From: burke@gmd.de (Herbert Burke)
Newsgroups: news.announce.conferences
Subject: FREDDOM OF INFORMATION AND NEW DEMOCRACIES
Date: 8 Apr 92 20:49:44 GMT
Expires: Thu, 7 May 1992 07:00:00 GMT
Organization: GMD, Sankt Augustin, Germany


FIRST CONFERENCE ON FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
Towards Open Governments in the New Democracies
(under the auspices and sponsorship of the Council of Europe)

Date: May 4 - 7, 1992
Venue : Budapest, Hungary

Hungary has now introduced a Draft Bill on the protection of personal
information and on the access to data of public interest. This bill combines
the right of citizen's to their own personal information and to all types of
general documents held by government ministries and agencies. The latter
right is also identified as freedom of information. Hungary is the first of the
new democracies in Central and Eastern Europe to move in such a rapid
direction towards opening the files to their citizenry. This historical Bill
marks a significant step forward for all the citizens of Hungary and is an
important political move to guarantee more open government of all
Hungarians.
To mark the occasion of this breakthrough and share experiences with
experts from jurisdictions who have such laws, Budapest will be the site of
the first conference on freedom of information internationally, to be held in
the new Democracies.
As Central and Eastern European countries work to develop new forms of
open government freedom of information laws begin to take an important
place in the scheme of the evolution of new systems. In their search to
develop and enhance democratic institutions, the new democracies are
seeking ways to better improve government and its services for the people.
Innovative methods are being sought in which the citizen can play a role in
the process of government other than in direct elections. Freedom of
information laws are one such avenue.

To many this is a radical approach to government, especially as such laws
allow citizens to look into the affairs of government departments and then
respond to the process. Yet, where there laws have been operational, it has
been shown that the democratic process has been strengthened and that
individuals have been able to deal with the process of government in a way
than benefit for the individual. Often, disagreements with government
officials, problems with matters between a citizen or government have been
resolved through such laws. On a large scale the release of government
information has benefited many sectors of society and resulted in improved
conditions.
This three days conference will deal with the administration, policy and
appeals and complaints mechanisms of such laws currently in existence.
Experts from round the world will gather in Budapest to bring their
knowledge and understanding of the laws as well as exchange views with
delegates from Hungary and other Central European and East European
countries.
A unique perspective will be brought by experts from around the world and
from Hungary. Speakers will range from Information Commissioners who
handle appeals, government administrators who handle requests for
documents from citizens, policy officials, legal experts and citizens who make
requests for information. Updates will be made on the proposed Hungarian
Bill as well as an international perspective of the current trends in freedom
of information and the historical and philosophical importance of such laws.
A major question to be explored will be how important freedom of
information laws will be for the new democracies.
SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS
School for Public Administration, Hungary
Transnational Data Report, Hungary
Transnational Data Report/Amsterdam
Soviet/American Venture Initiative (SAVI and the Centre for Post-
Communist Studies, University Maryland).
State Population Registry Office, Hungary
TOPICS
1. The Hungarian Data protection and Access to Public Interest Data Bill
2. The Historical and Philosophical Importance of Freedom of Information
3. The Value of Freedom of Information in an Open Society
4. Administrative Structures for a Freedom of Information law.
5. Making use of a Freedom of Information Act. A Citizen's Perspective.
6. Appeals and Complaints Procedures under a Freedom of Information Law.
7. Policy Measures: Canada's Access to Information Act.
8. How a Freedom of Information Act is Administered: Proccessing a Request.
9. The Balance between Freedom of Information and Privacy.
10. The Importance of Freedom of Information in the New Democracies.
REGISTRATION FEES:
for Western participants 360 US$
for Hungarians and East-Euorpean participants 200 US$
The fee covers the attendance of the conference, the lunches and
refreshments on the conference days, the sightseeing, the welcome reception,
the cultural event and the excursion.
CONTACT:
CONFERENCE SECRETARIAT
RFreedom of InformationS
John von Neumann Society
for Computing Sciences
Bathori u. 16
H-1054 Budapest
HUNGARY
phone: +361.1329 349 or   +361.1329 390
fax: +361.131 81 40

for the information in North America contact:
Riley Information Services, Inc.
633 Bay Street, suite 2207
Toronto Canada M5G 2G4
phone: (416) 593 7352
fax: (416) 593 0249