[Sigifp-l] FW: JOINT IFLA/IPA STATEMENT

[Richard Hill]

[Forwarded.  Dick Hill]

------------
Richard Hill
Executive Director
American Society for Information Science and Technology
1320 Fenwick Lane, Silver Spring, MD  20910 
FAX: (301) 495-0810
Voice: (301) 495-0900
www.asis.org

> -----Original Message-----
> From: sophie.felfoldi at ifla.nl [mailto:sophie.felfoldi at ifla.nl]
> Sent: Wednesday, June 30, 2004 4:01 AM
> To: ifla-l at infoserv.inist.fr
> Subject: JOINT IFLA/IPA STATEMENT
> 
> JOINT IFLA/IPA STATEMENT
> (adopted, 20 June 2004)
> 
> IFLA AND IPA DEPLORE OFAC REGULATIONS LIMITING THE EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION
> MATERIALS
> 
> Librarians and publishers around the world deplore the regulations of the
> US government that seek to limit the ability of US persons to process and
> publish informational materials from selected countries. Such actions are
> contradictory to the recognition by democratic societies everywhere that
> the free flow of information and ideas is vital to citizens of all nations
> to educate themselves about the world by communicating with peoples of
> other countries.
> 
> Regulations by the US Department of the Treasury4s Office of Foreign
> Assets Control ("OFAC") in the implementation of trade embargoes against
> certain nations attempt to restrict the importation and exportation of
> information and informational materials in ways that are contrary to
> international norms of open scholarly, cultural and scientific exchange.
> Such exchanges are usually championed by the US government. As pointed out
> by our colleagues in the US, the national security of the US is not at
> issue in these matters because the regulations allow publications of
> manuscripts as received from nationals in embargoed countries, but does
> not allow significant or artistic enhancement of such materials by a US
> person without a license from the US government. Such enhancements promote
> free speech and free exchange of information.
> 
> We believe that these trade restrictions on information and informational
> materials violate important provisions of international law, including
> Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 19 of the
> International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and Article
> 13 of the American Convention on Human Rights.
> 
> We urge the US government and its agencies to remove this cloud of
> repressive regulation that is forcing US based publishers to confront
> government restraints on their ability to engage in the most basic aspects
> of publishing.
> 
> Further information from:
> Alexis Krikorian
> Secretary General
> International Publishers Association (IPA)
> Avenue de Miremont 3
> CH-1206, Geneva, Switzerland
> Tel: +41 22 3463018
> Fax: +41 22 3475717
> Email: krikorian at ipa-uie.org
> 
> Ramachamdran Rasu
> Secretary General
> International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)
> P O Box 95312
> 2509 CH, THE HAGUE
> Netherlands
> Tel: +31 70 3140884
> Fax: +31 70 3834827
> Email: rama.rasu at ifla.org
> 
> More about IFLA and IPA:
> 
> The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
> (IFLA), founded in Edinburgh (Scotland) in 1927, is the leading body
> representing the interests of library and information services and their
> users. IFLA has over 1700 members in more than a 150 countries around the
> world.
> 
> The International Publishers Association (IPA), established in Paris in
> 1896, represents the publishing industry worldwide through 79 national,
> regional and specialized publishers associations in 67 countries.
> 
> IPA and IFLA are accredited NGOs enjoying consultative status to the
> United Nations.
> 
> http://www.ifla.org/ifla-ipa.htm