{"id":7787,"date":"2019-11-05T13:40:34","date_gmt":"2019-11-05T11:40:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mans.co.me\/en\/?p=7787"},"modified":"2019-11-05T13:40:35","modified_gmt":"2019-11-05T11:40:35","slug":"right-of-access-to-information-at-risk-in-montenegro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mans.co.me\/en\/?p=7787","title":{"rendered":"Right of access to information at risk in Montenegro"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Madrid, 31 October 2019<\/em>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0The Montenegrin government has proposed amendments to its Law on Free Access to Information that directly contradict international standards and undermine the fundamental right of freedom of expression. Access Info today voiced its serious concern and urged the Government to reconsider.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Together with\u00a0MANS, an anti-corruption NGO in Montenegro, Access Info has submitted a\u00a0legal analysis<\/a>\u00a0of the proposed amendments to Montenegro\u2019s Ministry of Public Administration on Law on Free Access to Information.<\/span><\/p>\n

The proposed changes would take Montenegro further away from international standards on transparency. Specifically, they would result in a law that is in direct breach of Montenegro\u2019s international commitments, including its ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents, and its obligation to protect freedom of expression and information under the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even where the changes are not regressive, they fail to significantly improve the law to bring it into line with international standards.\u00a0These are not the advances on transparency that Montenegro has pledged to make as a member of the\u00a0Open Government Partnership<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The proposed changes suggested by the Montenegrin government would:<\/span><\/p>\n