Page images
PDF
EPUB

3. The following are additional actions and recommendations, some of which are being implemented, while others require further study and will be discussed in detail in the followup report:

(a) Increase the number of personnel exchanges conducted between the Department of State and domestic agencies with international programs;

(b) Establish a program of consultations in the science and technology area for Ambassadors, Deputy Chiefs of Mission, and other senior officers of the Department of State and Foreign Service;

(c) Interest greater numbers of Foreign Service officers in either attending short "awareness" seminars or presentations in science and technology related areas;

(d) Increase from one to two or three the number of midlevel FSO's attending advanced university training each year in the interaction of science, technology, and foreign policy, and assure that at the end of the academic year they are assigned to a science and technology related position;

(e) Allocate one science and technology slot in the senior university training program for a senior officer;

(f) Give further study to the advantages of lengthening the basic Foreign Service Institute course on science, technology, and foreign affairs from 1 week to 4 weeks;

(g) Give greater emphasis in Foreign Service recruitment and career advisory programs to the opportunities open to candidates who can combine a background in science and technology with aptitudes for applying it to the political, economic, and managerial responsibilities of the Department of State;

(h) Make domestic and technical agencies aware of the training opportunities available at the Foreign Service Institute.

SECTION 601

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS POLICY

I. INTRODUCTION

This report, submitted pursuant to Section 601 of Public Law 95426, addresses overall United States policy with respect to major international communications issues. Specifically, these issues include: -The recently adopted UNESCO mass media declaration and related UNESCO issues.

-The review of worldwide radio frequency allocations at the 1979 World Administrative Radio Conference (WARC 79). -Consideration by the U.N. Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space of principles to govern the international operations of direct broadcast satellites (DBS).

-International issues related to transborder flows of data between computers.

-Communications assistance to developing countries.

This report examines the relationships among these issues; describes U.S. interests, objectives, positions, and methods of coordination with respect to each.

THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATIONS ISSUES

Communications, used broadly to include the exchange of information, has assumed new importance in recent years. Although international conventions on the subject go back to the 19th century, the need previously was to reach technical accommodation. That need continues. In addition, communications issues are increasingly political and economic.

Ideological issues

Since the end of World War II, the United States and its democratic allies have strongly supported the free flow of information, as expressed by Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which asserts the right of everyone "to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." We consider this principle an important part of our renewed commitment to human rights as a central element of our foreign policy. Many countries, however, resist the principle of Article 19. Communist and other totalitarian regimes are concerned that the unrestricted flow of information across their borders may erode their authority. Developing countries worry about the erosion of traditional values and culture and deplore their dependence on "foreign" (i.e., Western) information systems.

Political issues

The primary political issue is between North and South. In international communications, facilities and programming, as in other economic areas, the industrialized countries of the North are dominant. Developing countries lack planning, finances, technical, and administrative expertise, as well as trained journalists and editors to rapidly change this situation. They resent the perceived communications imbalance.

Third World attempts to reduce this imbalance and resistance to the principle of Article 19, affect primarily three international communications issues:

-Developing countries seek within UNESCO financial and promotional measures designed to improve their communications abilities.

-In the U.N. debate on direct broadcast satellites, Third World countries argue for a "prior consent" rule to enable them to prohibit transmissions to their home TV screens from foreign sources, and particularly from the relatively few developed countries that produce TV programs even though technically such a "direct" transmission without communicating through centralized receiving facilities (under government regulation) is not practical.

-In preparation for the 1979 WARC, developing countries have indicated that they will seek a larger share of the world's radio frequencies and satellite parking spaces--the latter being an inappropriate topic for WARC.

Drawing on their experience in other international economic negotiations, these countries have become increasingly political and organized in pressing their positions.

UNESCO, the ITU, and the U.N. Outer Space Committee have also become forums for the ideological and political struggle between East and West. The Soviets initiated the effort to obtain a prior consent rule for DBS and the initial draft mass media declaration for restricting the media. Because developing countries share to varying degrees Soviet desires for restrictions on the free flow of information, their interests on information are often aligned, although clearly in the last U.N. Outer Space Committee debate over DBS, there were totally divided views and no emerging majority view.

Although we differ with some of our allies on the DBS issue, these differences are not essentially ideological. As reflected in disputes about international facilities planning and transborder data flows, differences with European countries involve primarily economic issues, approaches to planning, and perceptions of national goals.

U.S. INTERESTS

The United States has national security, political, ideological, economic, and technological stakes in international communications.

Our national security is dependent on advanced telecommunications systems. Politically, we are committed to a broad exchange of information both domestically and internationally.

Our economic interest is obvious: our industrial base relies on adequate communications; large corporations have become increasingly

[ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors]

dependent on world-wide computer circuits. Moreover, the United States is the world's largest producer and consumer of telecommunication equipment and services. (Exports of communications/computers and auxiliary hardware exceed $5 billion per year.)

Technologically, the United States holds a lead in most areas of satellite communications, in fiber optic communications (along with Japan) and in very large electronic switching systems. In other areas of basic communications technology, such as microwave transmission systems or satellite earth stations, the United States, Japan and Western Europe are roughly equivalent technologically. In computer and data communications and in their applications the United States is commercially dominant.

COORDINATION

Given the current dimensions of communications issues, the importance of these issues to the United States, and the increasing effectiveness of Third World countries in pressing their positions in international forums, the United States is paying more attention to this area than it has in the past. More Executive Branch resources are being allocated to communications issues; and policy is being coordinated at higher levels of government and approved at the highest level. During 1977 and 1978, several steps were taken to provide an improved framework for coordinated policymaking in international communications:

-The National Telecommunications and Information Administration was established within the Department of Commerce; -The International Communication Agency was established; -Responsibility for the implementation of international communications policy was assigned by the Secretary to the Deputy Secretary of State, who is working closely with other interested agencies; the Deputy Secretary has established an intradepartmental group at the Deputy Assistant Secretary level to ensure systematic coordination of international communications issues; -A Chairman of the U.S. Delegation to the 1979 World Administrative Radio Conference was named, and an initial delegation group formed;

-A public advisory committee was established to provide for comprehensive non-governmental, participation in preparations for the 1979 WARC;

-An overall policy review of international communications issues was undertaken by the Administration and awaits final approval;

-An NSC Working Group on International Communications Policy was formed to ensure the proper coordination among Executive Branch agencies on day-to-day international communications policy issues and activities, including U.S. participation in international communication conferences.

Many executive branch agencies have specific interests in international telecommunications. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the Department of State and the International Communication Agency (ICA) have primary policy responsibility.

WARC, UNESCO, direct broadcast satellites, and transborder data flow are related, even though they are dealt with in separate forums and, to some extent, raise different issues. The U.S. approach to these negotiations is coordinated at the highest levels of the agencies described above. In addition, individual offices at State, Commerce, the FCC and elsewhere, working on different communications issues are in frequent contact-both formally through task forces and working groups, and informally.

This integrated structure for policymaking has already proved itself in action at the November 1978 UNESCO General Conference. General guidelines for the U.S. position were, after consultation with Congress, the public, and media leaders, laid down last summer by an interdepartmental group reporting to the Deputy Secretary of State. Detailed implementation was coordinated by an NSC working group. The Chairman of the U.S. Delegation in Paris was the Director of the International Communication Agency, reflecting his own Presidential mandate to help develop comprehensive international communication policies serving the interests of both the United States and other nations. Throughout the Conference Chairman Reinhardt worked in close partnership with the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs and his backup team in Washington, who reviewed and obtained interagency clearance for negotiation positions being developed in Paris. As discussed in Part II of this report, the result both conformed to political realities and achieved key U.S. objectives.

II. UNESCO ISSUES

BACKGROUND

The North/South imbalance in communications affects three negotiations, but the political rhetoric has been most openly and sharply expressed within UNESCO. Third World leaders are concerned about an "imbalance in information flows" and about their lack of adequate communications and information facilities and skills. They note that the flow of information between North and South is one-sided; that the major news agencies (AP, UPI, Reuters, Agence-France Presse, and TASS) distribute far more news on developed countries than about the developing world; and that they are overwhelmingly passive recipients of news, entertainment and information, rather than producers.

They express frustration over their extremely limited access to the transmitting end of the global communications apparatus, which they see as controlled and exploited by the developed countries in their own interest.

Third World leaders believe that the Western news agencies emphasize the violent and sensational in covering events in developing countries, and they regard Western domination of the media as a threat to their ability to preserve traditional values and to develop national pride. Some even claim that allowing foreign journalists free rein will destabilize their government.

Some of these concerns are rhetorical, and some reflect different values and attitudes. In part, Third World concerns are real: We may disagree strongly with rhetorical claims of "cultural imperialism,"

« PreviousContinue »