THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF INFORMATION COMMISSIONERS (ICIC)
The International Conference of Information Commissioners (ICIC) is a global annual forum that brings together information commissioners, ombudsmen and other law enforcement bodies for free access to public information from around the world, as a fundamental pillar of social, economic and democratic governance.
ICIC’s mission is to share knowledge and best practices, build capacity, identify necessary methods, tools and goals for global progress, and act as a collective voice in international forums to improve people’s right to access information of public interest.
The XV edition of the International Conference of Information Commissioners ICIC 2024 was hosted by the Office of the Commissioner for Information and Personal Data Protection of Albania.
The conference was held in the period from June 3 to 5, 2024 in Tirana, Albania, where the Agency for the Protection of the Right to Free Access to Public Information of the Republic of North Macedonia was represented by Blerim Iseni – Deputy Director of the Agency, Makfirete Morina Sulejmani – Advisor for the implementation of inlegal procedures and Aleksandra Stojanovska – Advisor for international cooperation.
This year’s conference theme was “Empowering Individuals through Access to Information: Ensuring Transparency and Inclusivity in an Interconnected World”.
The ICIC’s annual conference program consisted of closed session and public session. The closed session was attended by accredited members of the ICIC, while the public session was attended by representatives of international organizations and partners, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), journalists and other interested and affected parties.
The conference agenda featured joint panel discussions and side events, providing a comprehensive forum for participants to engage in multiple aspects and areas, as well as the complexities of access to information and transparency. The agency with its representatives was present and quite active in all working groups.
The main focus of all discussions was to address common topics related to free access as well as to explore possible solutions, taking into account new technologies and digitalization and their effect on legal solutions and the human right to free access to public information.
In closed session, the ICIC Assembly elected the Executive Committee, composed of the commissioners of Albania, the city of Buenos Aires (Argentina), Bangladesh, Bermuda, Germany, the Philippines, South Africa and the United States of America. The Office of the Commissioner (INAI) from Mexico has been re-elected as President of the ICIC, with the support of the Secretariat, for the period 2024-2027.
After this, a joint press statement was adopted.
