Ivan Pavlov, JD, PhD, IIFD Board Chair, and Daria Sukhikh, IIFD Senior Lawyer, supported by the International Memorial Society, present an analytical review of existing problems with law observance and implementation in the field of archive information access in Russia.

September 28 is the International Right to Know Day (RTKD). On Sep 28, 2002, The Freedom of Information Advocates Network was founded by a number of NGO leaders.

On September 28, Ivan Pavlov, JD, PhD, IIFD Board Chair, and Daria Sukhikh, IIFD Senior Lawyer, took part in a roundtable on law enforcement practice in the archive information access field. The event was organized in Moscow by the International Memorial Society. In particular, common problems arising within court practice in implementing legal norms on state secret and on personal/family secret were discussed.

Topical Links:

• Analysis of Law Enforcement Practice in the Field of Access to Archive Information

While Viktor Yanukovych, President of Ukraine, expresses active will to join the Open Government Partnership, the Supreme Rada increases fines for disclosure of restricted-access information, says RBC.ua.

On September 22, Mikhail Pozdnyakov, IIFD expert, took part in a roundtable “Modern Communications and Openness of the Judicial System” in the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation (Moscow). Judicial officials, NGO members, and journalists discussed practical implementation of the Federal Law #292-FZ “On Providing Access to Information on the Activities of Courts in the Russian Federation”, trying to answer two questions: how and what for will online judicial information be used, and who are users of this information.

The Open Government Partnership (OGP) is launched. Russia has not joined it yet, says Novaya Gazeta. The OGP, covering now a number of countries, is aimed to enable civil participation in state governance, to create transparent government, and to overcome corruption.

On September 20, Tatyana Tolsteneva, IIFD expert, took part in a seminar discussing efficiency of interaction between NGO sector and government bodies of St.-Petersburg. The event was organized by the “Strategy” Center for Humanities and Political Studies and the NGO Development Center.