The Commission for protection of the right for free access to public information, in cooperation with the Macedonian Institute for Media, on 9 September 2008, in the Holiday Inn Hotel (Millennium Hall), marked the second anniversary of the implementation of the Law on free access to public information.
In the presence of representatives of the Government and the ministries, members of parliament of the Republic of Macedonia, the United Kingdom Ambassador in Macedonia, Andrew Key, representatives of the non-governmental sector as well as officials with the public information holders, the president of the Commission, Janko Nikolovski, gave an address which we present in its entirety:
“I feel greatly honoured to greet you ladies and gentlemen, dear friends and fellow fighters for transparency…
For us in the Commission for protection of the right to free access to public information as well as for the country in general, September is a month in the sign of the newly conquered right to free access to public information. The Law on Free Access to Public Information came into force on 1 September, while 28 September is the international Freedom of Information Day…I have mixed feelings this festive evening – Two years since the law came into force in the Republic of Macedonia, is this a reminder of the work (that is completed or under way) or is it a festivity? It is both. This evening is not the only place and activity where we present our two-year path through – TERA INCOGNITA. Last week we presented to the Parliament of the Republic of Macedonia the report on the work of the Commission for a period of one year – 2007! The MPs unanimously supported it, however, apart from their opinion; we should welcome the well-intentioned reactions and remarks from our companions, collaborators, critics, in other words all supporters of transparency as a good tool for good rule. All opinions and criticisms are welcome – we still need a guide for the newly discovered areas of democracy.
What have we achieved – should we feel satisfied? We are aware that there are no spectacular results, however although imperfect, the law lives! The number of complaints has significantly increased compared to the beginning…I am inclined to interpret this in this way – the applicants for information increasingly embrace this law, which means that the large number of complaints is in relation and proportionate with the bigger number of information provided by the holders…I cannot but remark that this is an expression of the applicants’ faith in the work of the Commission and its power to protect their rights in this field. In most of the cases (few hundred of them), upon intervention of the Commission the requested information was provided to the applicants even without a formal decision (order) for granting access. However, there is still work to be done for raising the awareness of both the applicants and the information holders about the importance and the procedure for free access. The lack of awareness about this new right is, in fact, one of the reasons for the mute refusal so despised by the citizens. Tonight you will get full information about the effects of the Law implementation in the past two years.
It is not sufficient to say that free access to public documents is a way to improve efficiency in the administration and the fight against corruption. The training, in other words the educational and promotional function of the Commission, in this initial stage, is a task equal to the task of decision-making upon complaints as a secondary body.
This is the place and the time for accountability and gratitude!
In the past two years, with the wholehearted supported of the OSCE and NGOs, at our very beginning, we conducted basic training and contacts with the Commission itself and its expert service, and later with the holders and the applicants for information. We have a programme for visiting the local self-government units, which is being successfully implemented…From all of this, in the first year of the law implementation, we realised and concluded that the education and the promotion of the right to free access at the moment is maybe a priority task.
In this period of realisation, we discovered the appeal of the United Kingdom Embassy for financing a project in the field of free access…In cooperation with the Macedonia Institute for Media, we submitted a project – TECHNICAL ASSISSTANCE AND RAISING AWARENESS FOR SUPPORTING THE LAW ON FREE ACCESS TO PUBLIC INFORMATION IN THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA. The Embassy and the Government of Her Royal Highness approved the project and it is being carried for a second year now. It started on 1 September 2007 and will conclude on 31 December 2009. In the first stage we concluded a series of trainings in the Commission as well as for the officials with the information holders on central level. The number of officials thus trained is close to 150. Some of them obtained trainer’s licence. Currently we are in the stage of a thought-out and comprehensive campaign – the first phase will be carried out through the media, brochures, advertisements, posters…
I can gladly point out, and thus conclude my presentation, that the timely support of the cradle of human rights (Magna Charta…Habeas corpus…) might be the decisive step that separates us from the term beginner and puts the Commission in a favourable position from where we can see the light at the end of the lengthy tunnel. With huge gratitude to our British friends, I conclude my address and invite you to join us in this little festivity“.