| Date | 17 December 1996 |
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Mr. Ferrarin (Italy)
I have the honour to introduce the draft resolution contained in document A/51/L.60 on agenda item 164, entitled "Proclamation of 21 November as World Television Day". This draft resolution has been sponsored by a very large number of countries. In addition to the 128 sponsors already appearing in document A/51/L.60, the draft resolution has also been sponsored by Armenia, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, China, Croatia, Dominica, Ghana, Maldives, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Tajikistan, the United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Zambia and Zimbabwe, thus bringing the total number of sponsors to 147. I would like to express Italy's deep appreciation to all these delegations for their valuable support.
Three weeks ago, on 21 and 22 November, the first World Television Forum was held at the United Nations, jointly organized by the United Nations Department of Public Information, Italian State Television and the Italian Government, and financed entirely by Italy. For the first time in the life of this Organization, leading media personalities of both the public and the private sectors met under the auspices of the United Nations to discuss the growing significance of television in today's changing world and to consider how they might enhance their future cooperation. In the Final Declaration of the World Television Forum, the event was regarded as historic. And it was indeed a historic gathering, since it was attended by more than 140 representatives of broadcasters from more than 50 nations.
We think that by organizing and financing the meeting, Italy has made a significant contribution to establishing a very useful link between the United Nations system and broadcasters all over the world. Now it is important not to lose momentum and to build on this achievement.
The participants in the Forum supported the idea of establishing an annual World Television Day, to be celebrated each 21 November, which would be marked by global exchanges of television programmes focusing particularly on such issues as peace and security, economic and social development and the enhancement of cultural exchange. This special day would be closely linked to the organization of future sessions of the World Television Forum, since the latter would be held simultaneously with the Television Day, thereby greatly enhancing the general visibility of the Forum. Let me indicate here that Italy and other countries are considering organizing a second Forum of the same kind as early as next fall.
Responding to this appeal, Italy decided to submit a draft resolution. In our view, the holding of the Forum and the proclamation of 21 November as world Television Day are the first steps towards the establishment of a permanent forum of discussion, under the auspices of the United Nations, on issues related to the growing importance of television on the eve of a new century. Let me specify here that the word television, in this very broad context, is a reference not merely to television today, but rather to what its role will be in the future as a powerful instrument of information, individual and global communication, and cultural and social exchange, for all countries and all individuals in the world.
The draft resolution on which the Assembly is about to take action has received strong and wide support from Member States. As I have already indicated, it has been sponsored by 147 countries, a number which represents more than three-quarters of the entire membership. This is a clear demonstration of the importance that Member States attach to this initiative, as well as of the interest the World Television Forum has raised among them.
For all those reasons, we hope that the draft resolution can be adopted by consensus.
Mr. Legal (France)
The delegation of France wishes to join the delegation of Italy in recommending to members the adoption of draft resolution A/51/L.60.
The decision that one day of the year should be World Television Day would mark the anniversary of the important Forum which was held on 21 and 22 November on the initiative of the Government of Italy. Some might think that this is just one more commemorative day amongst others; some might think there are too many of them. But that is not the view of my delegation.
The initiative taken on 21 and 22 November opens a door for cooperation which should be explored. It is important to continue the exchanges that were begun on 21 and 22 November. It is important to do so for two reasons: first, for the United Nations, because the Organizations needs to be better known through the exceptional medium of television; and secondly for world television itself. It is useful to open up to more multilateral questions and to cooperate on the basis of equality rejecting unilateral domination and unbalanced messages.
Cooperation between television and the United Nations should serve both television and the United Nations. This is why I keenly endorse the statement just made by the representative of Italy and why I hope that the text can be adopted.
The Acting President
We have heard the last speaker in the debate on this item.
We shall now proceed to consider draft resolution A/51/L.60. I shall now call on those representatives who wish to explain their votes before the voting. May I remind delegations that explanations of vote are limited to 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats.
Ms. Chambers (United States)
My delegation will abstain on draft resolution A/51/L.60 proclaiming 21 November as World Television Day. This proclamation is a doubtful expenditure of time and energy at best. Other General Assembly resolutions already address the substantive issues surrounding the communication of United Nations activities and there is certainly no shortage of mandates detailing how and what information on programmes and policies should be disseminated.
And surely, if we are to recognize the global importance of television, how can we ignore the medium's raison d'etre and central value: facilitating the free and uncensored flow of information and ideas to ordinary people around the world. A commemorative day that does not have this concept as an organizing principle runs the risk of providing legitimacy for those who would misuse television as a tool of repression and control.
Finally, I would also note that this draft resolution has not been considered according to usual procedure, a process that would have allowed a full discussion and airing of these types of issues and that most likely would have led to the realization that this draft resolution is unneeded and unnecessary.
I urge others to join us in showing their non-support for this draft resolution.
Mr. Zaagman (Netherlands)
Shortly we will be voting on draft resolution A/51/L.60, by which the General Assembly would proclaim 21 November as World Television Day, commemorating the date on which the first World Television Forum was held.
While the Netherlands considered the Forum to have been an interesting and indeed useful meeting, we are of the opinion that the draft resolution before us today is not a good proposition. We have the following reasons for this view.
While over the past few years delegations have been trying to rationalize the proceedings of the United Nations and do away with less important resolutions, the submission of the present draft resolution goes in exactly the opposite direction. The draft resolution does not address an issue which is important enough to be discussed by the General Assembly. At a time when the United Nations is debating issues like Bosnia and Zaire, it adds another so-called special day to a seemingly endless list of days which are mostly of questionable use.
Furthermore, operative paragraph 2 of the draft resolution could be considered as requesting Member Governments to influence the contents of television programmes. This is against our basic values and convictions. Governments should not have that right.
For these reasons, the Netherlands will not support the present draft resolution and will abstain in the vote.
Mr. Henze (Germany)
We welcomed the World Television Forum, which was attended, along with other people, by high-level representatives of German television. It was a useful event. However, we have problems with the draft resolution before us for three reasons.
First, there are already three United Nations days encompassing similar subjects: World Press Freedom Day; World Telecommunication Day; and World Development Information Day. To add another day does not make much sense. Indeed, as has rightly been pointed out by the representative of the United States and the Netherlands, it runs counter to the efforts of a great majority of Member States to streamline the agenda of the General Assembly and reduce the number of items.
Secondly, as we all know, television is only one means of information and an information medium to which a considerable majority of the world population has no access: the poor majority of the world population, whose needs and problems Ambassador Somavía of Chile so eloquently described and deplored when he introduced draft resolution A/51/L.55 on the implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development. That vast majority could easily look at World Television Day as a rich man's day. They do not have access to television. There are more important information media and here I would mention radio in particular. We think it is more important to enhance the role of those media than that of television.
Thirdly, operative paragraph 2 of the draft resolution, as has been pointed out by the representative of the Netherlands, is ambiguous at the least and gives rise to concern that it could have negative implications for freedom of the press. Freedom of the press is a fundamental principle of the German Constitution. We cannot accept any language which would cast a shadow of doubt on that principle.
The Acting President
We have heard the last speaker in explanation of vote before the voting.
The Assembly will now take a decision on draft resolution A/51/L.60.
| favour |
| against |
| abstain |
| absent |
Draft resolution A/51/L.60 was adopted by 141 votes to none, with 11 abstentions (resolution 51/205).
favour=141 against=0 abstain=11 absent=33
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe
The Acting President
I shall now call on the representative of Cuba, who wishes to make a statement in explanation of vote. May I remind delegations that explanations of vote are limited to 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats.
Ms. Cueto Milián (Cuba)
The delegation of Cuba voted in favour of the draft resolution introduced by the delegation of Italy since it considers that there is true merit in its underlying spirit. In the view of the delegation of Cuba, the proclamation of World Television Day could and should serve, above all, to promote relations of friendship, respect and cooperation among all States and nations of the world and to promote the economic and social development of peoples. Our delegation is sympathetic with the aim of the Italian proposal. However, we believe that the substance of the draft resolution does not reflect certain principles of information and of freedom of press and expression.
We think that the proclamation of World Television Day should also serve as a point of departure and a time of reflection, above all, on those peoples and nations that do not even know what television is, on those peoples that do not have access to a well-balanced flow of information and on those peoples subjected to television signals intended to undermine their territorial integrity, sovereignty and freely chosen political and social system, which are broadcast in violation of the most basic norms of international telecommunications treaties.
Thus, the delegation of Cuba reiterates that its vote in favour of the draft resolution introduced by Italy implies, above all, the confidence that World Television Day will stimulate reflection on and promotion of the fact that television should always be to the benefit of the oppressed and the needy, and not the wealthy and powerful nations.
The Acting President
We have heard the only speaker in explanation of vote.
May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 164?
