08 Sep 2025 Reinventing multilateralism through communication rights

Have you ever read through the agenda of a United Nations General Assembly?

The 80th regular session of the General Assembly opens tomorrow, 9 September. Under the theme, “Better Together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights,” the provisional agenda has 174 main items.

Some items, of course, are quickly ticked off the list, such as the “Minute of silent prayer or meditation (rule 62).” Others, such as the 56 proposed resolutions among the 38 agenda items under “Maintenance of international peace and security” will no doubt move, or not move, through the committees and processes of the year-long regular session.

Media attention will focus on the high-level week (22–30 September) when attention turns to interventions by Heads of State and Government. Inevitably, these statements will at times contrast with the UN vision of multilateralism, with forceful justifications of governments’ own actions – actions that violate approved UN resolutions and commitments.

The focus of the high-level week will be on “the urgency of delivering on the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals and reinvigorating global cooperation” – a tall order given the state of international affairs and the 2030 deadline to achieve the 16 ambitious targets.

WACC, with the publication of the 2025 Global Media Monitoring Project Highlights of Findings on 4 September, have already demonstrated that just one of the markers towards SDG 5 Gender Equality – equal representation of women and men in the news media – remains far out of reach.

WACC’s call in response – for a radical strategic shift in approach – has to be considered, for all the UN’s celebration of the achievements of the past 80 years, as we look at the path ahead in the face of economic, technological, and political power shifts.

For example, while the launch of the Global Dialogue on AI Governance on 25 September seems vital, can it move fast and strong enough to counter tech companies’ political spending and Trump’s determination to have the US be the big AI superpower ( “We can’t stop it with foolish rules.”)?

The bottom line is that the vision is sound – “that peace is possible when humanity stands together” – as stated by UN Secretary General António Guterres. But new, radical approaches need to be identified and explored to bring that unity of purpose.

For those radical approaches, we have to look at those who most desire peace – the ordinary people and communities exploited by the wealthy; marginalized by the powerful; victimized by stereotypes; starved, wounded, and killed by hatred and fear. There can be no more radical shift than that.  Impossible, too, no doubt.

But those of us who champion communication rights are fundamentally proposing just that – everyone should be seen and heard, everyone should participate in the decisions that affect them, everyone deserves accurate information and education, everyone is equal and deserving of respect.

Perhaps the radical shift needed for future constructive multilaterialism is just that– focus on communication in all its forms. Prioritize communication access, affordability, participation, equality, transparency, accountability. Promote knowledge, understanding, and inclusion. Listen to diverse voices, elevate facts, learn from others.

So, let’s be ever more radical. Let’s defend the right to communicate. Let’s demonstrate that “standing together” at its basic level requires communication. That’s the only path forward for multilateralism.

Image: GMMP 2025