ECUADOR

WHEREAS
the National Congress of Ecuador approved a bill on freedom of information or transparency, which was proposed by the Ecuadorean Association of Newspaper Publishers, after the first debate

WHEREAS
this law will facilitate the fight against corruption in Ecuadorean society and will require agencies that receive state funds to make public and transparent those modifications, negotiations and processes that affect citizens

WHEREAS
President Lucio Gutiérrez recently reaffirmed the Declaration of Chapultepec and agreed to support and guarantee the freedom of the press and freedom of expression

WHEREAS
the Supreme Court decided to begin a process of judicial reform, and the possible politicization of the judicial system has been widely debated in recent months

WHEREAS
Principle 3 of the Declaration of Chapultepec states: “The authorities must be compelled by law to make available in a timely and reasonable manner the information generated by the public sector. No journalist may be forced to reveal his or her sources of information.”

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE IAPA RESOLVES
to ask Congress and President Lucio Gutiérrez to expedite the second debate and passage of the Freedom of Information or Transparency Law

to ask Congress and President Lucio Gutiérrez to eliminate all provisions in criminal law that infringe on freedom of the press, as well as the system of mandatory licensing and other measures that compromise the free exercise of journalistic activity.

to express its concern about the interference of political interests in the judicial system which harms freedom of press and expression and is an obstacle to the flow of news and opinions.