(IPYS/IFEX) – The following is a 30 October 2006 IPYS press release: IPYS condemns governmental control of funds for defence of freedom of expression Following the Congress’s 26 October 2006 approval, on first reading, of proposed amendments to Law 27692 governing international cooperation, IPYS, as a non-governmental organization (NGO) subject to that norm, condemns this […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – The following is a 30 October 2006 IPYS press release:
IPYS condemns governmental control of funds for defence of freedom of expression
Following the Congress’s 26 October 2006 approval, on first reading, of proposed amendments to Law 27692 governing international cooperation, IPYS, as a non-governmental organization (NGO) subject to that norm, condemns this serious alteration in the framework for protecting civil liberties.
NGOs are civil society organisations established to carry out legitimate activities. Upon receiving national and foreign funding, NGOs submit to the legitimate scrutiny of their donors regarding the NGOs’ use of funding, and to the scrutiny of the state, in terms of their compliance with their tax and labour law obligations.
However, the amendments to Law 27692 restrict the freedom of association and hiring of NGOs receiving foreign funding, given that the amendments would grant the state the power to decide if and when such funding can be granted or not, according to the state’s priorities and its definition of “public interest”. In practice, this will allow the state to interfere in agreements between private parties, given that it will only permit NGOs with state approval to enter into such agreements.
In the circumstances in which these amendments are being proposed, IPYS considers this serious interference in a private activity as an attempt to restrict NGOs’ ability to channel criticisms of individuals in political power, or of economic groups that conduct business with the state, which may be scrutinized by citizens. This interference is more evident if it is based on a broad and arbitrary interpretation of the Declaration of Paris, signed by Peru, which committed states receiving foreign aid to improve the efficiency and transparency of their own development aid programmes.
In IPYS’s case, the bill grants the government the power to monitor the use of funds to promote freedom of expression and investigative journalism in Latin America, part of which comes from independent publications based in the United States and Europe.
Therefore, if the amendments to Law 27692 are approved in the second vote in the Congress, IPYS, which considers them unconstitutional, intends to challenge them before the appropriate bodies, and denounce, both within and outside of Peru, the motives we believe have inspired them.
Lima, 30 October 2006
Board of Directors
President: Gustavo Gorriti
Board Members: Augusto Álvarez Rodrich, Cecilia Valenzuela, Rosa María Palacios, Edmundo Cruz, Santiago Pedraglio
Executive Director: Ricardo Uceda
