THE VISIBILITY OF UNESCO IN THE MEMBER STATES

Transcription

1 Conférence générale 30e session Document d information inf Paris 1999 General Conference 30th Session Information document Conferencia General 30 a reunión Documento de información 30 C/INF.9 27 October 1999 Original: French Item 5.4 of the agenda THE VISIBILITY OF UNESCO IN THE MEMBER STATES 1. Following 156 EX/Decision 10.6 inviting its Members to reflect on ways of improving the visibility of UNESCO in its Member States and to convey their suggestions to the Chairperson of the Board, the Executive Board, at its 157th session, held a general debate on the question on the basis of documents 157 EX/40 and Add., which are annexed hereto. 2. The General Conference may perhaps wish to take note of the decision of the Executive Board on this item: The Executive Board, 1. Having examined document 157 EX/40, 2. Referring to document 30 C/6, paragraph 34, Information and dissemination services, 3. Noting the crucial importance of the visibility of UNESCO in its Member States, and especially the role of public information, 4. Invites the Director-General to establish a group of experts, charged with the task of looking into the functioning of the public information of UNESCO in order to assist in the formulation of a comprehensive information strategy in accordance with document 30 C/6, paragraph 34, Information and dissemination services.

2 United Nations Educational, ex Scientific and Cultural Organization Executive Board Hundred and fifty-seventh Session 157 EX/40 PARIS, 2 September 1999 Original: English/French Item 10.4 of the provisional agenda THE VISIBILITY OF UNESCO IN THE MEMBER STATES SUMMARY This document contains, on the one hand, the contributions of Austria, Cameroon, Sweden and the United Kingdom concerning ways of improving the visibility of UNESCO in its Member States and, on the other hand, an overview of activities in the field of public information and preliminary proposals thereon made by the Director-General, in accordance with 156 EX/Decision 10.6, paragraphs 3 and 4. The Executive Board, by 156 EX/Decision 10.6, decided to invite the Members of the Executive Board to reflect on ways of improving the visibility of UNESCO in its Member States and convey their suggestions to the Chairperson of the Board. Four Members of the Board have sent their replies: Cameroon, United Kingdom, Austria and Sweden. Their suggestions are reprinted below. The Executive Board also requested the Director-General to assist it in carrying out an overview of activities and making preliminary proposals in the field of public information. This overview is reproduced in section V. In the combined thematic debate on items 10.2 and 10.6 at the 156th session of the Executive Board a number of representatives of Board Members made comments and suggestions related to the issue of the visibility of UNESCO in its Member States. The Executive Board decided to place this item on the agenda of its 157th session.

3 157 EX/40 - page 2 I. CONTRIBUTION OF THE REPRESENTATIVE OF CAMEROON, DATED 13 JULY 1999 The visibility of UNESCO cannot be reduced solely to a question of media communication. Colleagues on the Executive Board who are communication professionals have already provided interesting ideas on this subject. UNESCO s visibility in everyday life also depends on a variety of social groups attending a UNESCO centre in Member States. If this centre is really to attract visitors and remain in the public eye, a variety of intercultural events should be organized there regularly, publicized by announcements in the media and posters. During the discussion on this topic on 8 June 1999 I therefore put forward an idea which I continue to consider helpful and which I think could be explored. I propose the transformation of the Regional Offices and other field units into UNESCO cultural centres. In addition to their administrative tasks, the field units could set aside part of their activities for the organization of a wide range of cultural events. The day-to-day functioning of such a cultural centre would make an immense contribution to UNESCO s visibility, in the same way as the French, American and German cultural centres, for example, promote the cultures concerned in other countries. A library, an art club, a photographic club, a film club, etc., would attract many young people, especially members of the UNESCO Clubs, while the organization of public lectures and entertainments such as ballets, plays and concerts would be of interest to a much wider public. Real visibility for UNESCO would be achieved more effectively in this way than by the sporadic media promotion of activities organized from Headquarters at Secretariat level. I felt that this solution might inspire the recent debates concerning decentralization. Some colleagues considered that the present Director-General should not have established so many field units. I am among those who consider that UNESCO would gain by being made better known through these units. Its visibility would be considerably strengthened in this way. It would be quite unrealistic to think that UNESCO s visibility depended solely on the provision of information on the activities of the Secretariat in Paris. It is well known that the National Commissions in many Member States hardly function at all. Most of those in the sub-saharan countries have become merged with the activities of the ministerial departments under whose authority they are placed, with the result that their presence is imperceptible. If the field offices are not transformed into UNESCO cultural centres, we could then review the status of the National Commissions: while retaining their administrative links which make them dependent on the government of each Member State, the National Commissions could be seen as cultural centres, both by their material and spatial location and by their activities. Financially, this second option would involve a combination of support from Member States and from the Organization s budget. If we are really to take a new look at things we should not be afraid of disrupting entrenched habits and structures. There is no point in regarding the arrival of the twenty-first century as a time to take stock of the way the Organization works if we do not dare to take action.

4 157 EX/40 - page 3 This is a small contribution to the improvement of the visibility of UNESCO in the Member States. II. CONTRIBUTION OF THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, DATED 26 JULY I would like to make a number of suggestions on how UNESCO might take this matter forward: UNESCO should set up a task force on the reorientation of its public information activities similar to the Malloch Brown task force which is referred to in 156 EX/Decision 10.6; UNESCO should appoint a first-rate director of public information with experience of successfully reforming the information work of a similar institution to UNESCO; All UNESCO activities should be presented for approval together with a plan for ensuring effective public presentation; UNESCO should make enhanced use of the Internet to transmit information to interested parties in Member States; National Commissions should be given an enhanced role in generating greater awareness of UNESCO s work and helped to undertake this task. 2. The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office s Information Department has offered advice and consultancy services to the United Nations Department of Public Information in New York and might be prepared to consider similar assistance to UNESCO. It might be possible to offer a visit to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for the relevant members of UNESCO s Secretariat if this is likely to be helpful. III. CONTRIBUTION OF THE REPRESENTATIVE OF AUSTRIA, DATED 16 AUGUST 1999 I should like to convey to you a number of observations on the part of Austria which may be of assistance in our reflection on ways of improving UNESCO s visibility in its Member States. In our highly media-driven world, in which only the bad news hits the headlines, UNESCO s voice is heard but little. Nevertheless, its field of action is at once far more wideranging and far less easily definable than that of the other organizations within the United Nations system. It is concerned neither by the immediate political implications of problems nor by the specific features of a branch of technology. How, then, is its complex and difficult message to be conveyed to a world audience? The answers can be found only through the joint endavours of the Organization itself and its Member States. In recent years, Austria has redoubled its efforts to give greater publicity to UNESCO s actions. For example, several events linked to the inclusion of Austrian sites on the World (Cultural) Heritage List have aroused considerable interest. I

5 157 EX/40 - page 4 would mention in particular the inclusion of Schönbrunn Palace and the Historic Centre of the City of Salzburg. With regard to the work of UNESCO itself, it is in our view imperative that the Organization should focus on its own specific mission. A dispersal of strength over a multitude of projects and partial initiatives seriously undermines the Organization s credibility. Conversely, if greater efficacy is to be secured, a concentration of efforts is called for with regard to problems that can be solved only at international level. If UNESCO fails to focus upon its key fields, notably education, intercultural dialogue, culture and development, and the role of informatics in communication, its message is in danger of being diluted. In an attempt to do too many things at once, the results that have already been achieved - in particular the Pérez de Cuéllar and Jacques Delors reports of the Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights - are pushed into the background. IV. CONTRIBUTION OF THE REPRESENTATIVE OF SWEDEN, DATED 23 AUGUST Visibility has two sides: positive visibility and negative visibility. Lack of visibility is probably better than negative visibility. 2. UNESCO experienced some negative visibility in the 1970s and 1980s during the struggle around the New Information and Communication Order - which led to the departure of the United States, United Kingdom and Singapore. In the same period the image of UNESCO as a heavy bureaucratic organization with a somewhat imperial Director-General was transmitted all over the world. 3. The problem with the bad images is that they travel rapidly but have a tendency to remain for a long time and are very hard to get rid of. I have a personal experience of that phenomena: when I informed my editor-in-chief that I had been asked to join the Swedish National Commission for UNESCO as a representative for print media, he warned me: Do you really want to join an organization that is against press freedom?. This was in 1990, and the person in question was supposed to be a well-informed professional journalist. 4. Part of UNESCO s problem with its visibility is the fact that the Organization still has to carry a burden of left-over negative visibility from the past. The only way to get rid of that burden is to promote a strong positive visibility - and avoid producing material for new negative publicity. What is needed in order to improve the Organization s positive visibility is a coherent strategy for both internal and external information. 5. Before establishing such a strategy it would be wise to take the following preparatory measures: I. an analysis of the present image of UNESCO in the public mind in different parts of the world (could be done by a questionnaire to National Commissions and field offices); II. a comparative study of how other members of the United Nations family are handling internal and external information (partly done already; see my information document to the 156th session);

6 157 EX/40 - page 5 III. IV. an inventory of earlier discussions and plans within UNESCO on this subject; and an overview of the present state of affairs in this area (requested by 156 EX/Decision 10.6, paras. 3 and 4). 6. The basic rule for all successful communication is that you have something to tell. The challenge in the case of UNESCO is to identify, in the vast area of programmes and activities, what is worth telling the public at large (through news media) and what should be channelled to specific target groups (scientists, teachers, the ASP network, etc.). A tightening of UNESCO s programmes and activities would help that process considerably. 7. The problem of improving the visibility of UNESCO is closely linked to the problem of better focusing on UNESCO s main tasks in the United Nations family. That is why the visibility item should be a vital part of the agenda for the Task Force on UNESCO in the Twenty-first Century. 8. Part of the reason why UNESCO is lagging behind several other United Nations agencies when it comes to information and communication - despite the fact that communication is inscribed in the Constitution - could be the feeling that as an intellectual Organization, with the noble and final goal to create peace in the minds of men, it is kind of unnecessary (perhaps unworthy) to compete in the arena of public attention. If this is the case, it is a severe misinterpretation. The minds of men, women and children are constantly bombarded by images, messages, suggestions, seductions. That is the reality and that is the arena where UNESCO has to compete with its message. That is the challenge. 9. Information and communication can no longer be seen as a support function but as an integral part of the substantive programme. That is the position taken by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr Kofi Annan, and that should be the position among those United Nations agencies who have not already changed their strategy in this respect. That means, in the case of UNESCO, that the head of the information and communication unit should be part of the Director-General s closest team, a highly professional person with a very independent role. Internal information 10. There are two main lines of action: internal information and external information. Internal information has at least three target groups: Headquarters (including Permanent Delegations), Field Offices and the National Commissions. A fourth group could possibly be the NGOs. 11. The main tools for internal information are s and the Internet. But also fax, for those who are not yet connected or who prefer fax. The problem is not the tools but the content. How to make the internal communication relevant, up to date, a two-way function?

7 157 EX/40 - page In fact press releases are at present very much aimed for internal communication, a kind of diary of what is going on and being stated. They could be developed into a daily internal news bulletin, serving Headquarters, field offices and the secretariats of National Commissions. What about the NGOs who want to be on the mailing list? I will come back to press releases. 13. As a complement to this internal daily news bulletin and to the Green Votes, it would be advisable for the new Director-General to communicate with the above-mentioned target groups in a more direct, personal way when he/she has something important to communicate. A Letter from the Director-General (or something similar) would strengthen the we-feeling in the Organization. 14. Besides this internal information network, basically based on news for and within the Organization, there are, of course. the different websites and the transmitting of documents, statistics and other forms of requested information. There, too, UNESCO should be in the forefront of technical development. External/public information 15. External information - or with another wording: public information - has either the public at large as the target, or more specific groups, as scientists, teachers, the ASP network, etc. In the first case news media is the main channel. 16. Many good lessons can be learned from other United Nations agencies and organizations when it comes to the crucial question of how to handle news media, for instance ILO, the World Bank or the Worldwatch Institute. Especially the latter has an amazing impact through the media all over the world, despite a small staff and a tiny budget. Their secrets are the following: be sure you have something important to tell and keep that impression carefully: you are somebody worth listening to; tell your story in a convincing, professional way, with press releases that can be used directly, if wanted; make a list of your contacts within the news media and not only send your material well in advance before publication date, but call them personally to make sure they have received the material and, if possible, can attend the press conference; make a follow-up and study the outcome: who picked up what and how, what made headlines, what failed; who can be added to the list; make your list of contacts an ing list, where those on the list can be reached instantly. 17. Compared with UNESCO it could be said that the Worldwatch Institute has an easier task, focusing on threats to the environment on a global scale. It is not that easy - and they are

8 157 EX/40 - page 7 often communicating quite complicated research findings, not too far from UNESCO s field of competence. The way they are doing it is definitely worth studying. 18. What is especially worth studying in the case of the Worldwatch Institute is the way they are launching their very successful yearbook, State of the World, translated into 27 languages (among them Chinese, Arabic and Japanese). Also other publications by the Worldwatch Institute, their format and the way they are distributed should be looked into: the Worldwatch magazine, Vital Signs, the Worldwatch papers and paperbacks on specific items. 19. Also the way UNDP and UNICEF are launching their yearly reports is very much worth studying. The Human Development Report, for instance, has now acquired a reputation, and is launched in such a way that it makes headlines in the major newspapers as well as in television news magazines and radio news programmes. Quite simply, it is a professional job. UNESCO is publishing a series of very impressive reports: World Education Report, World Science Report, World Communication Report - and now World Culture Report (besides such important special reports as the Pérez de Cuéllar Report and the Delors Report). One sometimes gets the impression that all the energy (and resources) are exhausted when the reports finally are finished and that the crucial publicity part more or less is failing. In my 25 years as the head of a culture department on a big daily newspaper (and personally very much interested in United Nations-related matters), I have never been disturbed by special promotion efforts from UNESCO. 20. Most publicity efforts must be carefully planned. But there is also the skill of catching the moment when it flies by. Just one example of what, among other things, could have been done in the case of the first World Culture Report, as a promotion effort: Shortly after the Report was published one of the contributors, Amantha Sen, received the Nobel Prize in economics. It was a choice with a touch of sensation, looking back on earlier winners in economics. It would have been a golden opportunity to immediately offer - after clearance with the author and the editor of the Report - all the big newspapers around the world the right to reprint one of his two contributions, under the condition that it must be specifically mentioned that this is from the first and just published issue of the World Culture Report. My newspaper did exactly that, because I happened to know and made the connection. 21. It is important to establish a list of contacts within the news media (as the above mentioned examples show) and to maintain and develop these contacts. In some cases the National Commissions and the field offices could perhaps provide Headquarters with suggestions.

9 157 EX/40 - page 8 The crucial factor is: these professionals must find it worthwhile to be in touch with UNESCO. The impression that they are dealing with other professionals, not just PR people, must be maintained. 22. One way to gradually build such a network of UNESCO knowledgeable journalists is to give young journalism students the opportunity to work, for a period of time, with National Commissions and at Headquarters in Paris, in order to get to know one very interesting global organization from the inside. There are very clear indications that such an opportunity would be highly appreciated among those students who perhaps will make a career in the international field. Basic knowledge about UNESCO would hopefully help building such a network. If a number of Member States start such an experiment (which also would help the National Commissions in their information task), that could lead to quite an impressive network in the future. My own efforts in Sweden have so far failed. But I will keep insisting that it should at least be given a try. Special targets 23. UNESCO has already a number of magazines for special audiences and a vast number of newsletters. It would be advisable to have a thorough look into this area, especially the latter one, in order to (a) know what is going on; and (b) try to make a general facelift of the whole operation. It would also be interesting to know who is reading what, and why? Are not some of these newsletters outdated in the era of websites and distribution? 24. Within UNESCO s field of competence there are a great number of special target groups: teachers of different kinds, scientists, librarians, journalists, the ASP network, etc. An interesting task would be to identify as many as possible of these special target groups in order to find out: (a) Are they reached in an effective way directly from UNESCO? (b) Can UNESCO reach them in some cases more effectively through their own channels? and (c) Does UNESCO promote big conferences effectively to these special target groups? How, for instance, was the Conference on World Science promoted among scientists in different Member States? And what is the follow-up at the national level? 25. The NGOs represent a unique network connected to UNESCO. Many have their own bulletins. How to develop information ways to - and from - these special interest groups? National Commissions 26. In the present information and communication activity a major role is assigned to the National Commissions. They are supposed to function as a kind of transmitter between Paris and the Member State audience. As I have pointed out before, this is a role that very few of the National Commissions are equipped for. The strategic link is rather a missing link.

10 157 EX/40 - page 9 This fact must be taken into consideration and the material from Paris, especially that designed for public information, adjusted to the capacity of the National Commissions. In the longer perspective the role of the National Commissions as the transmitters of visibility in the Member States must be improved by way of training, better resources - and perhaps with journalism students or young journalists as temporary trainees. 27. UNESCO already has two or three best-sellers which should be used and developed through the National Commissions in the Member States. The first one is, of course, the World Heritage List, which to the public at large probably is the most visible part of UNESCO. This rich publicity source could be tapped even more, especially if the heritage sites are linked to local schools. The second one is World Book and Copyright Day, which after just a few years has become a real success in many countries. The creativity in the ways books and reading can be promoted is astonishing, and the event gives very good opportunities to link together key target groups such as writers, booksellers, publishers, librarians, teachers and schoolchildren with UNESCO. A list of best practices from different countries should be distributed from Paris in order to encourage those Member States who want to jump on the bandwagon. World Press Freedom Day gets a lot of attention in different parts of the world. In the future it would get even more attention and have even more impact if UNESCO could join forces with professional organizations like the World Association of Newspapers and the International Press Institute. There are other Days which probably could be promoted in a more effective way, especially if more specific groups are the target, for instance Literacy Day, Teachers Day, Environmental Day. 28. The World Book and Copyright Day is an example of a good idea which travels fast and grows into a major event in many countries - and gives a lot of good visibility to UNESCO. Another example of good visibility is the paedophilia conference held in Paris last January. The reason behind the great media coverage is of course the subject and the fact that these problems are very much on the minds of the public at large. The lesson is obvious: the more urgent and to the point a conference theme is, or the topic of a gathering of experts, the easier it is to get media attention. And visibility. How to organize? 29. As has already been indicated (para. 9) the head of the information and communication unit should, in line with the position taken by the United Nations Secretary-General, be part of the Director-General s closest team. He/she should be a highly professional person and have a very independent role, not just being his/her Master s Voice. The chief of the unit should have the overall, coordinating responsibility for all of UNESCO s internal and external communication, in line with a strategy that hopefully will be the final result of the discussions in the Executive Board and at the General Conference.

11 157 EX/40 - page Within the unit certain persons should be responsible for each of the major programme areas in order to be well informed and able to catch what is going on. All information activities, both internal and external, should be covered by the same unit, including audiovisual and radio operations. The unit must have adequate resources, both in staff and budget. An active advisory board on information, consisting of both in-house staff and outside experts, could probably be useful. Finally 31. The views expressed above are based on a mixture of personal experiences, learning from interviewing others in the field, and long-standing observations of UNESCO s performance in the area. The overall purpose is to present some ideas and stimulate discussions. Given the importance of information, both internal and public, the item on the visibility of UNESCO in its Member States should remain on the agenda of the Executive Board. V. CONTRIBUTION OF THE UNESCO SECRETARIAT Introduction This contribution is a response to the request made by the Executive Board in decision 10.6, and makes preliminary proposals which might serve as a basis for the formulation of a coherent public information strategy during the next biennium. Instead of proposing structural and administrative reorganization and resource allocation for this strategy, which may seem premature, this document outlines first thoughts on guidelines for a future communication policy: What basic norms should underly UNESCO s communication policy? What subjects and what information should be communicated? Who should communicate and how? The communication policy of an international organization like UNESCO should be formulated in full agreement with that organization s Member States because the Member States - and, within them, their intellectual, scientific and academic communities and their public opinion - are the recipients of that information and because States can also be important actors, in particular through their National Commissions. That is why the initiative taken by Sweden, which gives the Executive Board the opportunity to discuss this issue, is important and opens up promising prospects.

12 157 EX/40 - page 11 DRAFT COMMUNICATION POLICY BASIC NORMS 1. Communication missions 1.1 UNESCO has a policy and duty to communicate with its key institutional partners and the public at large. It is incumbent on all members of the Secretariat to be aware of, and to actively fulfil, their responsibilities in this regard. The Organization s duty to communicate is established in virtue of the following principles: All public institutions have the duty to ensure the transparency and accountability of their operations. Everyone has the right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas (Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights). The promotion and protection of this universal right (usually called freedom of information law/act under most domestic legislation), and in particular press freedom, is central to UNESCO s mandate. The Constitution of UNESCO specifies that communication is a purpose and function of the Organization. It stipulates, among other things, that the Organization will collaborate in the work of advancing the mutual knowledge and understanding of peoples, through all means of mass communication UNESCO views effective communication as a vital element for developing and maintaining good relations with its Member States, for creating conditions for informed and coherent policy-making by Member States and their representatives, in particular within the Organization s governing bodies, and for securing their continued political and financial support in the future. 1.3 UNESCO views effective communication as a means of warranting public participation in its programmes and activities. An informed public is more likely to express views and proposals and to lobby through advocacy groups on issues it deems important. 1.4 Effective communication is also required for reaching potential and emerging financial contributors with a view to expanding and multiplying the Organization s extrabudgetary and private sector funding sources. 2. Communication function 2.1 The Organization s communication function is the sum total of processes that it uses to provide the public with information on its policies, budget, programmes, projects, services and activities. These processes are interlinked and interdependent. The overall effectiveness of the Organization s communication function depends on a clear understanding of the role and objectives, and efficient management, of individual communication processes (see Part II). 2.2 The Organization s communication function is fundamental for the achievement of its goals and is thus subject to appropriate planning, management, coordination and operation norms and procedures.

13 157 EX/40 - page External communication norms 3.1 The information supplied by the Organization to the public and the media should be accurate, up to date, complete, objective and relevant. The information should correctly reflect the policies of the Organization, as they are presented in the Medium-Term Strategy, and be consistent with the decisions and resolutions adopted by the governing bodies. 3.2 The Organization s communication efforts should primarily be focused on its key activities, in particular those where the Organization s expertise, effectiveness and competence can be, or have been, demonstrated. Information on activities should consist mainly of facts and data. 3.3 Individual opinions are to be communicated through appropriate means and only if prior authorization is sought and granted. 3.4 Issues to be communicated to the public are to be carefully selected and critical issues to communicate as a matter of priority should be clearly indicated. For maximum impact, these issues should be appraised individually and clear and forceful messages on each should be communicated effectively through suitable channels. Each message should target a clearly identified group and be developed in such ways as to correspond to the concerns, demand and culture of that group (see Part II). 3.5 All communication efforts should present a consistent and unified image of the Organization. The Organization should ensure that messages on its institutional identity are coherent and convey clear definitions of the Organization, its mandate, role and universality. They should also convey a sense of the Organization s leadership in its fields of competence. 4. Public information products 4.1 Real public demand should be assessed and taken into account in the development of public information products and services. Products should be made and delivered in a userfriendly way. 4.2 All public information materials and services should be developed and distributed on the basis of clear criteria and serve to achieve clearly defined communication objectives. A specific target group and a clear purpose should be identified for each product that is generated. The production of public information products for an internal audience should be avoided. 4.3 The Organization is to ensure that the production of materials and distribution of public information materials is carried out with full regard to cost-efficiency. In order to ensure optimum use of existing resources and to avoid duplication, overlaps and waste, all communication activities and public information production and distribution plans should be coordinated. 4.4 All public information material produced by the Organization should feature the Organization s logo, a reference or catalogue number, a date of publication and information on where to obtain further information. All public information material should be subject to editorial checks and other required types of quality control.

14 157 EX/40 - page All public information materials produced by the Organization should feature in a regularly updated list/index. This list/index is to be made available in print and on the Organization s website. 5. Documentation and distribution service 5.1 The public should have easy access to one central documentation service. The service should reply to public inquiries promptly and respectfully. The service should note each request for information and compile these requests in a list that can be used for evaluation and measurement of public demand. The generated conclusions should serve as one of the principal factors in decisions to be made on the quantity and languages of production. 6. UNESCO on the Internet The World Wide Web provides a forum for promoting and reinforcing UNESCO s activities, as well as a dramatically cost-effective means to disseminate public information. With more than 30,000 total pages on-line and over one million pages consulted per month on average in 1999, the Internet has become the predominant information medium for interaction between the general public and the Organization. The use of experienced UNESCO public information editors to help oversee and upgrade quality control is a positive step. Further effort must also focus on building a more multilingual UNESCO website. In accordance with policies adopted by the United Nations Secretariat and the majority of members of the Joint United Nations Information Committee, an editorial coordination mechanism under the overall authority of each institution s communication structure must also be put in place in order to ensure a coherent image of UNESCO on the World Wide Web. 7. Preliminary recommendations In order to enhance the effective implementation of the above policies and principles, the Organization should: establish administrative processes and procedures and define and assign roles and responsibilities of individuals and relevant offices/departments within the secretariat; draw up communication strategy plans every six years to coincide with the C/4 document; draft an annual communication work plan that assembles and coordinates all of the Organization s public information and communication work plans; allow a degree of flexibility in the work plans so as to ensure flexibility in use of resources and capacity to quickly adjust to the fluctuations in world affairs, and changing market conditions, in particular changes in public demand.

15 157 EX/40 - page UNESCO s mission WHAT SHOULD UNESCO COMMUNICATE? The Organization s founders created UNESCO for the purpose of advancing, through the educational and scientific and cultural relations of the peoples of the world, the objectives of international peace and of the common welfare of mankind... and affirmed that a peace based exclusively upon the political and economic arrangements of governments would not be a peace which could secure the unanimous, lasting and sincere support of the peoples of the world, and that the peace must therefore be founded, if it is not to fail, upon the intellectual and moral solidarity of mankind (UNESCO s Constitution). To realize its mission, the Organization was mandated to: collaborate in the work of advancing the mutual knowledge and understanding of peoples; give fresh impulse to popular education and to the spread of culture; maintain, increase and diffuse knowledge. 2. How is UNESCO currently implementing its mandate? The Organization is at the heart of numerous networks that it has created in the last five decades in order to provide the intellectual communities of its Member States with the means and modes of cooperation. Today, the Organization serves as a forum where ideas and knowledge are presented, debated and exchanged. UNESCO s action can be summarized as follows: reflection on such issues as the type of education, culture and communication needed in coming years; advancing, sharing and transferring knowledge through research and training; standard-setting through drafting, revising and enforcing international norms and rules; providing technical expertise in the field of development to Member States; exchange of specialized information. 3. What institutional image should the Organization seek to promote? UNESCO should seek to promote its utility through its communication activities. UNESCO can be said to be useful because it helps the citizens of the world to improve their standards of living, individually and collectively, by advancing and sharing knowledge, establishing and exchanging ethical standards. Today the Organization s utility is evident in its efforts to measure and denounce the growing gap between economic, cultural, scientific and educational capacities available worldwide and the individual and collective use of those capacities.

16 157 EX/40 - page 15 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Three categories of actors should communicate on UNESCO: 1. The Secretariat (Headquarters and field offices); 2. Key stakeholders: National Commissions; 3. Key institutional partners such as UNESCO Clubs, Associated Schools, UNESCO Chairs, affiliated non-governmental organizations, affiliated intergovernmental organizations, or implementing partners. 1. Secretariat The Secretariat is the principal source of communication and producer of public information materials on UNESCO. All members of the Secretariat are accountable to the Director-General, Member States and the public and responsible for responding to demands for information accurately, promptly and courteously. Communication between the Secretariat and the public can be both formal and informal. Each member of the Secretariat is responsible for the content and quality of messages on the Organization that he or she officially delivers to the public. The basic norms listed in Part I of this document apply to all communication activities carried out by members of the Secretariat. All members of the Secretariat have a duty to: immediately bring to the attention of the Office of Public Information all specific inquiries, or requests for interviews, by representatives of the media; obtain prior authorization from the Director-General for publishing their views or speaking on behalf of the Organization to representatives of the media, in accordance with UNESCO Manual Articles on Public Information Relationships, under Chapter 21 entitled Duties and Responsibilities of Staff ; inform the Office of Public Information of upcoming UNESCO meetings, development and evolution of projects and programmes for which they are responsible; keep complete records on meetings, projects and programmes for which they are responsible and regularly inform their superiors and other relevant parts of the Secretariat thereon; be prepared to reply to inquiries thereon when called upon to do so by the Director- General, their immediate superiors or the Office of Public Information; ensure that at least one other member of the Secretariat has access to records on the same projects and programmes so that the free flow of information can be ensured during periods of official travel and absence; communicate with due respect to the Organization, its Constitution, universal mandate, Director-General and staff;

17 157 EX/40 - page 16 communicate with due respect to the public, avoid all forms of favouritism, discrimination or stereotyping on such grounds as sex, race, religion, nationality, ethnic origin or disability. 1.1 The Director-General The Director-General is the highest official of UNESCO. He or she is elected by the Organization s Member States to implement policies and programmes adopted by them. He or she is accountable to Member States for ensuring effective communication on the Organization s activities. The Director-General is the primary and only official spokesperson of UNESCO. He or she alone can delegate that authority to other officials of the Organization. The Director-General has overall authority and responsibility for communicating on the Organization. He or she establishes priorities for communication, defines the roles and responsibilities of staff and determines procedures for the attainment of communication objectives. The Director-General ensures that communication activities are developed and carried out in a coordinated manner. 1.2 Assistant Directors-General, Directors of UNESCO Specialized Institutes and Commissions UNESCO Assistant Directors-General, Directors of UNESCO Specialized Institutes (such as IIEP-Paris, UIE-Hamburg, IBE-Geneva) and the Directors of UNESCO-established Commissions (IOC, etc.) are accountable to the Director-General for developing coherent communication strategies for their respective programmes and devoting the required human and capital resources for implementing communication activities. They can be assisted in this task by the Office of Public Information. They have the duty of ensuring that their staff members communicate effectively and accurately on programmes and activities that fall within their mandate. They have the responsibility to inform, review and coordinate with the Office of Public Information all their communication plans, activities and objectives. They have the authority to nominate a communication specialist within their programme sector, institute or commission for this purpose, in close coordination with the Office of Public Information. UNESCO Assistant Directors-General, Directors of UNESCO Specialized Institutes and the Directors of UNESCO-established Commissions have the duty to act as spokespersons if so requested by the Director-General. 1.3 Programme Directors Individual Programme Directors are accountable to the Director-General and their respective Assistant Directors-General, Directors of UNESCO Specialized Institutes or the Directors of UNESCO-established Commissions for the communication component of their policy and programme responsibilities. They are responsible for making available information on their activities for further communication thereon by the Office of Public Information, for assessing the information needs of their key institutional partners/constituencies.

18 157 EX/40 - page 17 They have the duty to act as spokespersons whenever so called upon by their direct superiors or the Director-General. 1.4 Directors of field offices Directors of field offices are accountable to the Director-General for the communication component of their national or regional programme and operation responsibilities. They are responsible for providing accurate information on their fields of responsibility to the public. They have the duty to develop a communication strategy and coordinate tasks in this regard with National Commissions to UNESCO in their duty station. They are to act as spokespersons upon request by the Director-General. 1.5 The Director of the Office of Public Information (OPI) The Director of the Office of Public Information is accountable to the Director-General for the development and implementation of a coherent overall communication strategy for UNESCO. The mandate of the Director of OPI is to plan, coordinate and support the Organization s overall communication activities, and to work towards the achievement of specific communication objectives established by the Director-General and Member States. The responsibilities of the Director of OPI include: providing advice and support to the development and implementation of the communication and advocacy activities of the Director-General and his Executive Office; providing advice and assistance to the communication and advocacy activities of the programme sectors; communicating UNESCO s activities, programmes and policies to the public; managing all communication with the media; providing information on UNESCO s activities, programmes and policies, and replying to inquiries by representatives of the mass media; developing and implementing advocacy campaigns/activities on themes selected by the Director-General, the governing bodies and on the occasion of international days/international years and other such activities; providing the Organization with the skills required for effective communication, in particular training for potential spokespersons/communication agents at all levels; providing the Organization with tools required for effective management of crisis through communication, in particular by promptly providing advice and developing a press line to be supplied to all potential spokespersons/communication agents. 2. Key stakeholders: National Commissions The second source of communication and public information on UNESCO are the Member States, and more specifically their established National Commissions for UNESCO. The communication activities of National Commissions are one of their main functions and

19 157 EX/40 - page 18 limited to national territories. They usually inform a domestic public and representatives of domestic media of general and key activities of the Organization, and more specifically of UNESCO-related events taking place within the country. UNESCO does not interfere with decisions by Member States on communication on UNESCO and its activities, or the production and dissemination of public information materials on UNESCO and its activities. These matters fall within the domestic jurisdiction of each Member State. UNESCO is responsible for facilitating and providing advice and support to the communication activities of National Commissions for UNESCO or other designated or relevant State organs. The UNESCO Manual contains several other provisions on the duties of the Secretariat towards National Commissions. Most notably, acceptance of requests for the use of UNESCO s logo, patronage or other forms of sponsorship is subject to clear guidelines established by the Executive Board. These stipulate, inter alia, that UNESCO must seek the views of the concerned National Commission when it receives a request for sponsorship from a national of the Member State and prior to granting permission for the use of its logo. 3. Key institutional partners UNESCO Clubs, Associated Schools, UNESCO Chairs, affiliated non-governmental organizations, affiliated intergovernmental organizations, and implementing partners can also carry out some communication activities on, or on behalf of, the Organization. Usually such activities are not official functions of institutional partners. They are subject to prior approval and led on the basis of relationship guidelines, memoranda of cooperation or other forms of agreement signed between UNESCO and the concerned partner.

20 United Nations Educational, ex Scientific and Cultural Organization Executive Board Hundred and fifty-seventh Session 157 EX/40 Add. PARIS, 5 October 1999 Original: French Item 10.4 of the provisional agenda THE VISIBILITY OF UNESCO IN THE MEMBER STATES SUMMARY This document provides information to supplement document 157 EX/40. The Director-General is hereby responding to the wish expressed by Members of the Executive Board to have as comprehensive an overview as possible of Secretariat activities in the field of public information during the biennium. This contribution focuses on the work of the Office of Public Information (OPI) and adds to the draft communication policy proposed by the Secretariat in Chapter V of document 157 EX/40.

21 OVERVIEW OF PUBLIC INFORMATION ACTIVITIES DURING THE BIENNIUM ( ) 157 EX/40 Add. I. PRESS DIVISION (OPI/PSS) The Press Division of OPI mobilized almost 3,000 journalists for events organized by UNESCO during the period from January 1998 to September According to the media strategy established for each event or activity, different modes of communication were selected to give the highest profile possible. For particularly important events, press kits are prepared (graphic design, drafting and production) and distributed very widely to the press. The computerized press files used by the service mean that this distribution, at the local and global levels, is targeted accurately. The journalists are then invited, especially by electronic means, to cover the activity and a systematic telephone follow-up is carried out by our press officers. In this way, OPI has managed to secure the presence of many journalists at press conferences and other events in the difficult Paris market where they are in constant demand. This is also true of UNESCO s major world conferences, for which record numbers of journalists have been accredited. The results are reflected in monthly and specialist press reviews (see list in annex). Among the events that have been particularly well covered by the press are: the World Conference on Science in Budapest, with 244 accredited journalists; the Intergovernmental Conference on Cultural Policies for Development in Stockholm, with 210 accredited journalists; the World Conference on Higher Education in Paris (211 accredited journalists); the award ceremony for the UNESCO-Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize in Bogotá and the celebration at Headquarters of the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (206 journalists accredited for each event). The great interest shown by all the media in the meeting on Sexual Abuse of Children, Child Pornography and Paedophilia on the Internet deserves emphasis, as the synergy of efforts on the part of the Communication Sector and OPI produced outstanding results in terms of media impact. The Press Service also ensured media coverage of the World Science Report, World Education Report and World Culture Report. As part of the follow-up to the Intergovernmental Conference on Cultural Policies for Development, its final report was distributed extensively to the press worldwide. UNESCOPRESS produced and disseminated 282 press releases in English and French in 1998 and 200 in 1999 (as at 28 September). The list of OPI events and products is appended. The OPI Internet site (OPIWEB) The website of the Office of Public Information (OPIWEB) features some 300 documents: UNESCOPRESS news releases, press kits, press photographs and the monthly events calendar for journalists. All the pages are available in at least two languages (English and French).