Statement by Minister OSHIMA Masaru, Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, at the 45th Session of the Committee on Information
2023/4/25
(As delivered)
Mr. Chair,
Allow me to start by congratulating you, Ambassador Mohammad Aamir Khan of Pakistan, on assuming Chairmanship for the Committee on Information. Let me also express our deep gratitude to you, Ambassador Cristian Espinosa of Ecuador, for steering the work of this Committee for the past two years and of course to Ms. Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary-General for the Department of Global Communications, for your informative briefing.
Mr. Chair,
COVID-19 has been an eye-opening experience, highlighting the vulnerabilities within our multilateral system. Notably, we have witnessed misinformation and disinformation spread into an “infodemic,” disrupting trust in public institutions and causing harm both online and off. From climate change denial to information warfare in Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the world needs a reliable and unbiased platform they can turn to in order to receive news.
Amidst this uncertainty, Japan commends the Department of Global Communications for leading the way with their UN Global Communications Strategy, which continues to be reshaped and updated in response to lessons learned. We also applaud last month’s briefing on the Code of Conduct, and look forward to receiving the Department’s recommendations.
Allow me to touch upon a few additional points.
First, Japan supports the Department in all its efforts to curtail the ongoing infodemic, especially through initiatives such as Pledge to Pause. Fake information not only threatens our values, it is also one of the greatest threats to human security. In the last month, the Government of Japan launched a new structure to counter disinformation. The unit will feature specialists from the Cabinet Secretariat, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, and other related bodies, working together to identify disinformation that needs to be countered and to send out accurate information in a timely manner.
Japan also held a national-level discussion with multiple stakeholders for the first time in December 2022 to take stock of current practices. We were lucky to host USG Ms. Fleming, who met with Japanese media and fact-checking organizations ahead of preparations for the Summit of the Future, to discuss lessons learned from the pandemic and countermeasures already in place in Japanese society. We thank the USG for her wise and productive inputs.
Second, the goals of the Department could not be fully realized without the vast global network of UN Information Centres and Resident Coordinator Offices, disseminating information on UN activities in local languages. They are instrumental in reaching out directly to the people of the Member States, connecting them to the work of the UN and inspiring actionable hope.
The Director of UNIC Tokyo, Ms. Kaoru Nemoto, and her team are making a significant contribution to the promotion of the SDGs in Japan. In particular, we wish to commend them on their work in supporting the DGC’s “Act Now” campaign and promoting accurate information on the sustainable development goals. Last year, UNIC Tokyo, in collaboration with partners from the SDG Media Compact, launched the joint campaign “Promise of 1.5°C. Act Now to Stop Global Warming” to leverage the power of the media in support of climate action. As of 20 of April 2023, around 400 companies have joined the SDG Media Compact. Approximately fifty percent of them are Japanese.
Engagement with “Act Now” and the SDGs is not only limited to Japanese companies. Founded in 2022 and led by a group of young Japanese citizens in their 20s and 30s, “Media is Hope” has already grown to more than 50 members from civil society. In line with the DGC’s message of communicating facts while offering hope, the campaign promotes social change for larger climate action through the dissemination of accurate information and building bridges with media organizations, and encouraging more journalists to cover the topic. The upcoming Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan will be a further opportunity to build on the work set out by the DGC.
Third, free and independent journalists play an indispensable role in our media landscape. Efforts to limit and intimidate the media, such as through unjust arrests, should be met with strict opposition. As we approach World Press Freedom Day, Japan reiterates its commitment to protecting the freedom and safety of journalists worldwide, and denounces any acts that undermine these rights.
To conclude, let me assure you, Mr. Chair, that Japan is fully committed to working with the members of this committee and the Department of Global Communications in a constructive manner throughout this session.
Thank you.
Allow me to start by congratulating you, Ambassador Mohammad Aamir Khan of Pakistan, on assuming Chairmanship for the Committee on Information. Let me also express our deep gratitude to you, Ambassador Cristian Espinosa of Ecuador, for steering the work of this Committee for the past two years and of course to Ms. Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary-General for the Department of Global Communications, for your informative briefing.
Mr. Chair,
COVID-19 has been an eye-opening experience, highlighting the vulnerabilities within our multilateral system. Notably, we have witnessed misinformation and disinformation spread into an “infodemic,” disrupting trust in public institutions and causing harm both online and off. From climate change denial to information warfare in Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the world needs a reliable and unbiased platform they can turn to in order to receive news.
Amidst this uncertainty, Japan commends the Department of Global Communications for leading the way with their UN Global Communications Strategy, which continues to be reshaped and updated in response to lessons learned. We also applaud last month’s briefing on the Code of Conduct, and look forward to receiving the Department’s recommendations.
Allow me to touch upon a few additional points.
First, Japan supports the Department in all its efforts to curtail the ongoing infodemic, especially through initiatives such as Pledge to Pause. Fake information not only threatens our values, it is also one of the greatest threats to human security. In the last month, the Government of Japan launched a new structure to counter disinformation. The unit will feature specialists from the Cabinet Secretariat, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, and other related bodies, working together to identify disinformation that needs to be countered and to send out accurate information in a timely manner.
Japan also held a national-level discussion with multiple stakeholders for the first time in December 2022 to take stock of current practices. We were lucky to host USG Ms. Fleming, who met with Japanese media and fact-checking organizations ahead of preparations for the Summit of the Future, to discuss lessons learned from the pandemic and countermeasures already in place in Japanese society. We thank the USG for her wise and productive inputs.
Second, the goals of the Department could not be fully realized without the vast global network of UN Information Centres and Resident Coordinator Offices, disseminating information on UN activities in local languages. They are instrumental in reaching out directly to the people of the Member States, connecting them to the work of the UN and inspiring actionable hope.
The Director of UNIC Tokyo, Ms. Kaoru Nemoto, and her team are making a significant contribution to the promotion of the SDGs in Japan. In particular, we wish to commend them on their work in supporting the DGC’s “Act Now” campaign and promoting accurate information on the sustainable development goals. Last year, UNIC Tokyo, in collaboration with partners from the SDG Media Compact, launched the joint campaign “Promise of 1.5°C. Act Now to Stop Global Warming” to leverage the power of the media in support of climate action. As of 20 of April 2023, around 400 companies have joined the SDG Media Compact. Approximately fifty percent of them are Japanese.
Engagement with “Act Now” and the SDGs is not only limited to Japanese companies. Founded in 2022 and led by a group of young Japanese citizens in their 20s and 30s, “Media is Hope” has already grown to more than 50 members from civil society. In line with the DGC’s message of communicating facts while offering hope, the campaign promotes social change for larger climate action through the dissemination of accurate information and building bridges with media organizations, and encouraging more journalists to cover the topic. The upcoming Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan will be a further opportunity to build on the work set out by the DGC.
Third, free and independent journalists play an indispensable role in our media landscape. Efforts to limit and intimidate the media, such as through unjust arrests, should be met with strict opposition. As we approach World Press Freedom Day, Japan reiterates its commitment to protecting the freedom and safety of journalists worldwide, and denounces any acts that undermine these rights.
To conclude, let me assure you, Mr. Chair, that Japan is fully committed to working with the members of this committee and the Department of Global Communications in a constructive manner throughout this session.
Thank you.