Source: http://wkeim.square7.ch/files/petition_convention.htm
Timestamp: 2018-10-20 13:14:35
Document Index: 412773602

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application no. 19101', 'Application no. 11721', 'Application no. 37374', 'Application no. 19101', 'Application no. 11721', 'Application no. 37374', 'Application no. 37374', 'Application no. 37374']

Freedom of Information: Ratification of Council of Europe Convention
auf Deutsch: http://home.broadpark.no/~wkeim/files/petition_konvention.htm
5 German Federal States violate the "area of freedom, security and justice" with a "guarantee for the principles of democracy and respect for human rights" (Com 2002/0247) when it comes to access to public information.
N-7020 Trondheim, 6. February 2009
To Parliament German Bundestag
Copies: Parliaments in Hesse, Lower Saxony, Saxony, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.
Germany should Sign and Ratify the Council of Europe Convention on the Access to Official Documents
Freedom of Information also called access to public documents is an essential aspect of transparency which is itself an essential part of democracy. This citizens right is found in more then 80 states all over the world, many of which consider it as a basic right based on their constitution.
More than 3,5 billion in more then 80 states people benefit from transparency of administration in Europe, (North- and Middle-)America, Australia, Japan, India, Indonesia and China. After the Russian Duma approved a FOI law, in Europe general transparency of administration is basically only missing in Belarus and 5 German states, e.g. Bavaria.
Bavaria is trying to restrict the national Freedom of Information Law when it comes to supervision of banks (see Senate, Bundesrat-Drucksache 827/08). This would violate the publics right to know how the taxpayers money is spent, trying to help banks.
I autumn 2005 I wrote a petition to 12 German states without FOI laws. 4 German states i. e. Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania> and Saarland adopted FOI laws in 2006. Thuringia adopted a FOI law in 2007. In 2008 Saxony-Anhalt and Rhineland-Palatinate followed.
Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights includes Freedom of opinion and Freedom of Information. In 1981 the Council of Europe gave "Recommendation No. R (81) 19" on the access to information held by public authorities. A new Recommendation Rec(2002)2 was adopted 2002. 10. July 2006 the ECHR decides in case Sdruženi Jihoceské Matky v. Czech Republic (dec.), Application no. 19101/03 that Access to information is admissible. The Sdruženi Court decision recognized an independent Article 10 right to receive documents held by public authorities, which does not rely on any other Convention rights or interests. 11. April 2006 the ECHR decided in case GERAGUYN KHORHURD PATGAMAVORAKAN AKUMB v. ARMENIA (dec.) Application no. 11721/04 to communicate the freedom to receive information to Armenia. In 2008 TÁRSASÁG A SZABADSÁGJOGOKÉRT v. Hungary (dec), Application no. 37374/05 about access to documents was declared admissible by the ECHR.
The STEERING COMMITTEE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (CDDH) of the Council of Europe CDDH was working from 2004 to 2008 with Project 2004/DG2/74 “Guaranteeing the right of the public to have access to official documents” to give a binding convention.
The Council of Europe Convention on the Access to Official Documents was adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 27 November 2008 at the 1042bis meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies.
The Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, visited Germany, 9 – 11 and 15 – 20 October 2006 and suggested to strengthen human rights in Germany (Appendix E) by giving citizens better information about easier complain systems, teaching administration and judges human rights, a national human rights plan and strengthening the German Human Rights Institute.
In addition I would like to emphasize that the right to information is part of the right to freedom of expression, which is confirmed by international human rights treaties, specifically by the International Pact of Civil and Political Rights (article 19), and the Universal Declaration of Human rights (article 19), ratified by Germany and incorporated into German law. 5 German states violate this pact.
The parliaments and governments of the German federal states (lander) in Saxony, Hesse, Bavaria, Lower Saxony and Baden-Württemberg failed to realize the citizen and human right of Freedom of Information. These German federal states are of the last major countries in Europe and the civilized world without Freedom of information, falling back the international development in civilized states. These 5 states will benefit most from the ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on the Access to Official Documents.
Therefore it is necessary to sign and ratify the Council of Europe Convention on the Access to Official Documents.
Copy: Fundamental Rights Agency, German press council, OHCHR-UNOG G/SO 215/51 GERM ES, EU Commission, EU Parliament, EU Council, Council of Europe, OSCE, OECD, PACE, IHF, OSCE, ECHR and UN.
Answer: 24. July 2010: The federal parliament Bundestag does not support the idea to sign the convention.
27. November 2008: Council of Europe Convention on the Access to Official Documents: http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/Commun/QueVoulezVous.asp?NT=205&CM=8&DF=6/18/2009&CL=ENG, http://www.access-info.org/?id=12
FOI in Europe and UN: International treaties signed of Germany and violated: http://home.broadpark.no/~wkeim/foil.htm#coe.
22. January 2009: The russian Duma adopts a Freedom of Information Law. In Europe basically Belarus and 5 German states (lander) Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Lower Saxony and Saxony are without Freedom of Information laws.
10. July 2006: Sdruženi Jihoceské Matky v. Czech Republic (dec.), Application no. 19101/03, Decision of ECHR on admissibility. Access to information. http://home.broadpark.no/~wkeim/files/echr-19101-03.htm
16. October 2006: Justice Initiative Intervenes in Strasbourg Freedom of Information Case: Application no. 11721/04. GERAGUYN KHORHURD PATGAMAVORAKAN AKUMB v. ARMENIA (dec.): http://home.broadpark.no/~wkeim/files/echr-11721-04.htm
ECHR TÁRSASÁG A SZABADSÁGJOGOKÉRT v. Hungary, Application no. 37374/05: http://home.broadpark.no/~wkeim/files/echr-CASE_OF_TARSASAG_v._HUNGARY.html
21. January 2009: The Russian Duma passes a Freedom of Information Act: http://right2info.org/news/russias-duma-passs-a-freedom-of-information-act
IRIS 2009-2:3/2: Committee of Ministers. European Convention on Access to Official Documents: http://merlin.obs.coe.int/iris/2009/2/article2
07. September 2009: Roger Vleugels: Overview of all 90 FOIA countries & territories: http://right2info.org/resources/publications/laws-1/ati-laws_fringe-special_roger-vleugels_2011-oct
14. April 2009: ECHR Application no. 37374/05 by TÁRSASÁG A SZABADSÁGJOGOKÉRT against Hungary: http://merlin.obs.coe.int/iris/2009/7/article1
In 2007 the government in Saxony-Anhalt suggested a FOI law to parliaments, which was approved 2008. The parliament of Rhineland-Palatinate adopted a FOI law in 2008.
Appendix 5: FOI in Europe and UN
European Court for Human Rights, 2006 Sdruženi Jihoceské Matky v. Czech Republic (dec.), Appl. No. 19101/03 of 10. Juli 2006: http://merlin.obs.coe.int/iris/2006/9/article1 German
European Court for Human Rights, 2008 ECHR Application no. 37374/05 by TÁRSASÁG A SZABADSÁGJOGOKÉRT v. Hungary: http://www.access-info.org/data/File/HCLU%20v%20Hungary.pdf German
Council of Europe, 27. November 2008 Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents (Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 27 November 2008 at the 1042bis meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies) German