ACCESS TO OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS STILL LIMITED

ATRC and IREX/ Kosovo Media Assistance Program organized a roundtable discussion on 7 February at ATRC where government, NGO and media representatives gathered to address issues related to the implementation of the Law on Access to Official Documents.   
    
Kushtrim Shaipi from local think tank Kosovo Research and Documentation Institute (KODI) moderated the roundtable, which opened a debate on the development of mechanisms for implementing the Law. Although three years have passed since its adoption by the National Assembly, the Law’s application has been delayed. 

Kushtrim Shaipi from local think tank Kosovo Research
and Documentation Institute (KODI) moderated the
roundtable, which opened a debate on the
development of mechanisms for
implementing the Law

Panelists included Besim Kajtazi - Ministry of Public Services, Jusuf Osmani – National Archives, Berat Buzhala – Association of Professional Journalists and Naim Krasniqi – Office of the Ombudsperson, Mitrovica region. 

Besim Kajtazi explained the changes made to the draft Administrative Instruction on the implementation of the Law on Access to Official Documents after receiving comments from other institutions and organizations.

IREX/USAID, the Ombudsperson’s Office, Independent Media Commission, OSCE and National Archives sent their comments to the Ministry of Public Services after a public debate organized by this ministry on 8 December to discuss the draft Administrative Instruction.

“The comments that we received helped a lot in clarifying the draft Administrative Instruction for the Law on Access to Official Documents,” Kajtazi said.

Despite the improvements made on the draft Administrative Instruction, media and NGO representatives expressed their concerns about the power that this draft gives public institution regarding documents classified as sensitive.

The current situation in Kosovo prohibits journalists’ access to information, Berat Buzhala from the Association of Professional Journalists stressed.
Most participants noted that even though the law was adopted, its implementation is limited.