Ramallah – 28th September 2013: Today the world celebrates the right to know, which was approved by the United Nations in 1946, shortly after its founding, as a basic human right, which demonstrates the importance of this right not only for citizens but for the governments seeking to open up its people.

The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) worked during the past two years in order to promote the importance of the access to information that is closely associated with the right  to know, having drafted a new access to information law following a broad discussion on the subject, in which journalists, civil society organizations, and representatives from governmental institutions participated, In addition to local and international experts, in partnership with decaf center. The new draft was based on the first draft that was accomplished by the Independent Commission for Citizens' Rights and the amendments by Aman Foundation, in addition to two studies by MADA and Internews.

MADA’s General Director Mousa Rimawi stated that MADA’s team believes it’s the Palestinian people’s right to access information like the right of other people from countries that enacted the access to information law. These countries exceeded 90, starting with Sweden. Three Arab countries have enacted such law so far, starting with Jordan, then Yemen and Tunisia. 

The main objective of issuing the law is "to enable the people to exercise the right of access to information held by public institutions and in accordance with the provisions of the law, and transmit the spirit of transparency and accountability in public institutions and to encourage openness to the people”.

Rimawi reassured that MADA will continue their campaign that was launched at the beginning of January, in order to promote and spread awareness of the law among citizens, MADA will also continue meetings with official and civil society institutions, as well as meeting with the private sector, in order spread awareness among them on what has been accomplished in this area, in order to strengthen the efforts to promote and enact the law. 

And we (MADA) call on the government to speed up the inclusion of the draft law on the legislative plan of the government.