Missouriwatcher
Editor, Senior Moderator
"Ha Noi 17 December 2009 ? Strong sanctions against the delay or refusal to provide information are necessary to ensure the media can fulfil its responsibility to facilitate access to information for citizens. This was the consensus among more than 40 editors-in-chief and representatives of relevant Vietnamese government agencies who attended a roundtable meeting on Media and Access to Information in Ha Noi on 17 December.
With the support of the United Nations in Viet Nam, the Viet Nam Journalists? Association and the Ministry of Information and Communications jointly organized the roundtable meeting to get comments and recommendations from the media on the draft Law on Access to Information, which is scheduled to be submitted to the National Assembly in May 2010. Also present were representatives from the British and Swedish Embassies as well as the World Bank.
Discussion focused on the need to promulgate the Law on Access to Information soon as well as the special role of the media in relation to this law ? which includes both access to information by the media as well as their responsibility to facilitate citizen?s access to information. Participants also expressed concern over the enforcement of the law, including the capacity of staff in relevant public agencies to process, manage and disseminate information.
The UN supported the meeting with a view to contributing to more transparency and media development in Viet Nam. The UN has previously supported policy research on the topic of media and corruption, piloted training on investigative journalism with nearly 80 journalists, and supported the Access to Information Law drafting team."
http://www.un.org.vn/index.php?opti...ormation&catid=88:features&Itemid=252&lang=en
With the support of the United Nations in Viet Nam, the Viet Nam Journalists? Association and the Ministry of Information and Communications jointly organized the roundtable meeting to get comments and recommendations from the media on the draft Law on Access to Information, which is scheduled to be submitted to the National Assembly in May 2010. Also present were representatives from the British and Swedish Embassies as well as the World Bank.
Discussion focused on the need to promulgate the Law on Access to Information soon as well as the special role of the media in relation to this law ? which includes both access to information by the media as well as their responsibility to facilitate citizen?s access to information. Participants also expressed concern over the enforcement of the law, including the capacity of staff in relevant public agencies to process, manage and disseminate information.
The UN supported the meeting with a view to contributing to more transparency and media development in Viet Nam. The UN has previously supported policy research on the topic of media and corruption, piloted training on investigative journalism with nearly 80 journalists, and supported the Access to Information Law drafting team."
http://www.un.org.vn/index.php?opti...ormation&catid=88:features&Itemid=252&lang=en