UN Fourth Committee Highlights Need for Accurate, Multilingual Communications

During the Fourth Committee’s review of information‑related questions, Melissa Fleming, the UN Under‑Secretary‑General for Global Communications, presented the Secretary‑General’s report (A/81/341) and noted that the information environment has changed more dramatically in recent years than in previous decades. She observed that while people are more connected than ever, they feel overwhelmed by the volume of content and face a shortage of trustworthy sources, making the department’s mission to deliver accurate information in multiple languages essential for engaging a broader community.

The recent Independent and Impartial Review of the communications department affirmed the relevance of its mandates but called for a more integrated operating model, stronger strategic planning, and tighter coordination between headquarters and field offices. To address these recommendations, the Secretary‑General proposed restructuring around three pillars—strategy and planning, news and media, and outreach—and highlighted the Activation Lab, launched in June, as a test of integrated working. During the High‑level Week, a single strategy and unified key messages led to a 42 % rise in traffic to the general debate website, heightened engagement with young audiences, and millions of pageviews across UN News and UN Web TV. The department also rolled out campaigns such as “Hear Us. Act Now” to further extend its reach.