Activity Details (ID# 14617)

Activity Synopsis

The need to organise this Seminar was imposed by the real life – the transparency in the activity of many public authorities and institutions is insufficient; many press and public relations departments are at the beginning of their efficient communication with media; respective staff has little knowledge and necessary skills, although, in most cases they are receptive and available for communication with press and social society. An ample and deep discussion was necessary because in a lot of public institutions still the “culture of secrecy”, non-transparency in activity prevails and all these facts generate discontent of journalists and nearly every day conflicts.

The main objectives of the Seminar were the following:

a) training of representatives of press and public relations departments, spokesmen from public authorities/institutions, using the documents of the Council of Europe, including the Recommendation (2002)2 of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers on access to official documents, Constitution of Republic of Moldova, Law on access to information, and other normative acts on freedom of information and activity of public administration;

b) popularisation of positive practices regarding the activity of respective departments in Moldova and abroad;

c) contribution to optimisation of activity of respective departments from public authorities and institutions, improvement of their relations with media, including through establishment of some partnership contacts based on adequate professional and conduct norms;

d) promotion of preponderance of public interest in the process of public information supply, contribution to outrunning of culture of “secrecy”;

e) contribution to outrunning of syndrome of “polishing” of institutional image, information “filtration”.
 

The seminar was very well organised by the “Acces-info” Centre in Chişinău. The participants received files containing various relevant documents, including the Moldovan legislation concerning the access to information, as well as a Recommendations of the Committee of Ministers of the CoE, translated into Romanian (Rec (2002)2 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on access to public documents). They also received several other useful documents in the field, including best practices manuals and analysis of the information process in different countries.

The objective of the seminar was reached: Participants of the Seminar learned about CoE standards on access to official documents, as well as on legislation in the domain of free access to information, principles of communication, positive practices from Moldova and other countries, application of some concrete forms, methods and procedures of work. The interventions of CoE representatives stimulated the discussions on the European standards concerning access to information.

The seminar stimulated a better understanding by the representatives of public institutions of the role of press and public relations departments and their responsibilities to media and public in general, the need to support the activities of public officials regarding the consistent promotion of Law on access to information provisions. Most participants pleaded in favour of a friendly climate in the co-operation process between press and public relations departments and media.

The seminar clearly contributed to outrunning of “culture of secrecy” in the activity of state institutions and more insistent and more efficient promotion of active information of public.
 

The Seminar had a concrete and constructive character with interesting debates in a friendly climate, avoiding definitely the reciprocal accusations and political shading, by stressing strictly the principles of professionalism, duties and responsibilities of press departments and media. The participants agreed that the CoE should organise follow-up activities on the same topic in order to encourage the use of best practices in the domain. 

Representatives of press and public relations departments, spokespersons of public authorities/institutions and representatives of media and civil society from Chisinau and different regions 

Sophie Redmond, Article XIX, Great Britain;
Fred Gijbels, independent expert, Netherlands;
Ion Georgescu, trainer and consultant of the Romanian Institute for Training
 

Eugen Cibotaru, Media Division, DG II