European Council commenced developing a convention on freedom of information

The IV. international congress of the commissioners of information rights took place between the 22nd and the 23rd of May, 2006, in Manchester. The representatives of various countries’ civil organizations’ dealing with freedom of information held their meeting, associated with the congress, on the 24th of May. The organizations attended the meeting accepted a declaration on freedom of information. HCLU also took part in the phrasing of this. The declaration laid down the principles necessary for the freedom of information to prevail and calls the European Council to consider these during the development of the convention. The Manchester declaration emphasize the publicity of the conventions’ development and that the civil organizations should be involved in the preparatory process. The convention has its premises, as it would be based on the European Councils reference for the access to official records from 2002. The latter largely participated to the birth of laws concerning the freedom of information in the countries of the European council. The convention, because of its compulsory nature could better facilitate the proper realization of this basic right.