The right to access information... a goal that journalists in Iraq do not achieve

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[size=52]The right to access information... a goal that journalists in Iraq do not achieve[/size]

[size=45]The House of Representatives will discuss next Sunday the second reading of the draft law guaranteeing the right to access information for the year 2024, which has been in the drawers of the House of Representatives for nearly a decade for amendment purposes, as obtaining information is one of the most important rights that must be achieved and obtained by any Iraqi citizen.
The right to access information is considered an important step towards more open management, and a tool for evaluating the performance of governments; as it allows those dealing with various state agencies (individuals, media professionals and civil society) to monitor their performance and hold them accountable in the event of violations resulting from corruption or mismanagement. A
fundamental right
Due to the importance of this right, the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in its first session, Resolution No. 59/1, a resolution on it, which states: “Freedom of access to information is a fundamental human right, and it is the touchstone of all the rights that the United Nations has dedicated itself to defending, and access to information includes collecting, transmitting and disseminating information everywhere without obstacles.”
The text of the African Platform Declaration, which was adopted at the Pan-African Conference on Access to Information held in September 2011, and in which many regional and international governmental, parliamentary, professional bodies and other civil society bodies participated, stated that the right to access information is a right for all natural and legal persons, and that this right includes searching for, accessing and receiving this information from public and private bodies that practice public work, as well as the state’s duty to disclose this information.
Challenges
Journalists in Iraq suffer from challenges while practicing this profession, including difficulty in obtaining information, legal prosecution, arrest, intimidation, and enticement, which may sometimes reach physical liquidation, which is what happened to a number of journalists in recent years. The difficulties are not limited to the field work of journalists, correspondents and photographers, as journalists in media outlets and satellite channels live a “bitter reality”, given that “the majority of institutions in Iraq are partisan and not independent, and rely on political conflicts and speculations with the aim of downfall and material gain.”
Journalists are demanding the enactment of a law that protects journalists and addresses the restrictions imposed by publishing laws related to information that is often of a political, security and economic nature to stifle freedom of expression and prevent the publication of corruption cases of some influential people, in light of “a government obsession that fears journalism, especially investigative journalism, to cover up documents and corruption files due to the lack of transparency.” Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s
assurances
last June that the government has worked to provide a safe environment that guarantees journalists the ability to perform their role without harassment or arbitrariness, while indicating that it is determined to proceed with determination to complete the requirements of the draft law on the right to access information, after it was voted on by the Council of Ministers.
The Prime Minister said that “the Iraqi press has contributed to spreading culture, and its pages have hosted important cultural debates that have influenced the Arab cultural structure,” noting that “free verse was born in the pages of Iraqi newspapers, in addition to other creative stations such as theater, cinema and art, where the press has contributed to their advancement and renewal.”
He added that “the most important influence of the press is its role in the political situations and events that Iraq’s history has witnessed,” noting that “the press has proven to be closer to the people’s concerns and a decisive and influential factor in raising public awareness against attempts to domesticate it or seize its freedom and thinking.”
He pointed out that “the dictatorial regime executed, disappeared and arrested many journalists, and many of them were forced to emigrate,” explaining that “with Iraq’s liberation from dictatorship, our press has become a fundamental contributor to building a free, pluralistic Iraq in which everyone enjoys freedom, dignity and respect for human rights.”
He stated that “the press has a role in defending the new Iraq and exposing terrorism, as well as its role during the major battles that our security forces have fought against terrorism,” explaining that “the press has provided, since 2003 until today, convoys of martyrs and wounded who have sacrificed their lives for the sake of Iraq.”
He stressed that “our government has been keen to provide all the possibilities for success for the professional national press, believing in the value of journalistic work and its national role. The government has also worked to provide a safe environment that ensures that journalists perform their role without harassment or abuse,” stressing “to proceed with determination to complete the requirements of the draft law on the right to access information, after it was voted on by the Council of Ministers.”
He continued: “Today, we are proud that there is no prisoner or prisoner of opinion for journalists,” noting that “there are platforms that harm the professionalism of journalism, and work to poison the atmosphere and mislead public opinion, exploiting the space of freedom, and harming the free and responsible press, before harming the state and its institutions.”
He concluded by saying: “The professional national press is our main partner in building the state, through which we explore the sources of dysfunction, corruption and mismanagement, and convey the concerns of the people.”
While the Chairman of the Federal Integrity Commission, Judge Haider Hanoun, stressed the role of the Commission in preparing the draft law on the right to access information and insisting on its approval, noting its “importance in establishing the rules of transparency and making information available to citizens and the media regarding the work of the executive authority, its projects and the percentage of completion thereof, in addition to its tenders, contracts and estimated costs.”
Hanoun noted “the establishment of partnerships and strengthening ties between the Commission and community organizations, indicating that “these organizations have a major role in enhancing transparency and justice in the processes of formulating policies and making decisions in a way that guarantees the interests of society in all its segments on the one hand, and on the other hand obtaining the support of these segments, in addition to seeking to preserve the dignity and interests of citizens and individuals from the threat of those in charge, and combating individual violations of human rights by legal means.”
According to the statement, Hanoun explained “the role of civil society organizations and the media in supporting the legislation that aims to combat corruption launched by the Commission, most notably the Right to Information Law, stressing the Commission’s need for pressure groups to work with it to complete the legal system that combats corruption on the one hand, and to work to establish a culture of the rule of law and create a fair environment in society on the other hand, by developing long-term programs that establish a society free of corruption,” noting that “while the Commission works to strengthen the relationship and communication with civil society organizations, it also calls on some of those organizations from which international organizations obtain information for their reports to adopt objectivity and balance in diagnosing negatives, supporting successes, and motivating achievers and initiators.”
The House of Representatives had completed the first reading of the draft law on access to information on February 14, 2024. The media department of the House of Representatives stated in a statement that the House of Representatives completed the first reading of the draft law on access to information.[/size]
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