Left to right: Peter Kramer of the Netherlands, past president of the Press Club Brussels Europe; Maroun Labaki of Belgium, current PCBE president; Jonathan Kapstein of the US, past president; and Laurent Brihay, PCBE executive director.
By Jonathan Kapstein
With 75 delegates representing 21 countries – 22 if OPC readers consider Scotland a separate nation – and representatives of several international organizations, the biennial congress of the International Association of Press Clubs exchanged best practices and experiences in Brussels from May 31 to June 2.
The Press Club Brussels Europe hosted the event with club president Maroun Labaki, former foreign editor of Belgium’s daily LeSoir, Executive Director Laurent Brihay, and consultant Gregor Kupper handling arrangements. The lone American representative was Jonathan Kapstein, longtime OPC member and immediate past president of the Brussels club. Kapstein flew from his new Connecticut home to ensure an OPC presence. Patricia Kranz, OPC executive director who was present with Kapstein at the 2016 congress in Geneva, had a conflict and couldn’t attend. The OPC is the only North American press club that is a member of the IAPC.
The Guardian newspaper won the prestigious Freedom of Speech award for coverage on breaches of personal data. One panel focused on problems of press freedom in Africa. Another panel explored the role of the press in fostering national governance. The subtext throughout the discussion and Q&As related to political pressures felt by journalists not just in emerging economies but worldwide.
A random, alphabetical sampling of attendance showed journalists from Albania, Australia, Bahamas, Belarus, China, Egypt, India, Israel, Poland, Rwanda, Switzerland Togo, Zambia, and other countries adding value to the exchange of ideas.
Didier Reynders, Belgian foreign minister and deputy prime minister, was the main speaker at a gala dinner in the elegant Solvay Library building next to the European Parliament. On the eve of a trip to New York inaugurating Belgium’s two-year seat on the UN Security Council, Reynders, 59, emphasized Belgium’s commitment to press freedom. In that context, he noted that Belgium was a founding member of the United Nations, NATO, and the original, six-nation Common Market which has evolved into the 28-country European Union.
The IAPC’s next congress is set for London in 2020. In the meantime, the Press Club Brussels Europe welcomes all visiting journalists, and especially those from clubs like the OPC with which it has reciprocity.