MEXICO I

MEXICO-I WHEREAS President-elect Vicente Fox has said he will keep citizens informed of all government actions, which would be a complete change in the official communications policy WHEREAS a special transition commission, named by the new president-elect, is studying the possibility of giving constitutional status to this decision guaranteeing citizens access to public information WHEREAS these regulations will require the federal government to insist that its officials and employees provide citizens with the information they request about public activities WHEREAS this legal change would benefit the climate of freedom of expression and the press in Mexico WHEREAS Principle 3 of the Declaration of Chapultepec states that, “the authorities must be compelled by law to make available in a timely and reasonable manner the information generated by the public sector; no journalist may be forced to reveal his or her sources of information” THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE IAPA RESOLVES to support this decision of President-elect Vicente Fox and the possibility that legal changes will enact them to invite the media to participate in this process, to improve it and at the same time to be vigilant that the new regulations do not affect press freedom in Mexico.