The office of Public Defender of Georgia today highlighted the importance of free access to public information day. Every year 28 September is observed as “International Day for Universal Access to Information” worldwide.
The International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) announced in 2015 has great importance. It underscores access to information as a basic human right, ensuring that everyone can access information without any barriers.
IDUAI stands for International Day for Universal Access to Information. This was declared by UNESCO (United Nations Economic, Social, Cultural Organization) in 2015, but it was also recognised by the United Nations General Assembly in following years.
The main objective is to bring transparency in government administrative work. This can be ensured only if all citizens have easy access to information about government programs, policies and decisions.
The Public Defender Office of Georgia released a specific statement in context of day on its various social media handles. According to the office’s official Facebook page “Everyone has the right to receive and disseminate information as well as to familiarise themselves with the documents in the public institution following the law. The Constitution of Georgia also protects the right to access public information and ensures the accountability of public institutions to the public.”
It further stated “The absence of the right to access public information is a challenge for any country. Appeal to higher courts cannot be filed on time without easy access to urgent documents. This fact has been confirmed by the statistical data from the city and regional courts for the Office of the Public Defender of Georgia.”
Immediate access to information is crucial as delayed information may lose its initial value for society. To ensure proper access to information, it is necessary to establish legal guarantees of the right to free access the public information, harmonize them with international standards and effectively enforce them. The Public Defender of Georgia has been a vocal advocate about easy access to information.
