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Press Release

Meeting of Government Spokespersons of the OAS Member States
Successfully Concludes in Chile

The meeting of Information Ministers and communications leaders of the Hemisphere sponsored by the Organization of American States (OAS), and hosted by the Secretary General of the Government of Chile, concluded today in Santiago, Chile, with a lively and spirited exchange of views on the most critical issues facing the region.

The conference consisted of a series of panel sessions and roundtables in which communication leaders from the Hemisphere actively shared experiences and knowledge in order to improve the channels of communication between governments and their citizens.

Recognizing the important role of the media in promoting a democratic culture, the meeting served as the perfect forum through which political leaders, communications experts and Information Ministers debated such crucial issues as access to public information, freedom of expression, human rights, gender equality, democracy, transparency, security and poverty. It also served to establish a network of prominent individuals from public information sectors who can jointly tackle the communications challenges that they face in the 21st century.

The conference also discussed in detail information on the upcoming Fourth Summit of the Americas. At this Summit, which will be held in Mar de Plata, Argentina, on November 4 and 5, the 34 democratically elected Presidents and Prime Ministers of the Hemisphere will focus on the theme of “Creating Jobs to Fight Poverty and Strengthen Democratic Governance.” OAS Director of Communications and External Relations, Irene Klinger, said that “it is critical for the leading communicators of the 34 Member States of the region to understand the Summit objectives because they will have to effectively communicate its results to their fellow citizens in order to gain support for the major initiatives that they will need to undertake”.

In Santiago, regional government spokespersons spoke of their appreciation for participating in the meeting since it enabled them to increase their awareness of the critical issues facing their governments and to uncover new strategies to facilitate access to information in their respective countries. Attendees emphasized their keen interest in continuing to have such a channel through which they can exchange experiences and develop new skills in the communication field.

The meeting took place in the framework of Resolution 2121 on “Access to Public Information: Strengthening Democracy” of the General Assembly of the OAS in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 2005. That resolution recognized that “democracy is strengthened through full respect for freedom of expression, access to public information, and the free dissemination of ideas” and it called for Member States to, among other things, “prepare and/or adjust their legal and regulatory frameworks, as appropriate, so as to provide the citizenry with broad access to public information.” The Resolution also called on the Permanent Council to “convene a special meeting with the participation of experts from the states and civil society representatives to promote, impart, and exchange experiences and knowledge with respect to access to public information and its relationship with citizen participation.” Immediately acting on that resolution shortly after his recent election, OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza called for the regional communication leaders to convene in Santiago this week.

The meeting was held at the headquarters of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and was hosted by the Ministry General Secretariat of Government of Chile.

Reference: E-174/05