Frank La Rue, UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression, and Catalina Botero, Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Organization of American States (OAS), will join a stellar line-up of moderators, speakers and panellists at this year’s IPI World Congress, to be held in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, from 23-26 June 2012.

Frank William La Rue, a Guatemalan citizen, has held the position of UN Special Rapporteur since 2008. Nominated for the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize, he is the founder of the Center for Legal Action for Human Rights (CALDH [www.caldh.org]), a Guatemalan NGO, and has been involved in the promotion of human rights for the past 25 years.

The United Nations Commission on Human Rights established the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression in 1993. The Special Rapporteur is mandated to “gather all relevant information, wherever it may occur, relating to violations of the right to freedom of opinion and expression”, and to “make recommendations and provide suggestions on ways and means to better promote and protect the right to freedom of opinion and expression in all its manifestations”.

Catalina Botero, a Colombian lawyer, has served as OAS Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression since 2008. Before that, she worked as Auxiliary Magistrate at the Constitutional Court of Colombia and previously held a number of public and private non-profit posts in the field of human rights.

The Office of the OAS Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression was established by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) in 1997 and has the general mandate to “carry out activities for the protection and promotion of the right to freedom of thought and expression”.

Recently, the Office of the Special Rapporteur has been targeted by certain member states of the OAS, IPI has reported. A set of recommendations, due to be discussed on 25 January at a meeting of the OAS Permanent Council, appear to be part of a campaign led by Ecuador – apparently angered by the Office’s recent criticism of its actions toward the media – to discredit the Office of the Special Rapporteur and strip it of its effectiveness. Proposals submitted by Venezuela offer tacit support to Ecuador’s position, while Bolivia and Nicaragua are likely to pronounce in support of the recommendations.

Speaking about the two latest additions to IPI’s roster of world-class speakers for the World Congress, IPI Executive Director Alison Bethel McKenzie said:

“We are thrilled to have the UN and OAS Special Rapporteurs on freedom of expression with us in Trinidad and Tobago. As the press freedom situation in many parts of the world worsens, and at a time when some OAS member states are proposing recommendations that could endanger the Office of the OAS Special Rapporteur, support for strong and independent Special Rapporteurs on freedom of expression is more important than ever.”

The IPI World Congress 2012 will be held for the first time in the Caribbean. Titled “Media in a Challenging World: A 360 Degree Perspective”, the three-day IPI World Congress will examine the many challenges, concerns and opportunities facing the media in the Caribbean, Latin America, and beyond. In addition, the Congress will feature a one-day seminar for reporters covering corruption, a press freedom photo exhibition, and a special awards evening honouring IPI’s 2012 Free Media Pioneer and 63rd World Press Freedom Hero.

Early Bird discount rates and special Introductory/Combo Packages are available until 31 January. For more information, and to register, visit the Congress website.

Read the version in Spanish here.