text: respect totheproposed majorchanges forthenextbiennium, somedelegations expressed serious doubtsontherestructuring oftheRadioandVisualServices Division astwodivisions whileotherdelegations strongly supported theproposal. Intheviewoftheformer, noserious justification wasprovided bythe Secretariat. Anumberofdelegations proposed thatthequestion ofrestructuring shouldbesubmitted totheCOmmittee onInformation forconsideration priortoits endorsement byCPC.Someotherdelegations wereoftheviewthatthe Secretary-General wasempowered tomakesuchadministrative changes andwasnot required tosubmitsuchchanges totheCommittee onInformation. Somedelegations alsoquestioned theestablishment ofapostfortheheadoftheInformation Service atVienna. Themajority ofdelegations expressed reservations onthetermi~ation oftheradioprogrammes onwomen,whichtheyconsidered extremely useful and effective, andsuggested thatthemand~te continued inGeneral Assembly resolution 31/136of16December 1976couldwellbeinterpreted insuchawaythatthese programmes couldbecontinued inthenextbiennium. 394.Withrespect tothepamphlets andfilmsthattheDepartment wastoproduce, onedelegation questioned whether theDepartment wasadhering tothemandates laid downinthemedium-term plan(seeprogramme 9,paras.9.18and9.23),sincethe pamphlets described intheproposed programme budgetwerenotsimplified versions ofalready published studies thatcontained detailed background information andthe filmstobeproduced numbered morethanoneortwoperyear. Therepresentative of theDepartment assured theCOmmittee thatthemedium-term planhadprovided itwith themandates toproduce theproposed pamphlets andfilms. 395.Onedelegation questioned thecriteria forthedesignation ofpriorities. The representative oftheDepartment indicated thatapplying thecriteria forpriority setting inrespect ofpublicinformation wasadifficult taskfortheDepartment inasmuch asnewmandates forpublicinformation activities wereconstantly being -81-Iadopted bylegislative bodies. Sincetherewerereallynoobjective criteria by whichtheDepartment coulddesignate priorities, thedesign~~ion ofpriorities underthesection was,atthemost,atentative exercise. Therepresentative of theDepartment further indicated thatthetermination oftheradioprogrammes on womenwasbeingproposed sincetheirmandate wouldceaseattheendoftheUr.~~ed Nations DecadeforWomen,without prejudice totherecommendations thatwould resultfromthe1985WorldConference toReviewandAppraise theAchievements of theUnitedNations DecadeforWomen. 396.Somedelegations expressed theirstrongconcern abouttheproliferation of information activities inseveral departments oftheSecretariat otherthanthe Department ofPublicInformation. 397.Withregardtoparagraph 27.4,theCommittee recommended thatthe Secretary-General, inarriving atadecision ontherestructuring oftheRadioand VisualServices Division astwodivisions -theRadioServices Division andthe visualServices Division, shouldtakeintoaccount theviewsexpressed bymembers oftheCommittee onthisissue. 398.Withrespect tosubprogramme 1(Ceverage), anumberofdelegations expressed serious doubtsontheva~ueofthepressreleases andquestioned theiraccuracy and quality. Otherdelegations questioned whyinsomeinstances theoutputs under pressreleases andnewsdispatches listedGermanasoneofthelanguages butnot theofficial languages oftheGeneral Assembly. Somedelegations askedaboutthe relationship ofprogramme element 1.1(Pressreleases) tooutput(viii)of programme element 1.7(Otheractivities). Anumberofdelegations questioned the rationale fortheselection oflanguages forradioprogrammes andaskedaboutthe criteria usedforitslanguage forecast. Onedelegation statedthatthephoto coverage indicated inoutput(i)inprogramme element 1.6(Photocoverage) should belimited onlytoregular andspecial sessions oftheGeneral Assembly and meetings oftheSecurity Council. 399.Therepresentative oftheDepartment replied thatoutput(viii)ofprogramY~ element 1.7wouldbebetterlistedunderprogramme element 1.1;thatinrespect of pressreleases, thetargetaudiences weremediarepresentatives ratherthanmembers oflegislative bodiesandthatsincethosepressreleases wereissuedwithinthree hoursofanygivenmeeting, quality andaccuracy wereoftensacrificed forthesake ofspeed;thattneoutputlistedunderprogramme element 1.2(Newsdispatches) couldbereformulated, sincetheInformation Service atViennadidnotsendout
analysis: The text appears to be discussing the proposed changes for the next biennium of the United Nations Department of Public Information, specifically regarding the restructuring of the Radio and Visual Services Division, the production of pamphlets and films, and the designation of priorities for public information activities. It seems to be more focused on the organizational and administrative aspects of the department's work, rather than specific issues related to economic development, natural resources, or other categories.