The Information and Data Protection Commissioner, Mr. Besnik Dervishi and the General Director of the Right to Information, Ms. Elona Hoxhaj, at the invitation of the Kosovo Information and Privacy Agency, participated in the regional workshop on the topic “INITIATIVE 2020”.
This activity brought together representatives of the right to information authorities from European and regional countries, with the aim of sharing best practices and experiences and strengthening cooperation in the field of access to public documents.
Commissioner Dervishi, also in his capacity as President of the Executive Committee of the International Conference of Commissioners for the Right to Information (ICIC), stressed the importance of international cooperation between regional networks and global organizations that support transparency and freedom of information. He said that ICIC, as the world’s largest organization in this field, aims to build capacity, promote best practices and strengthen the collective voice of authorities that guarantee citizens’ right to public information and accountability.
“The right to information is a key tool to increase public trust and strengthen democracy. It guarantees citizen control and oversight of government and constitutes an essential mechanism for the functioning of a democratic society,” said Mr. Dervishi.
He further shared the organization’s strategic priorities for the period 2024–2027, which focus on strengthening the capacities of the international network, expanding membership, intensifying global visibility and consolidating cooperation with regional networks and working groups.
Ms. Krenare Sogojeva-Dërmaku expressed her appreciation for the Commissioner’s Office and appealed for more international cooperation between counterpart institutions and regional organizations with the aim of strengthening transparency.
Meanwhile, the General Director for the Right to Information, Ms. Elona Hoxhaj, provided a summary of the situation of proactive transparency of Public Authorities in Albania and shared with the participants the program instrument and the transparency index.
