Newsroom
Freedom of Access to Information Law fully adopted in Bosnia and Herzegovina
SARAJEVO 26 June 2001
SARAJEVO, 26 June 2001 (OSCE) - The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina congratulates the Government of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Federation, the Republika Srpska Government and the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the adoption of the law on Freedom of Access to Information on 20 June. The adoption of this important law by the Government of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Federation - one of the country's two entities - effectively completes the adoption process by the state and both entity governments.
"Adopting the Freedom of Access to Information Act represents an important step forward for these governments - it indicates their commitment to be more transparent and accountable, and it truly signals that information held by public authorities is a civic trust and not a government commodity," noted Regan McCarthy, Director of the Mission's Department of Media Affairs. "The test of this commitment will be in the implementation of the law. The OSCE has offered to assist these governments in preparing to meet the requirements of this law."
The new legislation requires governments to perform certain functions including establishing the function of an 'Information Officer' to receive and process written requests for information; to issue a guide on how information held by each public authority may be accessed as well as an indexed register of the types of information held by each public authority; to create a report detailing the functions, policies, operations, organizational structure, and finances of each public authority; and to compile statistics on the number, types, and status of Freedom of Information requests. These requirements are technically and legally demanding. Thus, the OSCE will provide assistance to each government, if it wishes, in developing a plan for and the mechanisms to meet these requirements.
The development of this legislation was stipulated by a decision of the High Representative (OHR) on 30 July 1999. This Decision required the State and the Entities to adopt such legislation as well as civil defamation legislation. OSCE was asked by the OHR to oversee the drafting of this legislation, and worked with a 13-member Advisory Group comprising national and international legal experts to establish the content of the legislation. Extensive public discussions were also held throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina to solicit input from various professional and civil groups, which were also taken into account during the drafting of the law. The Act was adopted by the Bosnia and Herzegovina State Government in October 2000, and the Republika Srpska Government in May 2001.
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For more information please contact OSCE Acting Spokesperson, Sanela Tunovic, at +387 33 292-338 or at +387 66 134-758.
"Adopting the Freedom of Access to Information Act represents an important step forward for these governments - it indicates their commitment to be more transparent and accountable, and it truly signals that information held by public authorities is a civic trust and not a government commodity," noted Regan McCarthy, Director of the Mission's Department of Media Affairs. "The test of this commitment will be in the implementation of the law. The OSCE has offered to assist these governments in preparing to meet the requirements of this law."
The new legislation requires governments to perform certain functions including establishing the function of an 'Information Officer' to receive and process written requests for information; to issue a guide on how information held by each public authority may be accessed as well as an indexed register of the types of information held by each public authority; to create a report detailing the functions, policies, operations, organizational structure, and finances of each public authority; and to compile statistics on the number, types, and status of Freedom of Information requests. These requirements are technically and legally demanding. Thus, the OSCE will provide assistance to each government, if it wishes, in developing a plan for and the mechanisms to meet these requirements.
The development of this legislation was stipulated by a decision of the High Representative (OHR) on 30 July 1999. This Decision required the State and the Entities to adopt such legislation as well as civil defamation legislation. OSCE was asked by the OHR to oversee the drafting of this legislation, and worked with a 13-member Advisory Group comprising national and international legal experts to establish the content of the legislation. Extensive public discussions were also held throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina to solicit input from various professional and civil groups, which were also taken into account during the drafting of the law. The Act was adopted by the Bosnia and Herzegovina State Government in October 2000, and the Republika Srpska Government in May 2001.
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For more information please contact OSCE Acting Spokesperson, Sanela Tunovic, at +387 33 292-338 or at +387 66 134-758.