World congress of news agencies decides to form council

The first World Congress of News Agencies at its closing session Saturday decided to create its working body - the World Council of News Agencies. The concept, which was worked out at meetings of regional pools of news agencies, was supported unanimously by the participants in the Congress that, upon the initiative of Itar-Tass, gathered leaders from 115 news agencies from more than 100 countries.

"Of course, this will be a public council. It apparently will incorporate leaders of regional pools and representatives from news agencies named by them to handle practical work," said Vitaly Ignatenko, Director General of Itar-Tass.

The Congress also supported a proposal to invite Uffe Riis Sorensen, managing director of the Danish news agency Ritzaus Bureau and former head of the European Alliance of News Agencies, to head the secretariat of the World Council of News Agencies.

According to a source in the Organizing committee of the congress, the World Council of News Agencies might hold its first meeting early next year in one of the countries, news agencies from which took part in the congress.

Source: Itar-Tass