Activity Details (ID# 7597)

Activity Synopsis

The objectives of the conference were:
• To exchange experience concerning the monitoring of access to information at the national level;
• To discuss common methodology for independent monitoring of the implementation of access to information laws.
 

The conference was very well organised. The discussions were constructive and the exchange of experience was open and useful.
Judging from the presentations of participants and from the discussions, NGOs in South-Eastern Europe have made significant progress in the past couple of years in the area of access to information. A major advance has been made from the general understanding of the need for access to information legislation and its proper implementation to the use of more sophisticated monitoring tools and litigation on behalf of organisations, journalists and the general public seeking publicly-held information.
There is increasing regional (within South-Eastern Europe) and international (on a world-wide scale) cooperation between watchdog organisations. A notable example is the establishment, at the initiative of AIP, of an informal Freedom of Information Advocates Network (http://www.foiadvocates.net/).
There are numerous occasions throughout the region (in Bulgaria, for example) where the watchdog organisations have successfully sued the public authorities, making them provide the information requested from them according to the existing access to information legislation. A lot of training has also been organised for public officials and other professionals on the proper implementation of access to information laws.
The Council of Europe and other organisations working in this area have contributed significantly for these positive developments. The local organisations also deserve a lot of credit for them.
More information on the conference and its conclusions is available at http://www.aip-bg.org/monconf.htm
 

In spite of the progress made, there is still a lot do be done in South-Eastern Europe. The Media Division will continue its efforts in this respect. 

Representatives of NGOs engaged in independent advocacy and monitoring of the implementation of access to information laws, representatives of international NGOs – the Open Society Justice Initiative, Article 19 and State Watch 

Ivan Nikoltchev, Media Division