62nd
General Assembly
Mexico City, Mexico
September 29 to October 3, 2006
Camino Real Hotel
Reports and Resolutions
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COLOMBIA
Resolution of the 62nd General Assembly
Mexico City, Mexico
September 29 – October 3, 2006
WHEREAS
yet another tax reform bill would impose a 10 percent tax on newsprint, advertising
in small newspapers, and circulars included with newspapers
WHEREAS
currently pending before Congress are proposed election laws that would place
restrictions related to advertising, the publication of poll results, and balanced
reporting
WHEREAS
the Senate addressed most of the requests from the Inter American Press Association
and the Colombian Newspaper Association (Andiarios) in connection with the new
Child Welfare Code, so that the media may be allowed to determine their content
freely and independently
WHEREAS
Congress defeated a bill that would have made it a crime for an editor or journalist
to publish an insulting or injurious statement (injuria), a false allegation
of a crime (calumnia), or any unfounded statement or controversial piece of
evidence
WHEREAS
Principle 5 of the Declaration of Chapultepec states: “Prior censorship,
restrictions on the circulation of the media or dissemination of their reports,
forced publication of information, the imposition of obstacles to the free flow
of news, and restrictions on the activities and movements of journalists directly
contradict freedom of the press”
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE IAPA RESOLVES
to invite Congress to refrain
from imposing new taxes on the press, eliminate all restrictions on political
and electoral advertising, and refuse in the future to consider any legislation
that would go against Colombia’s tradition of upholding press freedom,
constitutional rights, pluralism in the news, and the financial independence
of the media
to commend Congress for addressing the requests from the Inter American Press
Association and the Colombian Newspaper Association that it uphold press freedom
and the Constitution in considering the New Child Welfare Code, and for quashing
the bill on calumnia and injuria.
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