 |
 |
 |
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
||||
|
I
n t r o d u c t i o n b y
The
Declaration of Chapultepec came into being at the Hemisphere Conference
that the Inter American Press Association held at Chapultepec Castle
in Mexico City in March 1994, which brought together political leaders,
writers, academics, constitutional lawyers, editors and private
citizens from throughout the Americas to draft a document containing
10 principles necessary for a free press to be able to perform its
essential role in a democracy. More
than five years have passed since the document was drawn up and
adopted, during which time the Inter American Press Association
has been carrying out throughout the Americas an intense, wide-ranging
campaign to publicize those principles, all of them based on the
essential supposition that there must be no law or act of government
that limits free speech or press freedom, whatever the medium of
communication. While
it is true that this Declaration has now been signed by the leading
heads of state of the Western Hemisphere countries and it has become
a barometer to measure the extent of true freedom of the press in
each country, we see that such freedom has not in fact progressed,
despite the fact that the majority of the countries now have what
can be regarded as democratic governments. Because sometimes it
happens that politicians who proclaim their faith in democracy can
become intolerant of criticism, or other sectors of society unjustifiably
blame the press. Even more serious is the fact that judges with
limited vision order journalists to reveal their sources, which
should be kept confidential, or over-zealous officials deny access
to public records. Even the constitutions of certain democratic
nations contain provisions restricting the activities of the press. The
study comparing the Declaration of Chapultepec?s 10 principles with
legislation on the press in the region compiled in this book shows
only partial compliance with those principles. That is the regrettable
fact, despite there being consensus that a free press is a fundamental
prerequisite for societies to resolve their conflicts, promote their
well-being and protect their liberty, for ? as Principle One states
? no people or society can be free without freedom of expression
and of the press, and the exercise of this freedom is not something
authorities grant, but an inalienable right of the people. If
we had to define the importance of the Declaration of Chapultepec,
we would only have to say that its acceptance and compliance are
? by safeguarding free speech and press freedom ? the only path
to democracy, because if such freedoms are curtailed, all the others
will vanish. That is why the Inter American Press Association has
made it one of its missions to disseminate and raise awareness of
the Declaration, which in turn has engendered another major one
? the battle against the impunity surrounding crimes against journalists,
enshrined in Principle Four, which declares that such acts must
be investigated promptly and punished harshly. Given
this, it is imperative that the Declaration of Chapultepec be disseminated
throughout the region through national forums, and this task is
a duty not only for the men and women of the press but also for
the leaders in all sectors of the community, so that the people
of the Americas become increasingly aware of the rights and responsibilities
implicit in living in a democracy. I
do not want to close without thanking the Robert R. McCormick Tribune
Foundation for its vision in supporting and making this marvelous
project possible, which pursues what Javier Pérez de Cuéllar said
so well on chairing the Chapultepec Conference, ?The future of the
Americas faces an enormous challenge ? the defense and promotion
of freedom of expression as a vehicle for the defense and promotion
of democracy.?
|
questions
or comments? | |
