Access to information is a human right, Secretary-General Ant¨®nio Guterres told the Security Council on Tuesday, underscoring that for peacekeepers, it can be ¡°a matter of life and death, and the difference between peace and war¡±.??
¡°Communications is not a side issue or an afterthought,¡±?he said during the first-ever High-Level Debate?dedicated to the importance of strategic communications, calling it ¡°central to the success of all our work¡±.
He recalled his 2016 pledge when sworn in as Secretary-General, to ¡°communicate better about what we do, in ways that everybody understands¡±.?
¡°We need a substantial reform of our communications strategy, upgrading our tools and platforms to reach people around the world,¡±?Mr. Guterres declared, noting that the Organization has since embarked on an ambitious?Global Communications Strategy.?
Weapons of war?
The landscape in which Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ peacekeepers operate is more hazardous today than any time in recent memory; geopolitical tensions at the global level reverberate locally; conflicts are more complex and multi-layered; and international discord often translates into heightened tensions on the ground, the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ chief said.?
Moreover, peacekeepers are facing terrorists, criminals, armed groups ¨C many with access to powerful modern weapons, and ¡°a vested interest in perpetuating chaos¡±, he continued.?
¡°The weapons they wield are not just guns and explosives.?Misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech are increasingly being used as weapons of war¡± with a clear aim ¡°to dehumanize the so-called other, threaten vulnerable communities ¨C as well as peacekeepers themselves ¨C and even give open license to commit atrocities¡±, Mr. Guterres spelled out.
Deadly disinformation
Strategic communications are critical across Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ peacekeeping to achieve its multiprong mission of protecting civilians and preventing violence; securing ceasefires and safeguarding political settlements; and investigating and reporting on human rights violations ¨C all while ensuring the safety and security of peacekeepers and the communities they serve.??
¡°That is why?strategic communications is a top priority?within the??initiative,¡± he explained.
¡°We know disinformation is not just misleading, it is dangerous and potentially deadly,¡± he said, fuelling violence against peacekeepers, mission staff, and Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ partners, transforming ¡°our blue flag from a symbol of security into a target for attack¡±.?
¡°Fake news, diffused through messaging and social media, is?difficult to distinguish from reality and will soon be virtually undetectable.¡±
