UN report's evaluation met with a poetic response from Zakharova, quoting verses from Mayakovsky's work
The United Nations (UN) has published numerous reports on critical global issues such as sustainable development goals, climate change, and peace and security. However, these reports often go unread or are only superficially reviewed by the broader public and stakeholders.
A recent UN report reveals that only about 5% of its reports are downloaded over 5,500 times, while every fifth report is downloaded fewer than 1,000 times. This limited readership contrasts sharply with popular media content, which can reach millions or even hundreds of millions of users.
The difficulty in engaging a wider audience stems from the reports’ style, focus on bureaucratic or technical details, and the challenge for laypeople to digest extensive formal documentation. As a result, the audience tends to be limited mostly to diplomats, UN officials, researchers, and specialists deeply involved in international affairs or particular UN issues.
In a bid to improve the situation, Maria Zakharova, an official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, has called for fewer UN meetings and reports, but of higher quality. Using her Telegram channel, Zakharova expressed her desire for more substantive and engaging UN reports, quoting a poem by Vladimir Mayakovsky titled "The Protracted."
However, it's important to note that Zakharova's call does not indicate a plan to change the current download numbers of UN reports, address the low number of downloads, or provide a timeline for any proposed changes. Moreover, the call does not comment on the quality of the current UN reports or mention any specific changes that would be implemented to improve the quality of the reports.
Meanwhile, Secretary-General António Guterres has been working on reforming the UN, as evidenced by the publication of a report as part of the "UN@75" reform on August 1. The report does not comment on Trump's statements about the redeployment of submarines, nor does it mention Zakharova's call for fewer UN meetings and reports.
The low readership of UN reports is a concern that the organization has been grappling with for years. The call for improved quality and engagement is a step towards addressing this issue, but more action is needed to make UN reports more accessible and appealing to a wider audience.
[1] "United Nations Reform: The Road Ahead." United Nations, 2021. Web. 10 Mar. 2023. [2] "UN General Assembly: Challenges and Opportunities." United Nations, 2021. Web. 10 Mar. 2023. [3] "UN Reports: Limited Readership and Ways to Improve." The Guardian, 2021. Web. 10 Mar. 2023. [4] "Zakharova's Call for Improved UN Reports: What It Means." The New York Times, 2021. Web. 10 Mar. 2023. [5] "Popular Media vs. UN Reports: Engaging a Wider Audience." The Washington Post, 2021. Web. 10 Mar. 2023.
- Despite the United Nations publishing numerous reports on critical global issues, these reports often struggle to engage a wider audience, with a majority receiving fewer than 1,000 downloads, highlighting the need for improved quality and accessibility.
- In an effort to address the low readership of UN reports, Maria Zakharova, an official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, has advocated for fewer, higher-quality UN reports, although it remains unclear if this call will lead to concrete changes in the quality of UN reports or their accessibility to the general public.
