New York, 29 April 2019
Mr. Chairman,
Distinguished Delegates,
We are fully aligned with the statements delivered by the European Union and by Cabo Verde, on behalf of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries.
I take this opportunity to thank USG Alison Smale for her presentation and for her most valuable work at the helm of the Department of Global Communications.
Mr. Chairman,
In a time where multilateralism faces important challenges, the UN needs to enhance the general awareness of its activities. Furthermore, the structural changes and the results of the reform now under implementation should be brought to wider audiences.
It is instrumental to engage with different stakeholders. Allow me to highlight the special importance of reaching out to youth.
In this regard, we welcome the progressive use of diverse social media platforms by the Department, not neglecting the reach and importance that more traditional media still possesses and bearing in mind that, in some regions of the world, the access to the Internet is still limited.
Mr. Chairman,
Multilingual news coverage widely broadens the spectrum of public awareness of UN activities. The global outreach and universality of the Portuguese language constitute an important asset to the preservation and promotion of multilingualism.
Therefore, we strongly encourage the Department to further expand the use of the Portuguese language.
I wish to convey our appreciation for the invaluable work carried out by the Unit of Portuguese of UN News. This Unit has been establishing, since 2013, cost-neutral partnerships with media in Portuguese speaking countries and also in other countries with substantial Portuguese-speaking Diasporas.
I would also like to underline the accomplishments of the United Nations Information Centers, namely the Western European and the Rio de Janeiro centers. In this context, I reiterate our support to the full implementation of the UN Information Centre in Luanda, Angola, as requested by GA Resolution 64/243.
To conclude, I can assure you that Portugal will remain a committed partner of the Department of Global Communications in its efforts to spread reliable and streamlined information on UN activities as well as in the promotion of multilingualism.
I thank you.
