The Information and Data Protection Commissioner’s Office held its annual meeting today, 21.1.2025, with representatives of civil society organizations and investigative media.
The focus of the meeting was to reflect on the activities of the Commissioner’s Office throughout 2024 and its cooperation with civil society representatives and media organizations, as part of efforts to strengthen the culture of accountability and transparency of public authorities.
This event coincides with the 10th anniversary of the implementation of Law No. 119/2014 “On the Right to Information.” Commissioner Mr. Besnik Dervishi praised the cooperation and interaction with civil society organizations and the media so far and assured that the institution he leads has been and remains committed to increasing the accountability and transparency of public authorities.
During his speech, Mr. Dervishi provided an overview of the work and achievements of the Commissioner’s Office, highlighting the importance of the 6th National Conference on the Right to Information, held in June 2024. He noted that the conference marked the beginning of a new phase of cooperation with public authorities in the interest of transparency and the fight against corruption. In this context, he mentioned the establishment and operation of the “Transparent Albania” platform, which promotes accountability and provides comprehensive information on the activities of public authorities.
Commissioner Dervishi also discussed the preliminary report titled “On the Basic Assessment of the Implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents by Albania.” He emphasized that strengthening the transparency of public authorities through the implementation of the best European and international practices is the right path for public engagement in governance and serves as an encouragement for citizens to exercise this right.
The Information and Data Protection Commissioner stated that in 2024, the Commissioner’s Office received 1,025 complaints, of which 616 resulted in the requested information/documents being provided to the complainants after intervention by the institution he leads. Mr. Dervishi shared that the complaints were submitted by citizens, media representatives, civil society, legal representatives, and others.
The Director-General for the Right to Information, Ms. Elona Hoxhaj, stated that the assessment by the Group of Experts on the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents by Albania was generally very positive. However, regarding the analysis of the impact on transparency for public authorities, she emphasized the need to strengthen the capacity of the Commissioner’s Office to conduct more in-depth monitoring.
Representatives of civil society and investigative media praised the work and commitment of the Commissioner’s Office and discussed the challenges they face when obtaining information from public authorities. They suggested that, in addition to strengthening the culture of transparency, additional mechanisms should be found to simplify and make the law more enforceable, so that authorities can be more efficient in providing complete and timely information.
