Interview with Stephane Dujarric in Honour of World Radio

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Interview with Stephane Dujarric in Honour of World Radio World Radio Day 2014 - interview with Stephane Dujarric In honour of World Radio Day 2014, Elena Vapnitchnaia, Chief of the Russian UN Radio sits with Stephane Dujarric, Director of the News and Media Division in the UN Department of Public Information, to discuss the past and future of UN Radio. EV: Okay, let’s start with your personal radio experience- did you listen to radio while you were growing up, do you listen to it now? SD: Radio has always played a very important part in my life. Growing up in France, in the late 60s and early 70s, I remember distinctively, my first transistor radio I was given that was on medium wave- that was sort of the main way to get radio stations in France- and, you know, listening to it all the time, being glued to the radio, whether it was sports, entertainment or talk, having my parents tell me I had to shut off the radio, but keeping it under my sheets and try to listen a little bit longer, and that has continued throughout my life. I really use radio as a primary source of information. To this day, at home, much to my family’s consternation, I often have two or three radios going on at the same time. I hate silence, and I like to listen to radio and I can do different things while I’m listening to radio, and you’re always learning. There’s always something on that’s interesting, so I find that I’m a great fan- almost an addict of radio. EV: Okay, so World Radio Day is celebrated on the 13th of February- and I checked it was not a Friday- but the number of the Resolution of the General Assembly, was Number 13, too. But, it was adopted literally during the first months of the existence of the UN, it was not even in this building, and the first radio studios were not here, but were in a place like Success, which is a rather auspicious name, I think. 67 years later, there’s television and social media and iPads and iPhones. Do you think that the role of radio and UN Radio in particular has diminished? SD: No, I think, Radio- United Nations Radio- remains as important today as it was when the 1st Resolution was passed, and I think if you look back and as to why radio was so important in those first days of the UN, radio played a huge part in World War 2, in terms of passing messages along, in keeping hope alive in totalitarian countries, in countries that were under occupation, in propaganda, from other places. So radio was really the medium of communication, of instant communication, and I think the founders understood that if the United Nations was going to push its messages through- its universal messages through- it had to have a multilingual radio station. And what was true in 1945 remains true today in 2014. What has changed is the mode of delivery. The United Nations Radio no longer broadcasts directly through its own transmitter, we work through partner radio stations, but the radio news- the audio news of the United Nations- is now delivered on social media, on the internet, through partner radio stations, even by phone. People can call in and listen to the United Nations Radio. So, we’ve adapted with the times in terms of the delivery mechanism. But the need to for radio to pass messages through, to inform and to keep people connected, remains valid today as it was almost 70 years ago. EV: In the past a lot of celebrities took part in the UN Radio programmes- Audrey Hepburn, Frank Sinatra, Laurence Olivier and so on- who is behind UN Radio voices today? SD: The voices of UN Radio are all of us. They represent all of us, we broadcast every day in 8 languages- the 6 official languages of the United Nations: English, French, Russian, Arabic and Spanish and Chinese, plus Kiswahili and Portuguese. And there’re people from all around the world- radio professionals who had worked either in their home countries or who had worked for larger international broadcasters, UN staff that have picked up radio skills along the way. It’s truly representative of the world we live in. For example, our Swahili radio has people from Kenya, from Tanzania, even from France. The Russian Radio has people from Central Asia, from Eastern Europe, from Russia, from Ukraine- it’s a wonderful mix of people that bring to their job very varied experiences. EV: How has the coverage changed? And since the theme of this year for World Radio Day is women, how much coverage do women's issues get? SD: They get quite a tremendous amount of coverage. First of all, it's also interesting to know that, I would say more than half our radio producers are women. It's one of the more gender balanced parts of the UN. United Nations Radio has done some wonderful series on women's issues on women's issues, staring from the 60s and 50s- there were some wonderful radio plays by famous actors at the time- to a series more recently on girls aged 15 and their experiences from France to Afghanistan to Guatemala, and what shared experiences they have. Women's issues are a big part of the work of the United Nations, and that's reflected in the broadcasts of the United Nations Radio every day. EV: We've talked about the past, let's talk about the future. 10 years from now, what will UN Radio look like? SD: I think, in a sense, we hope to have more languages. We've built now about the 6 to 8 languages. We would like to see more than 8 languages represented every day. I think what will change is the way radio is delivered- through mechanisms that we may still not know about. But right now as I mentioned, we do it through partner stations, we do it on the internet, through social media, by telephone. I think what we need to do is give people choice on how they consume audio news, and the tools that they have to consume that news. But I'm fully confident that ten years from now, you'll see United Nations Radio that's even bigger, more multilingual, and more diverse. EV: Do you listen to UN Radio? SD: I do listen to UN Radio- I listen to the two languages that I understand- that's French and English- and I listen to the languages I don't understand because I just love hearing those languages, even if I don't understand what's being said. But it's a wonderful way, UN Radio is a wonderful way to get a wind of what's happening in the four corners of the world and at the UN headquarters as well. .
Recommended publications
  • The Underworld of United Nations Peacekeeping Operations a European Court of Human Rights Perspective
    UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI European Master’s Degree in Human Rights and Democratization A.Y. 2015/2016 THE UNDERWORLD OF UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS A EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS PERSPECTIVE Author: Ioana Delapeta, LL.B Supervisor: Prof. Jan Klabbers 1 In keeping silent about evil, in burying it so deep within us that no sign of it appears on the surface, we are implanting it, and it will rise up a thousand fold in the future. When we neither punish nor reproach evildoers, we are not simply protecting their trivial old age, we are thereby ripping the foundations of justice from beneath new generations. ― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago 1918-1956 Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream. ― Martin Luther King Jr. 2 3 Abstract The image of the UN began to be tainted in the past 20 years due to numerous allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation committed by personnel related to its peacekeeping operations. The current study briefly assessed the measures undertook by the organization in order to address the issue, as well as those took by its member states, the former having proved to be inefficient up until now, mostly because of their non-legally binding effect and the latter failing, troop-contributing countries having a very poor record of investigating and prosecuting perpetrators. The core of this paper was to explore alternative solutions to this problem. As such, its main purpose was to ascertain if through the ECtHR’s past and future case-law it would be possible to pressure the members of CoE to either proceed to effective investigations and prosecutions of their nationals involved in similar allegations, or to adapt, when needed, their laws accordingly.
    [Show full text]
  • Yellow Fever and Aedes Aegypti Eradication
    Al cannuct Peort ¡ of the director / / : a. ~11 · · . * a · =. *~~~· * * * a e -e. * PUBTICATIONS OF THE PAN AMEECAN SANITARY BUREAU OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS Nos. 19-21 Annual Report of the Director, 1956 N .19 Informe Anual del Director, 1956 Nº 19 Financial Report of the Director and External Auditor's Report, 1956 N - 20 Informe Financiero del Director e Informe del Auditor Externo, 1956 N9 20 Proposed Program and Budget Estimates, 1958-59 N 20 Proyectos de Programa y Presupuesto, 1958-59 No 20 t PAN AMERICAN SANITARY ORGANIZATION Official Documents May 1957 No. 19 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE PAN AMERICAN SANITARY BUREAU REGIONAL OFFICE FOR THE AMERICAS OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION 1956 PAN AMERICAN SANITARY BUREAU Regional Office of the World Health Organization 1501 New Hampshire Avenue, N.W. Washington 6, D.C. iii ,11165 /0 To the Member States of the Pan American Sanitary Organization I have the honor to transmit herewith the Annual Report of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau, Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organiza- tion, for the year 1956. This Report covers the work of the Washington Office as well as that of the Zone Offices. It describes projects implemented in collaboration with the governments of Member States and with other international organizations. The Financial Statement for the year, is submitted separately. Respectfully yours, Fred L. Soper Director iv ANNUAL REPORT O F THE DIRE CTOR 19 56 V ANNUAL REPORT of the DIRECTOR 1956 CONTENTS* Page Part I Introductory Review ......................... 1 Part II Activities in 1956 .......................... 21 Communicable Diseases ...................
    [Show full text]
  • General Assembly Distr.: General 18 February 2015
    United Nations A/AC.198/2015/3 General Assembly Distr.: General 18 February 2015 Original: English Committee on Information Thirty-seventh session 27 April-8 May 2015 Activities of the Department of Public Information: news services Report of the Secretary-General Summary The present report, prepared in accordance with General Assembly resolution 69/96 B, provides a summary of the key advances made by the Department of Public Information from August 2014 to March 2015 in promoting the work of the United Nations to the global audience through its news services. As part of its news services, which is one of three subprogrammes of the Department and implemented by its News and Media Division, the Department strengthens support for the United Nations by enhancing the quality, format and timeliness of information products on the Organization, and for increasing the geographic range and frequency of use of its products by media outlets and other users. The activities under the other subprogrammes of the Department, namely strategic communications services and outreach and knowledge services, are described in separate reports of the Secretary-General (A/AC.198/2015/2 and A/AC.198/2015/4, respectively). 15-02126 (E) 030315 *1502126* A/AC.198/2015/3 I. Introduction 1. In its resolution 69/96 B, the General Assembly took note of the reports of the Secretary-General on the activities of the Department of Public Information submitted for consideration by the Committee on Information at its thirty-sixth session (A/AC.198/2014/2-4), and requested the Secretary-General to continue to report to the Committee on the activities of the Department.
    [Show full text]
  • Resolutions Conf. A
    NMUN•NY 2017 19-23 March Documentation of the Work of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Conference A United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Committee Staff Director Ariane Larouche Assistant Director Tomás Ocampo Chair Alen Thomas Rapporteur Tara Kwan Agenda I. Empowering Vulnerable Groups through Access to Information and Communications Technology II. Safeguarding World Heritage III. Sports for Peace and Development Resolutions adopted by the Committee Code Topic Vote UNESCO/1/1 Empowering Vulnerable Groups 42 votes in favor, 3 votes against, 1 through Access to Information and abstention Communications Technology UNESCO/1/2 Empowering Vulnerable Groups Adopted without a vote through Access to Information and Communications Technology UNESCO/1/3 Empowering Vulnerable Groups 43 votes in favor, 1 vote against, 2 through Access to Information and abstentions Communications Technology UNESCO/1/4 Empowering Vulnerable Groups 38 votes in favor, 2 votes against, 6 through Access to Information and abstentions Communications Technology UNESCO/1/5 Empowering Vulnerable Groups 37 votes in favor, 3 votes against, 6 through Access to Information and abstentions Communications Technology UNESCO/1/6 Empowering Vulnerable Groups 34 votes in favor, 5 votes against, 7 through Access to Information and abstentions Communications Technology UNESCO/1/7 Empowering Vulnerable Groups 39 votes in favor, 0 votes against, 7 through Access to Information and abstentions Communications Technology UNESCO/1/8 Empowering Vulnerable Groups 43 votes in favor, 1 vote against, 2 through Access to Information and abstentions Communications Technology UNESCO/2/1 Safeguarding World Heritage 29 votes in favor, 12 votes against, 5 abstentions Summary Report The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization held its annual session to consider the following agenda items: I.
    [Show full text]
  • Protecting Civilians in War-Torn Syria — a Shared Responsibility Concern’S Work in Response to the Syria Crisis
    Protecting civilians in war-torn Syria — a shared responsibility Concern’s work in response to the Syria Crisis: With support from key donors including Irish Aid, USAID, DFID, ECHO and others including generous donations from the public, Concern has been responding to the crisis in Syria for over four years, working with victims of the conflict in Turkey, Lebanon and within Syria itself. Concern’s work in Syria focuses on emergency response and support for internally displaced people in the north of the country through the provision of: water and sanitation services, including the distribution of hygiene kits; shelter; and the distribution of food baskets and vouchers to allow people to purchase food in local markets. Concern is locally well recognised as an effective and well-prepared emergency responder, continuing to bring critical life-saving and life-sustaining food and household items to people fleeing from conflict and in their places of refuge. Additionally, Concern is providing protection and vocational training support to vulnerable women and children who are suffering the psycho-social and economic hardships of the conflict, including the programme ‘Engaging men and boys to reduce domestic violence’. In 2016, Concern had at least 390,000 direct beneficiaries in Syria across all sectors. The total population reached by Concern’s response to the Syria crisis through programmes in Syria, Turkey and Lebanon in 2016 was 650,000 people. Protecting Civilians in War-torn Syria 1 WA’ H T S IN THIS REPORT 3 Foreword 8 What is Humanitarian
    [Show full text]
  • S/PV.7802 Maintenance of International Peace and Security 07/11/2016
    United Nations S/ PV.7802 Security Council Provisional Seventy-first year 7802nd meeting Monday, 7 November 2016, 10 a.m. New York President: Mr. Ndiaye/Mr. Ciss ............................. (Senegal) Members: Angola. Mr. Gaspar Martins China ......................................... Mr. Liu Jieyi Egypt ......................................... Mr. Aboulata France ........................................ Mr. Delattre Japan ......................................... Mr. Bessho Malaysia ...................................... Mr. Ibrahim New Zealand ................................... Mr. Van Bohemen Russian Federation ............................... Mr. Iliichev Spain ......................................... Mr. Ybáñez Ukraine ....................................... Mr. Klimkin/Mr. Vitrenko United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland .. Mr. Rycroft United States of America .......................... Ms. Power Uruguay ....................................... Mr. Rosselli Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) ................... Mr.Ramírez Carreño Agenda Maintenance of international peace and security Peace operations facing asymmetrical threats Letter dated 27 October 2016 from the Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of Senegal to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General (S/2016/927) This record contains the text of speeches delivered in English and of the translation of speeches delivered in other languages. The final text will be printed in the Official Records of the Security Council. Corrections should
    [Show full text]
  • Statement on the Occasion of the 35 Session of the Committee on Information (COI) April 23, 2013 Delivered by Suzanne Bilello
    Statement on the occasion of The 35th session of the Committee on Information (COI) April 23, 2013 Delivered by Suzanne Bilello, Senior Public Information and Liaison Officer UNESCO New York Office Ms. Chairperson, Distinguished Delegates and Committee Members, Friends and Colleagues, thank you for this opportunity to present a brief overview of UNESCO programmes of relevance to work of the Committee on Information: 1. The UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity (hereafter referred to as the UN Plan), is the result of a process that began in 2010 upon request of the Intergovernmental Council of the International Programme for the Development of Communication. The UN Plan was endorsed by the UN Chief Executives Board on 13 April 2012, having been presented to the High Level Committee on Programmes (HLCP) earlier in the year. The UN Plan aims toward the creation of a free and safe environment for journalists and media workers in both conflict and non-conflict situations, with a view to strengthening peace, democracy and development worldwide. Its action lines include the establishment of an inter- agency mechanism within the UN in order to co-ordinate issues related to the safety of journalists, as well as assisting countries to develop legislation and mechanisms favourable to freedom of expression and information and supporting their efforts to implement existing international standards. The Plan sets out the contributions and associated responsibilities of UN bodies for achieving its objectives. At the same time, it recognises that actors outside of the UN also have a major contribution to offer through joint and/or complementary activities.
    [Show full text]
  • Women in Radio
    /, /3. j r 2 z ^ WOMEN IN RADIO MAY 1947 WOMEN’S BUREAU—Bulletin 222 United States Department of Labor Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR L. B. Schwellenbach, Secretary Women’s Bureau, Frieda S. Miller, Director Women in Radio illustrated BY BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES May 1947 BULLETIN No. 222 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents United States Government Printing Office Washington, D. C. Price 15 cents Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL United States Department of Labor, Women’s Bureau, Washington, November 26, 1947. Sir: I have the honor of transmitting a brief report on women in radio prepared by Frances W. Kerr of the Women’s Bureau staff. The plan for the report was pre­ pared after consultation with the Association of Women Broadcasters. The mimeo­ graph edition in which the report was originally issued having been exhausted, it is now offered for printing to meet an unanticipated demand. The report is not a technical assessment of the training required, or of the volume of demand for women and the extent of their opportunities in radio, but is rather illustrative of what, as indicated by their biographical sketches, some women have been able to achieve. The report will be of special interest to women preparing for jobs and careers, and it is expected that its greatest usefulness will be to the 150 colleges and to the high schools which conduct radio workshops, to the many other colleges and high schools which offer courses in radio arts and crafts, and to the various radio institutes and professional schools.
    [Show full text]
  • Delegates Handbook
    Delegates Handbook Seventy-first session of the United Nations General Assembly Opening date of the seventy-first session of the General Assembly Tuesday, 13 September 2016 General debate of the seventy-first session of the General Assembly Tuesday, 20 September to Saturday, 24 September, and Monday, 26 September 2016 HIGH-LEVEL MEETINGS High-level plenary meeting on addressing large movements of refugees and migrants Monday, 19 September 2016 High-level meeting on antimicrobial resistance convened by the President of the General Assembly Wednesday, 21 September 2016 High-level segment of the General Assembly to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development Thursday, 22 September 2016 High-level plenary meeting convened by the President of the General Assembly to commemorate and promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons Monday, 26 September 2016 HIGH-LEVEL EVENT BY THE SECRETARY-GENERAL High-level event on the entry into force of the Paris Agreement Wednesday, 21 September 2016, from 8 to 9 a.m. in the General Assembly Hall Emergency information and updates Hotline for updates during weather 212-963-9800 emergencies or other urgent situations emergency.un.org Websites delegatesinfo.un.int The websites also offer the option of subscription to e-mail, SMS and voice call alerts Delegates’ Handbook A close-up of east-facing windows on the United Nations Headquarters Secretariat building in New York. UN Photo/KELVYN PEREZ Delegates’ Handbook Seventy-first session of the General Assembly of the United Nations United Nations New York, September 2016-September 2017 A close-up of east-facing windows on the United Nations Headquarters Secretariat building in New York.
    [Show full text]
  • Press Release
    Press Release United Nations Department of Public Information - News Coverage and Accreditation Service - New York PI/1287/Rev.l* 6 September 2000 UNITED NATIONS LAUNCHES LIVE RADIO BROADCASTS IN SIX LANGUAGES As the Millennium Summit of the General Assembly commences, the United Nations Department of Public Information has launched live radio broadcasts in the six official languages of the Organization, targeting audiences in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe and the Caribbean. The daily current affairs broadcasts in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish, Monday td Friday — consist of news, interviews, background reports, features, updates from peacekeeping missions and coverage of activities of United Nations organizations around the world. These United Nations Radio programmes are being carried on short-wave, distributed by satellite and broadcast by national and regional radio networks in most parts of the world. They are also posted on the United Nations Web site (www.un.org/av.radio) from where they can be heard, or be used by radio stations for broadcast. The live radio project is part of the Department's current drive for more direct global outreach to the world's media from United Nations Headquarters. The overall goal is to bridge the gap among developing countries, and improve their ability to access United Nations news and other information materials instantaneously. The Web-based United Nations News Centre, which started last year, is part of this effort, and an e-mail based United Nations News Service will begin during the current General Assembly session. The new radio initiative is being carried out with the cooperation of a consortium of national, regional and international partner stations and communications networks which will provide broadcasting facilities for the programmes.
    [Show full text]
  • What Is World Radio Day Radio World What Is World Radio Day Is Celebrated All Over the World on February 13
    17 SPECIAL ADVERTISEMENT What Is World Radio Day February 13, 2021 twitter/jamaicaobserver www.jamaicaobserver.com ON SATURDAY OBSERVER World Radio Day is celebrated all over the world on February 13. demics, etc. The day aims at promoting the medium and encouraging people to use it. The main object behind celebrating World Radio Day is to World Radio Day: History raise awareness among the public and the media of the importance of radio, secondly to encourage decision-makers to establish and In 2011, UNESCO’s General Conference, at its 36th session, proclaimed provide access to information through radio; as well as to enhance February 13 as World Radio Day. The day February 13 was proposed networking and international cooperation among broadcasters. by the Director-General of UNESCO because it coincides with the anniversary of the United Nations Radio, the UN’s international During the Covid-19 pandemic, radio made it possible, for exam- broadcasting service was established on February 13, 1946. ple, to ensure continuity of learning, to fight against misinforma- tion, and to promote barrier gestures. During its 67th Session, the UN General Assembly adopted a res- olution on January 14, 2013, the United Nations General Assem- ‘New World, New Radio’ is therefore an ode to the resilience of bly formally endorsed UNESCO’s proclamation February 13 as radio. It is a tribute to its capacity for perpetual adaptation at the World Radio Day. rate of societal transformations and listeners’ new needs. Radio is the primary medium and source of information. In India On the occasion of World Radio Day 2021 (WRD 2021), UNESCO Radio broadcasting started in the early 1920s and in 1923, the calls on radio stations to celebrate this event’s 10th anniversary first program was aired by the Radio Club of Bombay.
    [Show full text]
  • Economic and Social Council Distr.: General 22 December 2003
    United Nations E/CN.6/2004/4 Economic and Social Council Distr.: General 22 December 2003 Original: English Commission on the Status of Women Forty-eighth session 1-12 March 2004 Item 3 of the provisional agenda* Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and to the special session of the General Assembly entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century” Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women Report of the Secretary-General Summary The present report summarizes the situation of Palestinian women between September 2002 and September 2003. It reviews the effects of continued movement restriction and closures, the construction of settlements, outposts and a separation wall, as well as the unfolding socio-economic crisis, on the situation of women. The report provides an overview of the assistance provided to Palestinian women by entities of the United Nations system, in particular with regard to economic activities, humanitarian assistance, education and training, health, the human rights of women, and the media and advocacy. The report concludes with recommendations for consideration by the Commission on the Status of Women. * E/CN.6/2004/1. 03-67473 (E) 160104 *0367473* E/CN.6/2004/4 I. Introduction 1. In its resolution 2003/42 of 22 July 2003 on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian women, the Economic and Social Council, concerned about the grave deterioration of the situation of Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, requested the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation and to assist Palestinian women by all available means, and submit to the Commission on the Status of Women at its forty-eighth session a report, including information provided by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, on the progress made in the implementation of the resolution.
    [Show full text]