The Ministry of Information, in response to a number of civil society organisations, said it has been working to accelerate the drafting of the Freedom of Information Act. The ministry said it is optimistic that the law will be promulgated in 2023.
Its undersecretary of state and spokesman Meas Sophorn said on January 13 that the ministry is still working on finalising the content of the draft law before requesting the approval of the draft of the Freedom of Information Act procedurally.
“With regards to the process of drafting the Freedom of Information Act, our technical teams at the ministries of information and justice have already completed their consultative meeting on the provisions of the law, but there are still a few points that need to be decided by the leadership of both ministries. We are also reviewing some of the comments on this draft law by relevant parties,” he stated.
He continued that although the draft law has not yet been approved, the government has put in place the necessary mechanisms to further promote and improve the provision of public services and the right of citizens to access information. The government has also established the One Window Service units at ministries and institutions at the national and sub-national levels to assist with access to information by the public.
He also noted that the government has established its spokesperson unit, which coordinates activities by spokespersons from ministries and institutions and other information officers in the capital and provinces to enable people to get real information from all corners of the government to help the public stay informed about the development of society and government activities.
He added that for this particular draft law, the ministry is providing the opportunity for a wide range of discussions and suggestions from all stakeholders, including ministries, public institutions, UN agencies in Cambodia and many civil society organisations and thus it may take some additional time for this draft law to be written and approved.
