BRICS Media Forum

Your Excellency, Dr. Huang Kunming, Head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee,

Your Excellency, Dr. Fu Hua, President of Xinhua News Agency,

Your Excellency, Mr. Lyu Yansong, Editor-in-Chief of Xinhua News Agency,

Officials, colleagues, and friends from the Press,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Greetings!

I want to thank Xinhua News Agency for the invitation to address the Fifth BRICS Media Forum.

Today’s world faces profound, growing, and interconnected challenges: a persisting global pandemic, climate change, conflicts, a fragile and uneven recovery, more poverty and hunger, rising inequality between and within countries. These flames are fueled by a rampant ‘infodemic’ driving fear, division, hatred, and lies.

In these uncertain times, journalism is a public good that has a more critical role than ever in our societies. The media carries important responsibilities toward their audiences, as captured in the theme of today’s Forum– “Building Consensus and Promoting Global Development.” As the United Nations Secretary-General Mr. António Guterres has said, “throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many media workers have been on the frontlines, providing accurate, science-based reporting to inform decision-makers and save lives. At the same time, journalists who cover climate, biodiversity, and pollution have succeeded in bringing global attention to this triple planetary crisis.” Past years have shown that by providing honest coverage and fact-based reporting in the public interest, the media can be a vital enabler and the amplifier of global efforts to build a more just and sustainable future.

To this end, the media has always been a valued partner of the United Nations, and our Country Team here in China. Through the work of our communications officers, we have developed deep relationships with traditional media outlets and capitalized on the opportunities of digital and social media to reach new and emerging audiences. While digital technology has made information more accessible, it is also presenting significant challenges. According to UNESCO, social media users nearly doubled from 2.3 billion in 2016 to 4.2 billion in 2021. These technologies allow for greater access to content and more voices – but do not always come with the same value-added of news principles. Here too, the media has a vital role to play in challenging hate speech and combating misinformation.

We are reminded that the public information provided by the media is vital for promoting human rights, preserving peace and security, and achieving sustainable development, the Three Pillars of the United Nations. Thus, we see you, the media, as a crucial bridge in raising awareness, driving engagement, and calling for action on the Sustainable Development Goals, our blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future. Here, the media, including those of BRICS countries, are well placed to help facilitate greater dialogue and consensus, to promote international cooperation and solidarity. With less than eight years in the Decade of Action to achieve the Development Goals, we all need to be stakeholders, including the media, to step up our efforts in realizing the 2030 Agenda.

But our ambitions to achieve sustainable development and leave no one behind will not be met without the voices of the developing world. The BRICS countries, as representatives of emerging and developing economies, are also home to some of the most innovative change agents and solution finders. Here, the media in BRICS countries can and should share development lessons, showcase solutions, and amplify the voices of often vulnerable groups, including women, young people, and people living with disabilities.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It’s time to rescue the Sustainable Development Goals and give sustainable development a fighting chance. As President Xi Jinping recently noted and I quote, “This is an age rife with challenges, but it is also an age full of hope.” The United Nations stands ready to work with the media to highlight common solutions to our shared global challenges.

I wish you very successful deliberations. Thank you very much.