ICAS Latin American Chapter Signs the Buenos Aires Declaration

Buenos Aires, Argentina – At today’s meetings in Buenos Aires, held alongside the World Federation of Advertisers’ LatAM meetings, the Self-Regulatory Organizations (SROs) from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Spain, and the International Council for Advertising Self-Regulation (ICAS) united to endorse the Buenos Aires Declaration. This declaration marks a significant commitment to advancing responsible advertising practices in the region and officially welcomes Argentina and Paraguay as Observer Members of ICAS.

The Declaration of Buenos Aires symbolizes a renewed commitment by the Latin American advertising community to develop robust, effective, and independent self-regulatory frameworks. Through shared objectives, continued collaboration, and a firm dedication to ethical advertising, the region aims to create a marketplace that benefits consumers, businesses, and society as a whole.

Key Focus Areas for 2024-2025 include:

1. Online Advertising: With a specific focus on the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and ensuring its responsible use in advertising practices, the SROs aim to develop or enforce their guidelines to uphold transparency and ethical standards in AI-driven advertising.
2. Influencer Marketing: As influencer marketing continues to grow, the SROs will explore strategies to ensure this form of advertising remains transparent, ethical, and consistent with existing regulations.
3. Sustainability: The SROs commit to promoting advertising that reflects sustainability principles, encouraging brands to adopt environmentally responsible practices.
4. Responsible Food and Beverage Advertising: With special attention to advertising directed at children, the signatories will focus to have strong guidelines in place that ensure food and beverage advertising is responsible and supportive of public health.
5. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI): SROs will work to ensure that advertising across the region promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion, helping to combat stereotypes that affect the dignity of groups or people and encourage a more inclusive representation in advertising.
6. Gambling Advertising: With the growing prevalence of gambling advertising, the SROs will address the need for responsible and regulated messaging to protect vulnerable audiences.

The signatories are committed to collaborating, sharing best practices, and meeting regularly to review progress. This declaration reflects the region’s dedication to creating a fair and ethical advertising environment for all.

Guy Parker, President of ICAS, said: 

We are delighted to see the continued commitment of Latin American ad standards bodies in strengthening their self-regulatory systems and focusing on critical issues like sustainability and the responsible use of AI in advertising. Since the signing of the Declaration of Bogotá in 2023, we’ve witnessed significant progress, and we are particularly excited to welcome the SROs of Argentina and Paraguay as new ICAS observer members.
This enhanced collaboration between all Latin American SROs, Spain’s AUTOCONTROL, and ICAS promises to foster important discussions and drive more impactful, unified actions across the region.

José Domingo Gómez Castallo, Director General of AUTOCONTROL, Spain, said:

Yesterday, in Buenos Aires, we held the second annual meeting of the ICAS Latin American Chapter. After exchanging experiences and discussing developments and programs from the SROs in their respective countries, it is gratifying to witness the progress being made in building effective advertising self-regulation for the benefit of both society and the industry. It is also encouraging to see the valuable role that the ICAS platform plays in supporting the growth and development of SROs across Latin America.

Fernando Hofmann, President of CONARP, Argentina added:

We are honored to be part of ICAS and to welcome members from Latin America and Spain to Argentina. Working together and networking undoubtedly strengthens the ecosystem in pursuit of responsible communication.

Download the declaration here.