A/RES/55/136 23. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure that information presented to the media is made available to delegations fully and in a timely fashion; 24. Reaffirms the importance attached by Member States to the role of United Nations information centres and information components in effectively and comprehensively disseminating information in all parts of the world, in particular in developing countries and countries in transition, and especially in those countries where there is need for a better understanding of United Nations activities; 25. Also reaffirms the importance of all United Nations information centres meeting the primary objectives outlined by the Committee on Information in its report on its ninth session; 7 26. Emphasizes that resources should be commensurate with the mandated programmes and activities of the United Nations information centres to ensure their full and effective implementation, expresses deep disappointment at the reduction of more than 40 per cent in the staffing of the information centres between the early and closing years of the last decade, and, in this context, acknowledges the generous contributions by several host Governments, as well as the partnership with the United Nations Development Programme and other United Nations system and local partners, to maintain the present level of operations of the information centres; 27. Takes note of the reports of the Secretary-General on the United Nations information centres 8 and requests him to continue, if feasible and on a case-by-case basis, the integration policy in a cost-effective manner, taking into account the views of the host countries to ensure that the information functions and the autonomy of United Nations information centres are not adversely affected, to meet the policy’s stated objective of improving the provision of information by the United Nations, and, in this regard, requests him to continue his efforts to address the problems that affect the centres; 28. Also takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the integration of United Nations information centres with field offices of the United Nations Development Programme, 9 requests him to implement the views and opinions of the host Governments concerned, as expressed in their replies to the questionnaire provided by the Secretariat, and also requests him to report to the Committee on Information at its twenty-third session on the steps taken in this regard; 29. Further takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the guidelines for the functioning of the United Nations information centres integrated with the field offices of the United Nations Development Programme; 10 30. Reaffirms the role of the General Assembly in relation to the opening of new United Nations information centres, invites the Secretary-General to make such recommendations as he may consider necessary regarding the establishment and location of such centres, and, in this regard, welcomes the requests by Croatia, Gabon, Guinea, Haiti, Jamaica and Kyrgyzstan for information centres or information components; 7 Official Records of the General Assembly, Forty-second Session, Supplement No. 21 (A/42/21), sect. III.D. 8 A/AC.198/2000/3-A/AC.198/2000/5. 9 A/AC.198/2000/3. 10 A/AC.198/2000/4. 6