Walter Keim
Torshaugv. 2 C
N-7020 Trondheim, 6.1.2001

To:
Mr Antanas Valionis
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania 
Permanent Representation of Lithuania 
42, rue Schweighaeuser 
67000 Strasbourg - France 
E-Mail: atstovybe.et@urm.lt
CC: , 
    "CoE SE Foreign Minister" ,
    "CoE IS Foreign Minister" ,
    "CoE FIN Foreign Minister" ,
    "CoE DK Foregn Minister" , ,
     pace@coe.int,
    "PACE SOC" 
    "PACE PPE" 
    "PACE EDG" 
    "PACE ELDR"   
    "PACE EUL" 
  


Freedom of Information for Europe

Sir,

I appreciate the contribution of the new democracies to freedom of information 
(also called right to know or public access to official documents or administrative
transparency): http://home.online.no/~wkeim/foi-constitutions-eu.gif, 
http://home.online.no/~wkeim/foi-europe.jpg and made a valuable contribution 
that this right is now widely recognized as human right: 
http://www.article19.org/docimages/1116.htm#1.6

I appreciate that the political priorities of your Chairmanship will be
democratic reforms in Europe and promotion of human rights.

Freedom of information ("right to seek information") is based on § 19 
of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights given by UN. Unfortunately 
the right to seek information was forgotten in § 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Freedom of Information was "invented" 1766 in Sweden. 1966 the USA followed 
up. European experts needed 15 years to come up with a recommendation.  
In 1981 the Council of Europe gave "Recommendation No. R (81) 19" on the 
access to information held by public authorities.

In the 90s this issue became a priority and the Council of Europe asked the 
Group of Specialists on access to official information (DH-S-AC) work out a 
legally binding document, but the result is just another recommendation: 
http://home.online.no/~wkeim/Draft_Recommendation_on_access_to_official_documents.txt

I would like to ask the Council of Europe to end this sad history by making 
this Recomandation a binding convention.

Unfortuanately Germany does not have Freedom of information: 
http://home.online.no/~wkeim/011227eu_pet.htm nor does it translate 
Recommendations of the Council of Europe. Please find enclosed my suggestion 
to the German foreign minister to translate and publish recommendations: 
http://home.online.no/~wkeim/011223fischer.txt

I would like to suggest to consider if it would be helpful that the Council 
of Europe makes it a duty for member states to translate the Councils 
recommendations to member states languages.

This letter is published on the Internet: http://home.online.no/~wkeim/020106coe.txt.



Regards,

Walter Keim
Torshaugv. 2 C
N-7020 Trondheim
E-mail: walter@keim.to
Support Freedom of Information: http://home.online.no/~wkeim/foil.htm
Support Patients' Rights: http://home.online.no/~wkeim/patients.htm
Petition to European Parliament: http://home.online.no/~wkeim/011227eu_pet.htm

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