Public information activities of the United Nations

XIV. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE FIFTH COMMITTEE
1405. Public information activities of the United Nations

The General Assembly, Noting with appreciation the Secretary-General's report on public information activities of the United Nations of 16 June 1959,[1] Recalling its resolutions 13 (I) of 13 February 1946 and 595 (VI) of 4 February 1952, setting forth the basic policy of the United Nations in its, public information activities, as well as resolution 1335 (XIII) of 13 December 1958, relating to the implementation of that policy, Recalling its resolution 1086 (XI) of 21 December 1956, relating to the establishment of information centres, Noting the policy of budgetary stabilization set forth by the Secretary-General in his report,

1. Requests the Secretary-General to give continuing and special consideration to the importance of adequate regional representation at the policy-making level of the Office of Public Information and in the information centres;

2. Requests the Secretary-General, with the agreement of the Governments concerned, to establish such new information centres as appear necessary and practicable, particularly in those regions where mass information media are less developed, preferably by a further decentralization of Headquarters staff and services to the extent he finds possible;

3. Requests the Secretary-General to enlist the cooperation of the Member States concerned in providing all possible facilities for the establishment of such new centres and in assisting actively in efforts to promote wider public understanding of the aims and activities of the United Nations;

4. Expresses the hope that media of information and publicity, non-governmental organizations and educational institutions in all Member States will continue their efforts to expand their commendable activities on behalf of a greater understanding of the United Nations by a fuller dissemination of accurate and objective information;

5. Requests the Secretary-General to include in his report on the Office of Public Information to the General Assembly at every session outlines of the policy and programmes planned to be executed by the Office during the coming year, with comments thereon;

6. Requests the Secretary-General to appoint, in consultation with the Governments of Member States, a panel of qualified persons representative of the various geographical areas and main cultures of the world, and to consult with members of that panel from time to time on United Nations information policies and programmes in order to ensure maximum effectiveness at minimum cost;

7. Requests the Secretary-General, having regard to the aforementioned policy of budgetary stabilization and to all other means designed to ensure maximum effectiveness at the lowest possible cost, to plan the public information programmes in 1960 on the assumption that the total net expenditure for the year shall be about $5 million;

8. Requests the Secretary-General to submit a report to the General Assembly at its fifteenth session on the implementation of the above recommendations and on the measures taken and planned for the further implementation of resolution 1335 (XIII).

845th plenary meeting,
1 December 1959.

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[1] Ibid., agenda item 52, document A/4122.