Madrid, February 6th.

The current crisis in trust is diminishing the ability for institutions, governments and organisations to operate effectively in society. Fake news and an inappropiate use of automated communications in particular, erode trust and reputations in our institutions.

To counteract this and take a leading position on the global practice of public relations, several professional associations met in Madrid to explore possible enhancements to their codes of ethics that, as a whole, guide hundreds of thousands of professionals around the world.

Participants in this global discussion on codes of ethics agreed to explore ways to enhance and elevate public relations´ reputation as the guardian of trust through the enhancement of codes of ethics and an agreement on an overarching set of principles to guide the profession.

Through a collaborative effort, participants agreed to work on raising the standards for the public relations profession on a global scale.

A task force of the organizations involved will examine in detail the building blocks that currently exist in how practitioners should practice public relations. We believe there is value in having a single set of principles and behaviours that everyone can promote. This will not replace existing individual association codes but will provide an agreement on an overarching set of principles.

Participants recognize the need to launch a campaign around the importance of a trustworthy practice of public relations while also examining current codes.

 

Participants and representatives

International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) and Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA). Francis Ingham, CEO and Director General, respectively.

International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). Dianne Chase, Inmediate Past Chair.

Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). Joe Truncale, CEO.

African Public Relations Association and Public Relations Institute of Ireland (APRA and PRII). Justin Green, Global Ambassador and Vicepresident, respectively.

Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS). Sarah Hanel, President.

Asociación Española de Directivos de Comunicación (Dircom). Montserrat Tarrés, President.

Associaçao Portuguesa de Comunicaçao de Empresa (APCE), Paula Portugal, Managing Director.

Fundacom. Teresa Mañueco, Board Member.

European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA). Ángeles Moreno, Executive Director.

Corporate Excellence. Ángel Alloza, CEO.

Richard Edelman, President and CEO Edelman Public Relations.

Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management. José Manuel Velasco, Chair.

Jean Valin, founding member and Past Chair of the Global Alliance.