CANADA

57th General Assembly Washington, DC October 12 – 16, 2001 CANADA WHEREAS The Canadian Supreme Court has ruled that the government may limit free speech in the name of such goals as ending discrimination, ensuring social harmony or promoting gender equality WHEREAS Principle 1 of the Declaration of Chapultepec says, “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,” and Principle 5 says, “Prior censorship, restrictions on the circulation of the media or dissemination of their reports, forced publication of information, the imposition of obstacles to the free flow of news, and restrictions on the activities and movements of journalists directly contradict freedom of the press” THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE IAPA RESOLVES to urge the Court to uphold the values of free speech and the applicable government bodies to take the action required for those rulings to be rescinded.