WHEREAS
the Constitutional Court recognized journalistic activity by upholding the validity of several articles of the bill “though which the journalism profession is legally recognized” and declared unconstitutional those articles that might lead to the establishment of prerequisites for its practice

WHEREAS
Congress is considering an amendment to the National Election Code that restricts freedom of speech by banning the dissemination of advertising or opinion polls on election day

WHEREAS
Congress is debating an amendment to the Child Welfare Code that imposes requirements on the media in terms of content, reestablishing bans and restrictions

WHEREAS
the tax reform bill reintroduces the tax on newsprint, newspaper copies, and imported books and magazines, as well as taxes on advertising in small newspapers, reducing the opportunities for the creation of new print media outlets and the serious consequences this entails

WHEREAS
other bills being debated by Congress, which include the creation of a television oversight board, reforms to the justice system and the "Habeas Data" bill concerning freedom of information requests, might abridge freedom of the press

WHEREAS
Principle 1 of the Declaration of Chapultepec states, "No people or society can be free without freedom of expression and of the press, The exercise of this freedom is not something authorities grant, it is an inalienable right of the people

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE IAPA RESOLVES

to recognize the consistent work of the Constitutional Court in protecting the fundamental principles for a free and independent journalism

to urge the Colombian Congress that laws be created and approved in keeping with the Colombian tradition of respect for freedom of the press and that international treaties, as well as constitutional standards be upheld.