Miami (September 29, 2004).- The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) sent
a letter to the Argentine Senate containing its considerations on the legislative
bill on access to public information currently being debated in that Congressional
Chamber.
In the document sent yesterday to the Argentine Senate Committee on Constitutional
Affairs, which has been studying various access to public information bills,
IAPA President Jack Fuller emphasized that a debate on these laws is a significant
step for strengthening democracy and is necessary for the development of society.
Fuller, from Tribune Publishing Company, headquartered in Chicago, supported
his statement by citing Principle 3 of the Declaration of Chapultepec, a document
on freedom of the press and of expression, that states that authorities must
be compelled by law to make available in a timely and reasonable manner the
information generated by the public sector.
The IAPA president brought to the attention of the Argentine Senate a series
of considerations on legislation on access to public information that came from
the Summit of National Congresses of the Americas on Freedom of the Press, held
last May, in Washington D.C.
Among the document’s considerations is a duty to openness and utmost transparency
in official meetings, a specific and limited number of exceptions, a procedure
to deliver information quickly and at a low cost, and an oversight procedure
to ensure compliance by employees that restrict information.
Fuller explained that the IAPA will be watching the Senate debate on the bill
and that the organization will examine - during its upcoming General Assembly
on October 22-26, in Antigua, Guatemala – the possibility of sending an
international delegation to Argentina.
To review the complete text of the Considerations on Legislation for Access
to Public Records, please visit: http://www.sipiapa.com/summit/index_attach.htm
