St. Petersburg: Oman News Agency (ONA) attended in the Organization of AsiaPacific News Agencies (OANA) General Assembly meeting on Thursday in St. Petersburg, Russia, themed "News Agencies and the Challenges of the Modern World.
The event, attended by over 40 government and private news agencies, coincides with the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, a two-day meeting hosted under the auspices of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In his opening statement, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressed the important function of news agencies in providing trustworthy journalism and combating disinformation, especially in light of today's quickly changing worldwide developments.
Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, emphasized the significance of safeguarding reporters in conflict areas, particularly during armed conflicts, due to their critical function in reporting reality and revealing the humanitarian suffering inflicted on war victims.
The OANA General Assembly discussed important issues such as the dangers of disinformation and its influence on news credibility—especially with the advent of artificial intelligence technology—as well as the experiences of international agencies switching from traditional broadcasting to digital platforms in a time of rapid media innovation.
The agenda also included votes on the Executive Council membership for 2025-2028, the creation of the Technical and Ethical Committee for the same term, and the OANA Presidential Board for 2028-2031. Furthermore, the assembly confirmed election results for the new OANA President and Secretary General, presented honors, and approved Executive and Technical Council reports, as well as the appointment of vice presidents.
