ISLAMABAD - Pakistan is elected as chairman for two-year term (2023-24) during the first plenary meeting of the 45th annual session of the Committee on Information of the UN General Assembly held in New York. Pakistan is assuming the Presidency of the Committee on Information for the second time. Ambassador Aamir Khan, Deputy Permanent Representative of Pakistan will chair the Committee on behalf of Pakistan. After taking over the chairmanship from Ecuador, the outgoing chair, Ambassador Aamir Khan, in his opening statement appreciated the honour that member states have conferred on Pakistan to chair this committee and hoped that our joint work will be successful and productive. He said that he is “comforted by the fact that the Department is led by the Under Secretary General, Ms Melissa Fleming, who always provides valuable insight and input to the Committee.”
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He said, “World is facing an unprecedented triple-crisis – the Covid-19 pandemic, the existential threat caused by climate change and the inter-related shocks to food, fuel and finance that are aggravated further by existing and new conflicts.” In this situation, “the role of our committee in combating the multitude of challenges and ensuring the accurate and timely information is critical,” he insisted. Ambassador Aamir Khan urged to ensure integrity of information. “As Chair, I will promote fact-based information and fight against the spread of false information,” he said. “We must combat hate speech,” he insisted saying “digitalized platforms misused by bad actors, are causing social unrest and fanning tensions within and among societies.”
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“As we work towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, we must persevere and renew our commitment to meeting these goals despite challenges posed by Covid-19,” he said. He also urged to confront the existential threat of climate change, recalling the catastrophic flood in Pakistan last year, the terrible earthquake hitting Turkiye and Syria this year and the threat posed by rising sea water and desertification are its serious manifestation. “Our information systems should promote the exchange of information and best practices to accelerate the bold climate action,” he urged. He also urged to address technological divide and the lack of access by developing countries to reliable, factual, and multilingual information. “We must address these gaps and create a fair, equitable and resilient global information landscape,” he added.
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He recalled Pakistan’s initiative, the General Assembly, for the first time, adopted resolution 76/227 entitled “Countering Disinformation for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms” on 24 December 2021. Later, ‘Group of Friends’ on Countering Disinformation was launched to advance the multidimensional response to counter all forms of disinformation, including in the context of the Covid-19 Pandemic. Last Year, as G77 Chair, Pakistan played a productive role in bringing a consensus-based resolution in the Committee on Information. He looked forward to the close working relationship with the Department of Global Communication ensuring that the Committee continues to deliver on its important mandate during Pakistan’s chairmanship of the Committee. He also expressed gratitude to the members of the Bureau, the Secretariat, and Ecuador as an outgoing Chair of the Committee for their work during the past sessions.
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He also welcomed the new Vice-Chairs and Rapporteur of the Committee as well as new member- Estonia admitted to the Committee on Information. The Committee on Information is the subsidiary body of the 4th Committee of the General Assembly at the United Nations. It examines United Nations public information policies and activities; evaluating and follow up the efforts made, and the progress achieved by the United Nations system in the field of information. The committee also promotes the establishment of a new, more just and more effective world information and communication order.