10 November 2005
IAPA URGES PASSAGE OF ORIGINAL RIGHT-TO-KNOW BILL
The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) has criticised Argentina's Senate for watering down a bill that would give citizens the right to access public records, ensure more government accountability and set an example for other Latin American countries to follow.
Last week, an IAPA delegation visited Argentina, where it met legislators from various parties and presented recommendations for improving access to information and press freedom.
The group expressed concern that the bill for a Law on Access to Public Information, passed in 2003 by the lower Chamber of Deputies, was being weakened by proposed Senate amendments which "lessen the transparency of government actions and do not allow for equal access to information."
IAPA said the original bill met international standards on freedom of expression and was the product of a consensus between press organisations and civil society groups. Among the amended version's many problems includes the requirement that a member of the public justify his or her request for information. If a request was refused, government officials would not need to explain their reasons.
IAPA also urged lawmakers to pass legislation removing libel from the Criminal Code, noting that Argentina promised the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) in 1999 that it would amend its laws to conform to the American Convention on Human Rights. Argentina is a signatory to the Convention.
IAPA says common law cases in Europe have established that imprisonment for defamation is a disproportionate penalty "because it interferes with and discourages freedom of expression while impacting negatively on the public?s right to know."
For more information, see:
- IAPA: http://www.sipiapa.com/pressreleases/chronologicaldetail.cfm?PressReleaseID=1515
- IAPA Report on Press Freedom in Argentina: http://www.sipiapa.org/pulications/informe_argentina2005o.cfm
- ARTICLE 19: http://www.article19.org/pdfs/analysis/argentina-access-to-public-information.pdf
- The Freedom of Information Campaign: http://freedominfo.org/case/argentina.htm
- American Convention on Human Rights: http://www.cidh.oas.org/Basicos/basic3.htm
- IACHR Declaration of Principles on Free Expression: http://www.cidh.oas.org/Basicos/principles.htm
RSS