Second Meeting of Government Spokespersons of the Member States of the Organization of American States
Department of External Relations
of the
Organization of American States
Montevideo, Uruguay
June 14 - 15, 2007
This meeting is made possible thanks to the financial contributions of the Open Society Institute Foundation and of China, as well as to in-kind contributions of the Organization of American States and the government of uruguay
Contents
Agenda...... I
Annotated Agenda...... II
Spokespersons...... III
Members of the Panels...... IV
Organizers...... V
Open society Institute Foundation...... VI
China...... VII
About the OAS...... VIII
I. Agenda
Second Meeting of Government Spokespersons of the Member States of the OAS
Sheraton Hotel Punta Carretas, Montevideo, Uruguay
June 14 – 15, 2007
June 14, 20078:00
9:00 - 10:00 am / Registration Lobby Sheraton Hotel
Inaugural Ceremony
Secretary General of the OAS, José Miguel Insulza
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Reinaldo Gargano
Director of SEPREDI, José Luis Veiga
Sheraton Hotel Ball Room
10:00 - 10:15 am / Official Photograph
10:15 - 10:30 am / Coffee break
10:30 - 12:30 pm / Introduction: José Miguel Insulza, OAS Secretary General
Dialogue on Regional Governance Challenges
Moderator: Irene Klinger, Director, OAS Department of External Relations
Conference Room 25th Floor
12:30 - 1:00 pm / Press Conference
José Miguel Insulza, OAS Secretary General
Gustavo Antunez, Deputy Director, SEPREDI
Conference Room 25th Floor
1:15 - 3:00 pm / Lunch with Mario Benedetti at the "El Viejo y el Mar” Restaurant
3:15 - 4:45 pm / Introduction: José Luís Veiga, Director, SEPREDI
Dialogue on “The Role of the Spokesperson in the Americas” and on “Spokespersons and the Media”
Special Guests: Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald syndicated columnist, and Matt Cooper, Washington D.C. Editor, Conde Nast Portfolio
Moderator: Ambassador Osmar Chohfi, Permanent Representative of Brazil to the OAS and Chair of the Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs of the OAS
Conference Room 25th Floor
4:45 - 5:00 pm / Coffee break
5:00 - 6:15 pm / Continuation of Dialogue
8:00 pm / Welcoming Cocktail offered by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uruguay, Reinaldo Gargano at the Palacio Santos (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Second Meeting of Government Spokespersons of the Member States of the OAS
Sheraton Hotel Punta Carretas, Montevideo, Uruguay
June 14 – 15, 2007
June 15, 20079:00 - 10:30 am / Dialogue on Freedom of Expression
1. The situation of Freedom of Expression in the Region, Ignacio Alvarez, OAS Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
2. International Standards for Freedom of Expression, Claudio Grossman, Dean, School of Law, American University
Moderator: Ambassador Luján Flores, Permanent Representative of Uruguay to the OAS
Conference Room 25th Floor
10:30 - 10:45 am / Coffee break
10:45 - 12:30 pm / Continuation of Dialogue
12:30 - 1:15 pm / Closing Ceremony
Remarks by José Luis Veiga, Director, SEPREDI
Remarks by Irene Klinger, Director of the OAS Department of External Relations
Remarks by John Biehl, Representative, OAS Office in Uruguay
Conference Room 25th Floor
1:30 - 3:00 pm / Lunch at the Mercado del Puerto “Don Tiburón” Restaurant
II. ANNOTATED AGENDA
Second Meeting of the Government Spokespersons
of the Member States of the Organization of American States
Hotel Sheraton Punta Carretas, Montevideo, Uruguay
June 14- 15, 2007
June 14
OBJECTIVE /
The purpose of this Second Meeting of the Government Spokespersons of the Member States of the Organization of American States is to continue the discussion initiated in August 2005 with the Presidential spokespersons of the Americas regarding the challenges that the principal communicators in each country face in informing their populations, as well as exchanging views on the most important topics on the Inter-American agenda, and the most pressing matters that affect the region.
During the meeting, the spokespersons will have the opportunity to dialogue with well-known hemispheric personalities, authorities, journalists, and specialists on the topic of access to information and freedom of expression. The principal objective is to develop an open dialogue through which topics such as the role of the spokesperson in the Americas, their relationship with the media, access to information, government transparency, and freedom of expression are debated.
Introduction: José Miguel Insulza, Secretary General de la OEA.
Dialogue on Regional Governance Challenges /
The SG of the OAS will present his vision regarding the set of challenges for the integration and future of the Hemisphere, as well as how the OAS and the Member States may advance in the consolidation of their democracies and the strengthening of governance, in the protection of human rights, in understanding that integral development must go beyond mere economic growth, incorporating the principles of inclusion and equality, and in a policy of multidimensional security that effectively accounts for the principal problems of security that affect the population of the hemisphere.
Dialogue on the Role of the Spokesperson in the Americas and on Spokespersons and the Media / Andres Oppenheimer, Columnist of The Miami Herald and The New Herald; will provide the journalist’s perspective on the role of the spokesperson and the challenges of freedom of the press in the Americas.
Matt Cooper, Editor of the magazine Conde Nast Portfolio, Washington; will discuss with the spokespersons the reporters’s perspectives on confidentiality of sources. He will refer to the ethical and legal dilemmas he and his colleagues face when writing their stories.
June 15
Dialogue on Freedom of Expression / Ignacio Alvarez, Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. The Special Rapporteurship for the Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights of the OAS carries out the daily monitoring of the reality of freedom of expression in the region. Based on such monitoring and the other functions that the Special Rapporteur performs, the Rapporteur, Dr. Ignacio J. Alvarez, is going to allude in his discussion to the primary challenges that affect freedom of expression in the region, including those relating to certain structural aspects. Also, he will refer to positive trends and good practices in some countries throughout the region, highlighting specific examples of important advances that have taken place with regard to this matter.
Claudio Grossman, Dean of the Washington College of Law, American University, will address Inter-American standards on the subject of freedom of expression. These standards derive, among others, from the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man and the American Convention on Human Rights, the Declaration of Principles of Freedom of Expression, the jurisprudence of the Commission and the Inter-American Court, and the studies of the Special Rapporteur for the Freedom of Expression of the IACHR. They include: the right to search, receive, and disseminate information and to express such through whatever medium; the prohibition of prior censorship; and conditions for the application of the subsequent responsibilities: the principles of necessity, proportionality, legality and democratic legitimacy; the prohibition of indirect means of restricting freedom of expression, including: monopolies of mass media, arbitrary regulation of official publicity, and others; the exclusion of responsibility for reproduction of information; the incompatibility of the laws of contempt with the American Convention; and the right to access information .
III. Spokespersons
Collin Bryan Jno-Finn is currently the Communications Officer attached to the Ministry of Housing and Social Transformation of Antigua and Barbuda. He has an extensive knowledge and experience in media and public relations having worked in both print and broadcast journalism since 1998.He has served on a number of committees and service organizations and has already been asked to serve as Public Relations Officer for a promising candidate in the upcoming general elections. He has attended several training courses in Public Relations & Journalism regionally and internationally and hopes to pursue a Mass Communication degree at the end of this year.
Diego Luis Buranello is the Executive Coordinator of the Presidential Spokesperson Unit of Argentina and is in charge of press release content for President Néstor Kirchner. He was the spokesperson for Senator and First Lady Mrs. Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner from 2002 to 2005. He also served as Coordinator and Chief Advisor for presidential spokesperson Miguel Núñez. Mr. Buranello holds a master’s degree in Public Administration and a degree in Political Science with a specialization in International Relations.
Jacqueline Wiltshire is the Advisor to the Government of Barbados on Management of Public information & Communications. She also manages the Barbados Government Information Service. From 1998 to 2004 Ms. Wiltshire was Director of Information & Communication of the Caribbean Community Secretariat (CARICOM) in Georgetown, Guyana and was an advisor to the Secretary General and the Member States of CARICOM on policy and legal challenges of meeting regional information and communication imperatives in a new global environment. She holds university degrees in Literature, Information & Communication Policy, and Law.
Nuri Muhammad is the Executive Director of the Press Office of the Government of Belize. He has worked in various positions within the Government of Belize, especially in fields related to human resource development for the youth. He was host of the famous morning show “On Love FM”. Mr. Muhammad has a degree in social sciences from San Francisco City College and has done continuing studies in Pre-law and Urban Studies. He is a founding member of the Muslim Community of Belize and is its first religious leader.
Marcelo Baumbach is the Spokesperson for Brazil. He was named Press Spokesman by President Lula in 2007. A career diplomat, he has worked in the Brazilian missions for the WTO in Geneva, for ALADI in Montevideo, and for the United Nations in New York, where he was a member of the Brazilian Delegation to the Security Council in 2004-2005.
Patricia Fuller is the Ambassador from Canada to Uruguay. She joined the Department of External Affairs in 1989 and served abroad in Guatemala and Mexico. In Ottawa, she served in the Economic Relations with Developing Countries Division, the International Financial and Investment Relations Division, the South Africa Task Force, the International Economic Relations Division, the Trade Remedies Division and the Economic and Regional Development Policy Division at the Privy Council Office. Since 2003, she has served as Director of the Softwood Lumber Division at International Trade Canada. She has a Bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from Queen’s University, and a Master’s Degree in economics from London School of Economics.
Ricardo Lagos-Weber is the Minister Secretary General of the Government of Chile. He worked for the Chilean branch of the International Labor Organization (ILO), where he served as Chief of the Department of Commercial Policy. He was a member of the negotiating team of the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and Chile. Mr. Lagos holds a Master’s in Economic Development from the University of Sussex in England and a degree in Juridical and Social Sciences from the University of Chile. He is a PhD candidate in Economy at Cambridge University.
César Mauricio Velásquez is the Press Secretary of Colombia. He has been an editor, columnist, and correspondent for several Colombian news companies and papers with nation-wide circulation. He was the Dean of the Faculty of Social Communications and Journalism at the Universidad de la Sabana, in Bogotá, President of the Journalists Circle of Bogotá, and a member of the Commission of National Conciliation. He is the author of the book Andrés Escobar en Defensa de la Vida, as well as a few university textbooks and essays. Mr. Velasquez holds Master’s in International Relations from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, a degree in Social Communications and Journalism from the Universidad de la Sabana, and a specialization in television in Washington, D.C.
Mishelle Mitchell is the spokesperson for Costa Rica. She began her career in communications at the University for Peace of the United Nations, and later at the Inter-American Institute for Agricultural Cooperation (IICA). She has served as a consultant on corporate image and strategic communications. Ms. Mitchell participated in the production of television programs for CNN in Spanish and for CBS’ 60 Minutes, and was also the local producer in her country for the company US TV Pool during the visit by President Clinton to Costa Rica. She is an independent journalist and collaborating author for Time Magazine and The Economist Intelligence Unit. She served as a journalist for two of the most important news programs in Costa Rica: Telenoticias and Univision. Ms. Mitchell has a degree in Journalism as well as a master’s in Business Administration from the Universidad de Costa Rica.
Sean Douglas became Press Secretary of the Government of Dominica in July 2001. In this capacity, Mr. Douglas advises the Cabinet of Dominica on media and public relations matters, informs the public about the activities of Cabinet Ministers and Ministries, and manages the Government’s relations with the media. Previously he was an Information Officer at the Government Information Service, and worked as a free-lance journalist and reporter. He is a graduate of the University of Westminster in London and the University of London.
Rafael Núñez is the General Director for Press and Publicity of the Presidency of the Dominican Republic. He began his work in social communications with the newspaper Vanguardia del Pueblo. He studied Social Communications in Cuba, developing the base for his more than 20 year journalism experience as a specialized reporter, investigator, and editor. His work has been shown in the newspapers: Hoy, El Nacional, Diario Libre and El Siglo. As a television journalist, he has worked as a reporter for Telesistema, Channel 11, and TV 13, and was also the producer and host of the radio program Línea Abierta.
Mónica Chuji is the Presidential Spokesperson of the Government of Ecuador. She is an Amazonian Kichwa leader from the Sarayaku Community in Ecuador. She holds a degree in Social Communications, with specialization in defense mechanisms for human rights, the rights of the indigenous people, and collective rights. She is a former fellowship recipient of the Program for Indigenous Education of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) and is a master’s candidate in Social Environmental Studies at Latino American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO).