Congressmen from throughout the Western Hemisphere
meet for the first time to discuss press freedom!

Dear IAPA members and friends:

The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) is pleased to organize the SUMMIT OF NATIONAL CONGRESSES OF THE AMERICAS ON FREEDOM OF THE PRESS with the goal of creating a dialogue between legislators and journalists to foster greater support for freedom of the press and of expression in the Americas.

The Summit will take place on May 9-11, 2004, at The Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., and will bring together legislators from the National Congresses of 23 countries in the Western Hemisphere, as well as newspaper editors and publishers, journalists, academics, jurists, and experts on press legislation.

The registration deadline is April 30, 2004. Please send us the attached registration form as soon as possible and indicate if you will need a hotel room at the Summit headquarters.

The Summit is part of the IAPA’s aim to foster a dialogue that provides for a better understanding of issues relating to the drafting and passing of laws dealing with the press and the exercise of journalism. During the meeting, lawmakers and journalists will exchange experiences on the media and legal regulations, the emerging inter-American doctrine on freedom of expression, access to information, among other issues.

One of the highlights of the conference will be a special workshop that will review the exceptions, responsibilities, duties, and implementation of laws on access to information, like the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in the United States that will incite dialogue between legislator and journalists about the practice of journalism and the implementation of these kinds of laws.

The Summit is being organized with funding from the Robert R. McCormick Tribune Foundation and support from the American University Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C.

PROGRAM

The Summit begins on Sunday, May 9, with a welcome cocktail and dinner. That evening, delegates will receive a special welcome from the U.S. Senate.

On Monday, May 10, the main session starts at 9:00 a.m. in The Mayflower Hotel’s Grand Ballroom. Summit Coordinator, Sergio Muñoz, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, will introduce the 23 legislators from the National Congresses of the Western Hemisphere, and explain the meeting procedures and agenda. Floyd Abrams, a renowned U.S. attorney and constitutionalist, will then give a special presentation on censorship. The day will continue with three plenary sessions on topics including media and legal regulations, the emerging inter-American doctrine on freedom of expression, and access to public information. There will be a special presentation during lunch by the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Roger F. Noriega. Finally, in the evening, the Law Librarian of the U.S. Library of Congress has invited everyone to enjoy a cocktail reception at the Great Hall of the Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress.

The Summit will continue on Tuesday, May 11, with a special workshop on the implementation of access to information laws using the U.S. Freedom of Information Act as a model. This will be followed by the closing luncheon at the Caucus Room of the Cannon Building of the U.S. House of Representatives with a special presentation by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) from Miami, Florida.


PLENARY SESSIONS

The Summit will include three plenary sessions examining current free press issues that are important to the National Congresses of Latin America today. They are:

• Plenary Session #1: “The Media and Legal Regulations: Legal liability of the media, directors and journalists, Criminal libel, privacy, and access to media.” Panelists will discuss legislative obstacles for the press and the interaction between Congressmen and the press. Invited panelists are: David Bralow, legal counsel from Tribune Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois; and former Peruvian Human Rights Ombudsman, Jorge Santistevan.

• Plenary Session #2: “The Emerging Inter-American Doctrine on Freedom of Expression.” This session will examine the principles of the Declaration of Chapultepec and Inter-American Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression, and their validity and use in the inter-American system. Invited panelists include: Asdrúbal Aguiar from the Andrés Bello Catholic University in Caracas, Venezuela; Eduardo Bertoni, Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression of the OAS Inter-American Commission on Human Rights; Danilo Arbilla, former IAPA president from the weekly Búsqueda, Montevideo, Uruguay; and Claudio Grossman, Dean of the American University Washington College of Law, Washington, D.C.

• Plenary Session #3: “Access to Information: Policy and Drafting.” This session will highlight one of the most prevalent barriers to freedom of the press in the region: access to public information. Several of the invited panelists include: Barbara Petersen from the Florida First Amendment Foundation and Carol Melamed, Vice President of Legal/Government Affairs of The Washington Post in Washington, D.C.

ACCESS TO INFORMATION WORKSHOP

One of the highlights of the Summit will be the special workshop on access to information based on the U.S. FOIA (“Freedom of Information Act”). Delegates will breakdown in groups to discuss exceptions, and responsibilities, duties, and implementation of laws on access to information. The session will end with a final draft that will serve as a model for legislators to use in their own National Congresses.

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

The IAPA has organized three exciting social activities during the Summit. On Sunday, May 9, delegates are invited to a welcome cocktail and dinner on the top floor of the Washington College of Law Building at the American University in the upscale, residential neighborhood of Northwest Washington, D.C.

On Monday, May 10, there will be a cocktail reception at the Great Hall of the Library of Congress. The Library is the nation's oldest federal cultural institution, and it serves as the research arm of Congress. It is also the largest library in the world, with more than 126 million items on approximately 530 miles of bookshelves. The collections include nearly 19 million books, 2.6 million recordings, 12 million photographs, 4.8 million maps, and 56 million manuscripts. The Library's mission is to make its resources available and useful to the Congress and the American people and to sustain and preserve a universal collection of knowledge and creativity for future generations.

On Tuesday, May 11, the Summit will end with a luncheon in the Caucus Room of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Caucus Room, located in the Cannon Building right in front of the U.S. Capitol, is the oldest and largest congressional office building. The room is the venue of important Congressional hearings and other political functions. Following lunch, everyone will be invited to participate in an official group photograph on the front steps of the U.S. Capitol Building. Then delegates will be offered special tours of the Capitol Building. The U.S. Capitol is among the most architecturally impressive and symbolically important buildings in the world. It has housed the meeting chambers of the Senate and the House of Representatives for almost two centuries. Begun in 1793, the Capitol has been built, burnt, rebuilt, extended, and restored; today, it stands as a monument not only to its builders but also to the American people and their government.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Washington, the District of Columbia, was founded in 1791 as the world's first planned national capital. It is a city of unforgettable memorials; a place where the striking image of the Washington Monument is never far from sight and the stirring memories of a young democratic republic are never far from mind. The capital's attractions are more than just governmental, though; visitors will find first-class theaters, music, parks and gardens, and the many museums of the Smithsonian Institution. Washington is a showcase city that, like America itself, opens its arms to everyone.

The location of the city that calls to mind politicking, back-scratching, and delicate diplomatic maneuvering is itself the result of a compromise. Tired of its nomadic existence after having set up shop in eight locations, Congress voted in 1785 to establish a permanent "Federal town." George Washington himself selected the site of the capital, a diamond-shape, 100-square-mile plot not far from his estate at Mount Vernon. Pierre-Charles L'Enfant, a French engineer who had fought in the Revolution, created the classic plan for the city.

The Civil War -- and every war thereafter -- energized the city, by attracting thousands of new residents and spurring building booms that extended the capital in all directions. Streets were paved in the 1870s, and the first streetcars ran in the 1880s. Memorials to famous Americans like Lincoln and Jefferson were built in the first decades of the 20th century, along with the massive Federal Triangle, a monument to thousands of less-famous government workers.

Though the federal government dominates many of the city's activities and buildings, there are places where you can leave politics behind. Unlike other large cities, Washington is not dominated by skyscrapers, largely because in 1910 Congress passed a height-restrictions act to prevent federal monuments from being overshadowed by commercial construction. Its buildings stretch out gracefully and are never far from expanses of green. Like its main industry, politics, Washington's design is a constantly changing kaleidoscope that invites contemplation from all angles.

HOTEL MAYFLOWER

The Summit will be held at The Mayflower Hotel, situated only blocks away from The White House in downtown Washington, D.C. It is important that you let us know if you will be needing a hotel room before the deadline of April 12, 2004.

When The Mayflower Hotel opened on February 18, 1925, Washington witnessed the unveiling of a monument to elegance and opulence. From the very beginning, The Mayflower became the focal point for many of Washington’s top social and political functions. In its 70-year history, The Mayflower has housed heads of state from every continent, members of Congress and the Supreme Court, diplomats, industrialists, stars of Broadway and Hollywood, artists, debutantes, and tourists from every corner of the world. Even a partial list of the notables who have graced The Mayflower over the years dazzles: Charles Lindbergh, Winston Churchill, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Spencer Tracy, Bette Davis, and Frank Sinatra, to name a few.

The Mayflower served as a magnificent venue for every presidential inaugural ball from Calvin Coolidge to George W. Bush. But The Mayflower was more than just a place to party for our nation’s leaders. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was so enamored of The Mayflower that he chose the hotel as the headquarters for his staff of close advisors and as the living quarters for his family before taking up residence in The White House. And it was at The Mayflower where, faced with the daunting task of inspiring a nation deep in the throes of the Great Depression, FDR penned the speech reassuring us, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Like his predecessor, Harry Truman thought of The Mayflower as his home away from home, fondly dubbing it “Washington’s Second Best Address”. On November 7, 1983, the U.S. National Park Service listed The Mayflower in the Register of Historical Places, thereby certifying it as a National Landmark.

Centrally located in the heart of Washington, D.C.’s shopping and business districts, only four blocks from the White House, the newly, renovated Renaissance Mayflower Hotel, with 660 elegant guest rooms and 80 individually decorated suites, brings together all the prestige, splendor and history that characterizes our nation’s capital. It is once again the Grande Dame of Connecticut Avenue. Restored to its original grandeur – highlighted by opulent gilded ceilings, imported Italian marble and ornate carved millwork – the 10-story hotel offers first-class amenities and every conceivable comfort.

The hotel offers a variety of services, including multilingual concierge staff, twice-daily maid service, complimentary overnight shoeshine service, a currency exchange, and 24-hour in-room dining. The Mayflower also offers a rich tradition of dining excellence with the Café Promenade, the hotel’s newly updated specialty restaurant, the Town and Country Bar, with a warm English-club atmosphere for light dining and evening piano entertainment, and the Lobby Court, an intimate stop for cocktails and refreshments. The hotel also provides a fully-equipped health club that caters to fitness enthusiasts and leisure travelers.

TRAVEL INFORMATION

There are three major airports all within 35 miles of Washington, D.C. By far the most convenient airport for Washington visitors is Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, which is just a few minutes from downtown Washington. Washington Dulles International Airport is in Herndon, Virginia, 25 miles (40km) west of Washington. Baltimore-Washington International Airport is located in Maryland, 10 miles (16km) south of downtown Baltimore and 30 miles (48km) northeast of Washington. A taxi ride from Reagan National Airport costs approximately $12, and from either Washington Dulles or Baltimore-Washington Airport, the taxi fare is approximately $40. Both Washington Dulles and Baltimore-Washington airports offer discounted shuttle service to downtown Washington for approximately $26. Please contact your travel agent for more details on ground transportation upon arrival.

The SUMMIT OF NATIONAL CONGRESSES OF THE AMERICAS ON FREEDOM OF THE PRESS will certainly be a historic and memorable event for our organization. Please send in your registration and hotel reservation form early to ensure your spot. Be sure to join your colleagues from throughout the world in this important meeting in this special place.

We want you to be there!

Sincerely,

Julio E. Muñoz, Ph.D
Executive Director