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)