During a public hearing on 28 October 2008, the IACHR and the OAS Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression made a commitment to develop standards on different aspects of broadcast regulation, including community broadcasting. At the hearing, the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) presented its “Principles on Democratic Legislation of Community Broadcasting”, which has been endorsed by several civil society organisations, including ARTICLE 19.

“The Principles are based on detailed comparative research and consultations with representatives of civil society organizations and experts on freedom of expression from a number of countries around the world, including ARTICLE 19. We are happy to endorse the Principles and we hope that they are able to provide an important reference for domestic rules on community broadcasting”, said Dr. Agnès Callamard, ARTICLE 19 Executive Director.

ARTICLE 19 notes the importance of community broadcasting as a way of promoting a plurality of ideas and information in society. Restrictive legislation can undermine community broadcasting. In Brazil, for example, despite specific rules on community broadcasting, licensing procedures are lengthy and involve excessive bureaucracy. This has lead to delays in the granting of licences to a number of stations, in some municipalities for more than ten years. The development by the IACHR of regional standards in this area will provide important guidance to decision-makers on how legislation can promote rather than discourage community broadcasting.