Persons in charge of the presentations:
Maria Celina Conte, Acting Director, Summits Secretariat, OAS
Amb. James Lambert, Secretary for Hemispheric Affairs, OAS
Jon Piechowski, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Diplomacy, Bureau of Western Hemispheric Affairs, United States Department of State
Agustina Del Campo, Director of the Center for Studies on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information (CELE) at the University of Palermo, Argentina
Monica Baró, Cuban freelance journalist
Carlos Fernando Chamorro, Nicaraguan investigative journalist
Luz Mely Reyes, Venezuelan independent journalist, Director and co-founder of the digital portal Efecto Cocuyo
Mr. Pedro Jose Vaca Villareal, Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression (RELE) of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR)
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What challenges is journalism currently facing, how long before it becomes extinct, how close is it to being seized and what horizons does the press have?
What censorship mechanisms persist without being resolved, what mechanisms have become more sophisticated?
On the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the inception and implementation of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, the Summits Secretariat, in its capacity as Technical Secretariat of the Summits of the Americas Process, and the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression invite you to an exchange of ideas, to address the conditions for the right to exercise the freedom of thought and expression in the Americas.
Within the framework of the Follow-up and Implementation of the Eighth Summit of the Americas, and in preparation towards the Ninth Summit of the Americas, this seminar is an opportunity to establish a direct dialogue with the relevant actors, including:
- Associations of journalists
- Investigative journalists promoting agendas at the regional level
- International organizations on the subject
- Think tanks interested in the protection of freedom of expression
Introduction and Welcome
- Maria Celina Conte, Director a.i., Summits of the Americas Secretariat
- Ambassador James Lambert, Secretary for Hemispheric Affairs of the Organization of American States
- Jon Piechowski, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Diplomacy, Bureau of Western Hemispheric Affairs, United States Department of State
Main speakers include:
- Agustina Del Campo, Director of the Center for Studies on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information (CELE) at the University of Palermo, Argentina.
- Monica Baró, Cuban freelance journalist
- Carlos Fernando Chamorro, Nicaraguan investigative journalist
- Luz Mely Reyes, Venezuelan independent journalist, Director and co-founder of the digital portal Efecto Cocuyo
The session will be moderated by Mr. Pedro Jose Vaca Villareal, Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the CIDH, who will also be a speaker.
The Summits of the Americas Secretariat is the Technical Secretariat and institutional memory of the Summits of the Americas Process. For more information: http://www.summit-americas.org/default_en.htm