NAM seeks cooperation on information flow

NAM seeks cooperation on information flow

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian senior diplomat Nana Sutresna
yesterday called on developing countries to launch initiatives on
cooperation for information access which are dominated by the
western press.

"The Non-Aligned Movement itself is a victim of the imbalances
of the global information flow," Nana, Ambassador-at-Large for
the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), said during a luncheon of the
Indonesia Executive Circle here yesterday.

He argued that while international institutions and
organizations have recognized and responded positively to NAM's
efforts in the past few years, the media from the industrialized
countries tended to overlook them.

"The western press has largely ignored the significance of the
work of the Movement," Nana said.

Colombia in October last year took over NAM's chairmanship
from Indonesia which had presided over the 113-nation member
Movement for the previous three-years.

According to Nana, while following-up on the initiatives
already launched during Indonesia's tenure, Colombia should also
consider taking up new initiatives on issues such as drug
trafficking, environmental degradation, disarmament and global
information gatekeeping.

Nana strongly expressed the need for stronger cooperation in
the information field saying that "I personally feel the Movement
should take early effective action."

One way to achieve this would be through an international
seminar highlighting the NAM's work in which eminent media
personalities will exchange views with leaders of the Movement,
he said. "At the same time, the Movement will have fine-tuned its
own media network while making more active use of private media."

He said a proposal has been put forward and hopes that
Colombia will follow up on it.

Nana pointed out that NAM must not become static, but continue
to modernize to face global challenges.

He described the access of information as "the right of the
South to objective information in a world where the gatekeepers
of vital information are the western multinational media."

Though no longer presiding over the Movement, Indonesia will
continue to play a pivotal role, particularly with the advent of
the troika which comprises of the past, current and next NAM
chairman, he said.

"The Movement has a special place in the consciousness of the
Indonesian people...It can be said without exaggeration that
Indonesia was born non-aligned," he said.

Apart from the formal confines of the troika, several
initiatives which were initiated by Indonesia will continue to
need Indonesia's active involvement.

These include the work of the Asia-Africa Forum which is an
exchange of developmental experience from two continents, and the
establishment of the Center for South-South technical
Cooperation. (mds)