joint communication efforts. I thank you, Madam President.


4th Committee · Vice-Chair [2:30:42]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Italy for his remarks, and I would like now to hand the floor to the distinguished representative of Portugal.


Portugal [2:30:55]:

Thank you, Madam Vice-Chair. Portugal aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union. We commend Under-Secretary-General Melissa Fleming and her team for their dedicated job. The Department of Global Communication plays an essential role in promoting trust in multilateralism, countering disinformation, and also explaining the UN reform, helping the public better understand their objectives and expected impact. Portugal strongly supports the UN Global Principles for Information Integrity and welcomes the Department's efforts to put them into practice, including through initiatives addressing the spread of disinformation and the growing risks posed by artificial intelligence. We encourage continued efforts to promote a reliable and trustworthy information environment. Portugal fostered continued cooperation between the Department, Member States, and civil society to build resilience against misinformation and hate speech, including through media literacy and partnerships with academia. We also commend the Department’s role in providing accurate and timely information in situations of crisis and conflict, thereby contributing to peace, security, and public trust in UN peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts. We all highlight also the value of Model United Nations, recognized by the General Assembly in Resolution 77/336 as a platform that promotes youth engagement, critical thinking, and respect for multilateral dialogue. These initiatives help foster a new generation committed to informed and constructive multilateral engagements. We welcome DGC's responsible use of artificial intelligence, including new tools to improve accessibility, efficiency, and multilingual communication. We particularly commend the introduction of automated captioning and transcripts of UN Web TV, while stressing the importance of human oversight and ethical safeguards. Madam Vice-Chair, as a member of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries, CPLP, Portugal reaffirms that multilingualism is a cornerstone of effective multilateralism. Spoken by approximately 300 million people, Portuguese is an official language in over 30 international organizations. We welcome its inclusion among the nine languages used by the UN flagship social media accounts, as well as the recent introduction of Portuguese language courses, making it the first non-official UN language to be taught at the UN Language Centre. We also encourage continued investment in UN use in Portuguese. As the United Nations advances doing its relevant work, we must ensure that the Organization reaches people across the world, in all languages, through accurate, impartial, and accessible communication. The credibility of multilateralism depends on the integrity of the information that sustains it. Thank you.


4th Committee · Vice-Chair [2:34:17]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Portugal for his statement, and I would like now to hand the floor to the distinguished representative of Haiti.


Haiti [2:34:29]:

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Republic of Haiti wishes at the outset to express our gratitude for the members of the Committee on Information. thank them for the presentation of their detailed report. This document serves to allow us to better understand the state of information, and the COI should be commended for its pursuit of the UN's goals. My delegation also takes note of the Secretary-General's report A/81/341, submitted pursuant to resolution 81/AB of the General Assembly on the activities conducted by the Department of Global Communications between 1 February and 30 June 2026. We also commend the three reports submitted for the Committee's consideration at its 48th session. Madam Chair, Since its inception, the United Nations has striven to promote respect for the fundamental values and principles enshrined in its Charter. The Organization has ceaselessly advocated for multilateral cooperation in this regard. It is in this spirit that my delegation supports the communication activities pursuant to the implementation of the Pact for the Future and the Organization’s reform, namely through initiatives such as UN80. These initiatives aim to make the Organization more effective and better tailored to current global challenges. In this same vein, my delegation encourages the Committee on Information and the DGC to continue their efforts to make more accessible information pertaining to the work of the Organization, namely in the fields of promoting multilateralism and the Organization's reform. My delegation also wishes to commend efforts made by the Department in terms of rallying behind climate action. Today, climate change remains a major challenge for many countries, particularly for vulnerable States, including Haiti. It is against this backdrop that the Haitian Prime Minister, His Excellency Mr. Alix Desiré Fils-Aimé, declared during his statement before the GA General Debate, and here I quote: “For fragile states such as Haiti, the toll of climate change has become unsustainable. It is a deeply rooted injustice that those who have historically made the smallest contribution to climate change are those who pay the highest price for it. End quote. With this in mind, my delegation is of the view that we should further strengthen the UN's initiative for climate action in the Caribbean. Indeed, this region remains particularly exposed to the consequences of climate change. It is consequently important that communication and awareness-raising activities further reflect the realities and concerns of these people. My delegation, moreover, supports efforts within the DGC and efforts within the UN communication system in connection with crises and conflicts. In this context, we wish to see the UN Info team devote more reporting to the situation in Haiti. Madam Chair, in the same vein, we reaffirm our commitment to the Organization’s efforts aiming to promote and defend international peace and security. This through the campaign Hear Us, Act Now for a Peaceful World, launched in 2025. This initiative aims to foster the participation of young people in peace building, namely through projects such as peace circles organized across more than 50 countries. These initiatives emphasize young people's contribution to peacebuilding and conflict resolution processes. Cognizant of the crucial role that young people play in peacebuilding, the Haitian Prime Minister, His Excellency Mr. Alix Fiseme, declared before the United Nations during the High-Level Week of the General Assembly that it was vital to offer young people alternatives, credible alternatives to violence and genuine opportunities so that they don't get taken in by violence. Here, we're delighted to bring the Committee's attention to the various decisions taken by the Haitian Government in the terms of defending peace and security. In this connection, we can here point to the implementation of two specialized judicial units. to bolster the fight against financial crime, mass crimes, and sexual violence. We can point to the entry into force in January 2027 of a new criminal procedure and penal code. We have seen the launch of the Peace Dividends Fund in Haiti and the reactivation of the National Commission for Disarmament and demobilization and reintegration, my delegation wishes to encourage the Organization in one of its communication priorities, namely the promotion of memory and education initiatives. We commend the activities organized to mark the International Day of Commemoration of the Victims of Slavery and the Atlantic Slave Trade. This celebration, this ceremony, is particularly important for Haiti, as we were the first black country to break the chain of slavery, and we were the first to become a free republic throughout the world. Here, historic memory is a crucial component of countries' engagement in education, their rallying behind human dignity, and their fight against any and all forms of discrimination. To conclude, The Republic of Haiti wishes to congratulate the Department on its innovative approaches aiming to provide information, raise awareness, and mobilize the public in general around the priorities of the United Nations. Thank you.


4th Committee · Vice-Chair [2:41:40]:

I wish to thank the delegation of Haiti, and I now wish to give the floor to the representative of Mexico.


Mexico [2:41:51]:

Thank you very much. Mexico is grateful for the presentation of the Secretary-General's report on the activities of the Department for Global Communication. We recognize the work of its staff. In an environment overwhelmed with information and disinformation, the staff keep alive the connection between the United Nations and its peoples, the peoples in whose name the organization was created. My delegation values the fact that the Department has disseminated coherent messages regarding the implementation of UN80. We encourage the Department to continue disseminating timely, transparent information regarding the scope of reforms. This information must be sent to Member States and Secretariat personnel, such as to bolster trust in an organization which can be more effective, coherent, and closer to its people. the dissemination of precise, reliable information on the UN, the problems that it seeks to resolve, and the tangible solutions thereto, is something essential, an essential component of the communication strategy of the DGC. These activities are based on the communication priorities of the Organization. These touch on a wide range of pressing global issues and are in line with the general mission of doing communication work which contributes to achieving a healthy planet in which all people thrive in conditions of peace, dignity, and equality. Multilingualism is an expression of the diversity which has always characterized the United Nations since its very foundation. It is also a prerequisite for the UN's message to reach all of its people. Mexico values the fact that the DGC is incorporating AI tools with human oversight to optimize workflows and to produce multilingual content that is of a high quality. My country encourages this exploration to continue, provided that the editorial quality and cultural sensitivity continue to be guaranteed by specialized personnel. Technology can stand as an ally, but not a substitute for institutional commitment to multilingualism. These innovations must complement other and be complemented by actions focusing on narrowing the digital divide, a divide that remains in our regions, in spite of the fact that the ILO recently reported an increase to the tune of 3% in the global population enjoying internet connectivity. Maintaining traditional media such as radio and television to those who do not yet have internet access is vital because of until we have the conditions which make it possible to reduce the digital divide. The TV and radio helps that. UN Information Centres are crucial, they bring the Organization closer to its people in their context and their language. We underscore the importance of ensuring that the Information Centres have the resources they need. We recognize that their work tangibly illustrates how the local presence of the United Nations builds public trust and contributes to more pluralistic communication, which is better tailored to the socio-cultural context of all regions. Mexico continues to work closely with the UN Information Centre in our country in order to share with the general public, and more specifically with young people interested in multilateral issues, news about our initiatives and the way in which we are working with the UN on issues related to the three pillars of the organization. These are development, peace, and human rights. The integrity of information is a global public good. The deliberate propagation of disinformation, fake news, and hate speech, including through Digital platforms without clear accountability mechanisms erode public trust and undermine social cohesion. Moreover, it weakens collective action. Consequently, Mexico supports the application of the UN Global Principles on Information Integrity and efforts of the DGC to counter disinformation and hate speech. Moreover, we support the launch of thematic reports on publicity, AI, and the global information crises. A multilateralism which is underpinned by true pluralistic, multilingual, accessible information in the service of the purposes and principles of the United Nations will be an effective multilateralism based on diversity, inclusion, equity, and justice. Thank you.


4th Committee · Vice-Chair [2:46:55]:

I would like to thank the distinguished representative of Mexico for his remarks, and I would like now to hand the floor to the distinguished representative of Lebanon for her intervention. Lebanon will be the last speaker for today. Thank you.


Lebanon [2:47:11]:

Madame le Président.

Madam Chair, first of all, we endorse the statement expressed by G77 and China on information issues. Every day, we are bombarded with a flow of information and more and more disinformation, rumors propagated by AI and algorithms specifically designed to disseminate hate speech. Quite simply, we are overwhelmed by fake news, which cause those consuming that news to make mistakes. It's sometimes difficult to draw the line between the true and the false. Being informed is to be protected. Protecting citizens from ignorance and manipulation is an act of protecting journalism from danger. Article 13 of our Constitution guarantees the freedom of expression, the freedom of press, and the freedom of assembly. Our commitment to these principles is not only symbolic. On 11 August 2026, our Parliament adopted a new law on the media after more than six years of discussion. lapse of time demonstrates how sensitive this issue is and how deeply this consensus counts. This is a major step forward. We have others. We've stopped the interim detention for crimes, including erroneous expression online, we have explicit guarantees for editorial independence and a guarantee for increased protection of confidential sources. We also have civic responsibility for these crimes of libel and slander. It's not just criminal responsibility, but our work is not yet over. Our country is quite low down in the Reporters Without Borders classification, but we have risen through the ranks. How we must continue our efforts to move up yet further still. Madam Chair, since the 7th of October 2023, restrictions on journalism have been ratcheted up in our region. These journalists are often targeted when they are quite simply performing their duties. On the 13th of October 2023, Aissa Maddala, a Reuters journalist, was pursued at the border when he was covering a conflict. An independent inquiry concluded that two Israel, there had been a shooting from the north of Israel. Later, three journalists were killed in Jezzine by an Israeli strike, which was targeting their vehicle. On the 22nd of April, Amel Khalid, a journalist that was covering the south and had been since 2006, was killed by an Israeli strike, despite the fact a ceasefire was enforced. At least eight journalists had been killed since the 2nd of March. Lebanon firmly condemns these aforementioned attacks and calls them war crimes, given the direct and deliberate targeting of press teams, the The goal was to hide the truth and prevent the broadcasting of the facts regarding attacks in the South. We recall that journalists are civilians and must be protected as such in accordance with international humanitarian law and pursuant to relevant resolutions of the Security Council, particularly one adopted in 2015. Madam Chair, in a context where information is unfiltered, disinformation is a major challenge, as recalled by the International Organization of Francophonie, In face of the incessant flow of content, we must learn not to believe everything and to reflect twice, to think twice. Against this backdrop, a tripartite partnership agreement between UNESCO, the OIF, and the Lebanese Ministry for Information was signed in 2025 in order to institute tangible initiatives to combat disinformation and hate speech. In Lebanon, initiatives such as SAWAB, a media project for young people supported by the UNDP, trains young journalists, students, and members of media communities in conflict-sensitive journalism and fact-checking. We encourage the United Nations to further support these initiatives. Madam Chair, allow me to tackle something which is at the very heart of the right to information, that is multilingualism. Lebanon, through its history and identity, is a multilingual country. In our schools, our newspapers, our radio stations, and our streets, Arabic, French, and English coexist and are mutually enriching. This reality has taught us that language is the first channel by which we access information. Information that is not understood is, in fact, an information that doesn't exist. It is for this reason Lebanon attaches particular importance to multilingualism within the Organization. Parity across the six official languages is a prerequisite for the transparency of our work and for equality between Member States. We support the DGC in continuing to and strengthening its efforts to ensure that press statements, Audiovisual content, websites, and social media of the organization are disseminated in a balanced way across all six languages. Multilingualism is also a bulwark against disinformation. When a citizen does not find verified sources in his or her languages, he turns towards what is accessible, rumors or non-verified messages. Information education can only succeed if it is circulated in the languages that people speak and understand. Finally, in a region marked by conflicts, accessible information in all languages is a bridge between communities. We underscore the importance, therefore, of training media professionals in linguistic and intercultural skills, particularly in crisis zones where mistranslation can have real consequences. Madam Chair, defending the right to information is to protect those that keep us informed, guaranteeing a legal framework that protects them, helps people to combat disinformation, and helps journalism to make information accessible. Lebanon lives this diversity on a daily basis, will continue to support this work. Thank you.


4th Committee · Vice-Chair [2:53:41]:

I would like to thank the distinguished representative of Lebanon for her remarks. We have heard the last speaker in the general debate for this meeting. The committee will reconvene at 3 PM tomorrow, Tuesday, 3 November, in this conference room to continue the general debate on item 51. Delegations are reminded that the deadline for submission of proposals on comprehensive review of special political missions is tomorrow, Tuesday, 3 November, at 6 PM. The meeting is adjourned.