Lebanese Ministry of Information
Caretaker Minister of Information, Manal Abdel Samad, on Monday invited to her office at the ministry a delegation including former MP Ghassan Moukhayber, the regional director of the anti-corruption project at the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Arkan el-Siblani, and the director of the anti-corruption project at UNDP, Natacha Sarkis, in the presence of Information Ministry Director General Dr. Hassan Falha, on the occasion of the International Day for Universal Access to Information.
International Day for Universal Access to Information falls on September 28.
Minister Abdel Samad stressed during the meeting that “everyone has the right to access information and documents available at public institutions and administrations as specified in Article Two of the Right of Access to Information Law,” underlining the importance of the law as a main supporter of human rights, on one hand, and as a means of fighting corruption and strengthening transparency, on the other hand.
Abdel Samad stressed that the Ministry of Information accords special attention to this issue in the coming stage within the framework of its awareness and educational role in cooperation with other media outlets, through preparing and publishing media materials in this regard, especially after the issuance of the implementation decree No. 6940 on September 8, 2020.
On the other hand, the Minister pointed out that a work plan is being prepared for the immediate implementation of the Right of Access to Information Law, and making the Ministry of Information a model in this field.
In turn, the delegation welcomed the Minister’s initiative, saying it serves the implementation of the national plan in support of the law on the right to access information and the national anti-corruption strategy approved by the Council of Ministers on May 12, 2020.
Discussions also reportedly touched on the means of cooperation in this domain and of benefiting from the expertise of the UNDP, in cooperation with the work team set up by the State Ministry for Administrative Development Affairs (OMSAR) for this purpose.
