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NGO Access to Electronic Docs - Doc. 2 Problems of NGO Access to Electronic Document Archives at the UN
(2nd letter to Amb. Kamal)
February 28, 1997 Amb. Ahmad Kamal
Mission of Pakistan to the UN
8 East 65 Street
New York, NY 10021
Dear Ambassador Kamal:
I am writing with disturbing additional information about NGO access to the UN Optical Disk System (ODS). In my letter of February 7, I mentioned the planning then under way in DPI to charge an access fee. The ODS is a complete archive of all official UN documents, in all six official languages, and is a unique and invaluable resource.
The infrastructure for this system is now in place, and the system will soon be operational, but the price has been set at a level that is prohibitively high for the overwhelming majority of NGOs. To my knowledge, there has still been no consultation with NGOs about this important policy step.
Since you are specially concerned about the issues of NGO rights and effective technology use at the United Nations, I am sharing with you here the latest information as well as some reflections on policy.
Today I talked with Ms. Bashka Selwyn, a staff member of the DPI Publications Sales Department, on the staff of Ms. Susanna Johnston. She informed me as follows:
(1)the ODS system will become available as of Monday, March 3, 1997 on a subscription basis. Subscribers will log-in to the ODS site on the World Wide Web, enter a password, and then have complete access to ODS documentation.
(2)the ODS subscription rate has been set at US$1,500 per year, payable in full, in advance, by check or credit card. There will be a 25% discount (making a charge of $1,125 per year) for all NGOs accredited to DPI or ECOSOC. Proof of accreditation must be submitted along with a subscription application.
(3)those who wish to subscribe may do so by sending a check payable to "UN Publications" to: UN Publications, 2 UN Plaza, DC2-853, New York NY 10017 or may place an order by credit card at 963-8300. Access will be made available a day after the application is processed.
The high fee that has been set is unacceptably prohibitive to NGOs, which overwhelmingly operate on very small budgets. After several weeks of reflection on the issue of pricing, I am more convinced than ever that the fee should be rescinded and that there should be no charge whatever for NGO access.
Major arguments in favor of free access are as follows:
(1)UN Cost-Saving. Printed documents are expensive for the UN to produce and distribute; since the ODS system has already been set up, the marginal costs of NGO access will be very low – almost certainly lower than the savings from the switch from printed documents; maximum electronic dissemination of documents that NGOs would otherwise obtain in printed form will thus probably save the UN money; free dissemination of documents electronically will encourage NGOs to switch to this new system, thus probably lowering UN costs; conversely, a high charge will encourage NGOs to stay with the printed documents, probably keeping UN costs higher.
(2)NGO Rights and Privileges. NGOs have historically had the right to free copies of printed documents. To now impose a charge for document access would seem to be moving backward, at a time when additional rights and privileges are being extended to NGOs (in ECOSOC 1996/31 and in the current discussion about NGOs and the GA) and at a time when the importance of NGOs within the UN system is increasingly recognized.
(3)NGO Information Needs as UN System Partners. NGOs work increasingly closely with the UN system as partners in humanitarian relief, human rights, post-conflict building, development aid delivery and more. In this role, they need full and speedy access to UN documents, in many worldwide locations. ODS opens up this possibility, but expensive subscriptions will constrain the much-needed information flows.
(4)Public Information and Re-Dissemination. Many NGOs, including Global Policy Forum, are very active in informing the public about the work of the United Nations and in re-disseminating information and documents world-wide. The ODS opens up important new opportunities to NGOs working in this area. To charge a fee and discourage use is the equivalent of charging a fee for a press release – it is extremely counter-productive.
(5)Global Equity in Information Access. ODS opens up the possibility of greater equality of access to UN information by NGOs located at a distance from headquarters, particularly NGOs from countries of the South. Through this electronic system, an NGO in Karachi or Santiago or Cairo can get as complete and timely access as an NGO (or a Member State) with an office in New York. A fee will impose a specially heavy burden on Southern NGOs, block their access, and only accentuate the existing information inequities.
In light of these points, I would urge you, Mr. Ambassador, to raise the matter with Member States and the appropriate UN officials. You can be sure that the NGO community will express its views vigorously as this prohibitive information policy becomes better known. I am confident that under your leadership, we can reach a solution more consistent with UN policy, more favorable to NGO interests and more likely to strengthen the organization’s capacity, transparency and effectiveness.
Yours sincerely,
James A. Paul
Executive Director
cc: Amb. Razali, Mr. Sanbar, Ms. Sorensen, Ms. Forman, Ms. Adams, various NGOs
More Information on NGO Access at the UN
More Information on NGOs and the Official Documents System
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