§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what circumstances it is the practice in a United Nations peacekeeping mission to install a radio station to communicate accurate information to the local population; and if he will make a statement on conclusions drawn on the desirability of such an action after the experiences of Rwanda and Somalia.
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§ Mr. BaldryThe United Nations has no set criteria for the establishment of a radio station in any peacekeeping operation. It is clear to the UN Secretary-General, however, that peacekeeping operations need an effective information capacity to enable them to explain their mandate to the population and, by providing a credible and impartial source of information, to counter misinformation disseminated about them. We agree with his view that radio is the most effective medium for this purpose.