The role of media and civil society in promoting access to information, including through digital tools and open data initiatives, protection of citizens' personal data, and cooperation with regulatory authorities for better access to information were among the topics discussed at the 15th International Conference of Information Commissioners.

The key Council of Europe standards in the field of access to information and data protection include the Convention on Access to Official Documents (or Tromsø Convention), the Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data (or Convention 108), and the Modernised Convention 108+.

The Council of Europe’s project “Safeguarding Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Media in Ukraine” helps Ukraine improve access to information through policy advice, trainings and capacity-building activities; it therefore supported the participation of the Representative of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights (the Ombuds Office) in the Conference. The Ombuds Office is one of the Project’s stakeholders and a key national partner of the Council of Europe in promoting European standards on access to information in Ukraine. The Representative had an opportunity to share information regarding the observance of the constitutional right to information under the legal regime of martial law in Ukraine, discuss challenges and good practice on ensuring access to information with the international peers.

The event was also attended by members of the Council of Europe Access Info Group, including the Vice-Chair of the Group Ms Tetyana Oleksiyuk. She presented the results of the first report on the implementation of the Tromsø Convention and advocated for the accession of European countries that have not yet ratified the Tromsø Convention. She recommended that governments engage more frequently with the Council of Europe and use the expert support that the organisation can provide in this area.

Since 2003, the International Conference of Information Commissioners is a global annual forum that brings together information commissioners, ombuds and other institutions responsible for overseeing the implementation of access to public information laws, with the goal of promoting and protecting access to public information as a fundamental pillar of social, economic, and democratic governance. More information about the Conference and participation of the Ukrainian Ombuds Office is available at the organiser’s and the institution’s webpages.

The participation of the Ombuds Office’s Representative was supported by the Project “Safeguarding Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Media in Ukraine” (SFEM-UA), implemented by the Council of Europe  Division for Co-operation on Freedom of Expression within the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” 2023-2026.