Ramallah – Sep. 29th, 2023. On September 28th of every year, the whole world, including Palestine, celebrates the International Day for the Right to Access Information, in dedication to the human right to information and as a reminder of the importance of the right to obtain information for the media and the Palestinian people as a whole.
In view of the importance of this right and its connection to freedom of access to information, and the importance of the correctness and accuracy it carries therewith in accessing and transmitting information, the celebration of this day comes within the framework of international efforts aimed at promoting openness, transparency and combating corruption, in a way that enables citizens to obtain information related to public affairs, and to reduce the widely spread rumors due to the absence of information and facts.
Based on its conviction of the importance of this right, the Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms “MADA” has worked to strengthen this right in Palestine through its tireless work in defending freedom of media and expression, by demanding the adoption of the Law on the Right to Access Information, considering obtaining information as one of the human rights that still does not have a place within legislation or a legal framework that protects, allows and regulates this right.
As a result of the continuous demands from various civil society organizations, the Government reached the drafting of a version of the Law on the Right to Access to Information, in May, but it did not live up to the expectations of citizens and civil society organizations, which have worked for many years to formulate an improved version of this law, and on this occasion and in continuation of previous efforts, MADA calls on the Palestinian Government to open the door to consultation and community dialogue between itself and civil society organizations and all relevant parties regarding reaching a joint formula for the draft law in preparation for its approval, especially after the Palestinian Government issued the Decree Law No. (18) of 2023 on the publication of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in Issue No. 204 of the Palestinian Gazette (Official Gazette), which now requires the adoption of this law as soon as possible.
As it began, MADA will continue its efforts to create a sound legal environment for the freedom of the Palestinian media to operate, which is in dire need of providing all appropriate conditions to enable it to perform its tasks, and to enable media professionals and media institutions to work in a sound media and legal environment.
