28 September 2010 

In conjunction with the International Day of the access to information, 28 September of each year, The Palestinian Centre for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) has issued a new study entitled: The reality of access to information right in Palestine. The study become as a framework of cooperation with the Arab Network Freedom of Information, and aimed to study the availability of the right of access to information in Palestine, especially for the media outlets and journalists, and how the Palestinian legislation is dealing with this right.

The study stated that there are obstacles facing the right of access to information in Palestine, in regard to the theoretical legislations or practical application.
The study comes out a series of recommendations they are: the adoption of the draft law of access to information right, which was approved in the general discussion in the Palestinian Legislative Council; to include the right of access to information in the draft proposal of Palestinian constitution; the need to adopt the proposed amendments to the draft law of the right of access to information, to promote a culture of transparency and openness through the officials of public institutions (senior and general staff ) and aware them about the importance of enabling the public to have this right as important way to reach the concept of good governance, Publishing the codes of conduct for employees in public, national, civil, and private companies that provide public services, or that impact on society and environment which includes the employee commitment and respect to the citizen’s right to access to information; strengthening the role of the Palestinian media to receive and deliver information to the public through the facilitation of their duties by all public institution’s officials, especially in the security organizations; the adoption of open-door policy, where all general meetings should be opened to the public unless if there is a discussion for a information from the list of the specific and narrow exceptions.

In a related context the Director of MADA center Mousa Rimawi welcomed the international expert in the field of access to information, Professor Bertil Cottier and the presence of Deputy Director of the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces in Ramallah, Nicolas Mason, where they discussed the state of the media and media freedoms in Palestine and the journalist’s suffering from the continued violations, they also reviewed the reality of the right of access to information in Palestine and Switzerland.

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Contact: 
Riham Abu Aita
Public Relation Officer
Ramallah
riham@madacenter.org
www.madacenter.org
00970 2 2976519