SecondWorldWarandthevictory overfascism. Thisyearwouldprovide an opportunity forcountries tarenew the~rcommitment totheUnitedNations, ancifor theOrganization tomakeanincreased efforttoinformthepeoples aroundthewarld ofitspurposes, principles, andachievements. 37.Anumberofdelegations urgedtheUnitedNations tohelppromote amore accurate andeffective imageoftheUnitedNations. Sornedelegations observed that therewasgrowing criticism oftheUnited ~ations andthatitscredibility hadbeen calledintoquestion. Several delegations, notingthattheUnitedNations was sometimes portrayed asanineffective andbiasedorganization, saidthattheUnited Nations couldhelpdispel suchcriticism bydisseminating information aboutits activities anditspositive achievements inmanyareas. -11-j !38.Manyde1egations supported thecallfortheestablishment ofthenewworld information andcommunication orderbased,interalia,onthefreecirculation and widerandbetterbalanced dissemination ofinformation, guaranteeing ~~ediversity ofsources ofinformation andfreeaccesstoinformation and,inparticu~w=, the urgentneedtochangethedependent statusofthedeve10ping countries inthefield ofinformation andcommunication, astheprinciple ofsovereign equality among nations extended a1sotothisfield,andintended also t~strengthen peaceand international understanding, enab1ing allpersons toparticipate effectively in po1itica1, economic, socialandcultural lifeandpromoting understanding and friendship amongal1nations andhumanrights. Inthiscontext, somedelegations stressed thattheestablishment ofanewworldinformation andcommunications order should heanevolving andcontinuous process. i r·39.Somede1egations observea tha~theissueoftheestablishment ofthenewworld information andcommunicat.ion ordeLhadgivenrisetomisunderstanding and dissension. Mostdelegations urgedthattheCommittee avoidcontroversy and ideological differences andfocusonareasofpossible agreement andcompromise. 40.Therewasgeneral agreement thatasignificant imba1ance currently existed in termsoftheflowofinformation. Manydelegations saidthatafewWestern cnuntries controlled mostofthemajornewsagencies. Severa1 citedstatistics indicating thatalthough thoseindeve10ped countries represented aminority ofthe wor1d's population, theycontro11ed themajority ofthewor1d's te1evision programming andofthewor1d's radiofreauencies. Anumherofde1egations said thatinformation aboutdeve10ping countries wasoftennegative andwas unconscious1y orconsciously biased. Somede1egations saidthatnewscoverage was oftensensationa1istic, focusing onevents1ikecoupsanddisasters. TheWestern media,manyde1egations said,taooftenignoredtheirattempts topromote economic andsocialprogresSe Thosemedia, somede1egations added,a1sogaveinadeauate coverage totheactivities oftheUnitedNations. 41.ltwaspointed outthat80percentoftheactivities oftheUnitedNations systemoccurred intheeconomic, socialandcultural areas,butverylittlewas reported aboutthem. Somede1egations stressed theneedofreiterating theappeals inc1uded amongtherecommendations approved byconsensus bytheCommittee on Information in1982,inc1uding thataddressed totheinternational mediafor support oftheefforts oftheinternational community towards global development and,inparticular, support fortheefforts ofthedeveloping countries towards economic, socialandcultural progreSSe Simi1arly, anappealshould hemadetothe whol~UnitedNations systemtoco-operate inaconcerted mannerthroughits information services inpromoting thedevelopment activities oftheUnited Nations. Anumberofde1egations alsostressed therolethatinformation and communications couldplayineducating peoples andpromoting socialprogress and deve10pment. Therighttoinformandheinformed, someadded,wasabasichuman right. 42.Anumberofde1egations expressed concern aboutthemonopoly exercised by Western media. Some deleg~tions referred tothedominant ro1eofthetransnational corporations incontro11ing theaccesstoinformation anditsuses,which endangered thesovereignty oftheStates. Onede1egation emphasiz~d theuseful contribution madebytheUnitedNations CentreonTransnational Corporations tothe Committee onInformation intheareaofinternational information anddataf10ws, mentioning, inparticular, document E/C.10/1984/14. -12-ld ld .s
**Analysis**
The text discusses the importance of information and communication in promoting international understanding, development, and cooperation. It highlights the need for a more balanced and diverse dissemination of information, criticizing the dominant role of Western media and the lack of representation of developing countries. The text also emphasizes the role of the United Nations in promoting a new world information and communication order and the need for cooperation among nations to achieve this goal.

**Category**
Transport and communication, International trade