The right to know: UNDP in Ukraine promoting access to public information

September 28, 2021

On the International Day for Universal Access to Information, UNDP Ukraine presents the results of recent monitoring activities on access to public information

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Access to information is crucial for democratic governance and sustainable development. During its 74th session, on 15 October 2019, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming 28 September as the International Day for Universal Access to Information. Today, nearly one hundred countries are committed to providing access to public information.

Ukraine joined the Open Governance Partnership in 2011 and adopted a law on access to public information – an essential step towards developing transparent and accountable government, countering corruption and ensuring progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in Ukraine. Access to information held by the public authorities is essential for transparency, government accountability, and participatory decision-making.

Monitoring activities on access to public information. Since 2015, UNDP has actively supported monitoring surveys on how the right to access to information is being ensured in Ukraine.  

Regular monitoring cycles have been conducted, first by civic activists, and later in partnership with the Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights. Every year, recognizing the power of education, monitors have promoted best practices among information holders and conducted training events among duty bearers on access to information in all regions of Ukraine.  

This year, in June and July 2021, the regional coordinators of the Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights performed a check on how local government authorities provide access to information. This is already the third annual assessment conducted by the Ombudsperson regional network on how the law on access to public information is being implemented. More about the findings of this report can be read here, and the results of 2019, and 2020 monitoring surveys are available on our website. 

Besides, with the onset of the pandemic of COVID-19, the regional coordinators of the Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights conducted rapid monitoring on how local authorities are publishing information about protective measures against COVID-19, and how they reply to requests for information. 

This survey, as well as the recent 2021 monitoring activities, helped raise awareness among local authorities of the requirement to provide access to information in times of emergency.  

Regular monitoring surveys help to evaluate the progress Ukraine is making towards the transparency and accountability of state institutions. 

What do international evaluations on access to the information say? Ukraine's progress was assessed on SDG indicator 16.10.2 (Number of countries that adopt and implement constitutional, statutory and/or policy guarantees for public access to information). The evaluation was conducted according to the methodology developed by the Freedom of Information Advocates Network, an international network that brings together organizations and individual experts in the field of access to information. The conclusions and recommendations from the results of the three evaluation cycles can be found here

Promoting access to public information through raising awareness and educational initiatives

The monitoring results include analytical materials which are now used for educational purposes. The Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, with the support of UNDP in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, and the National Agency for the Civil Service in Ukraine, has developed an educational series for civil servants. The educational series is aimed at raising public awareness of legislation and best practices in this area to prevent new violations.

Civil servants, whose responsibilities include the development of state policy in the field of access to information, will benefit from the policy brief, which provides an overview on how the legislation on access to public information in Ukraine is being implemented, identifies challenges in the area of access to public information, and provides recommendations on how to eliminate these challenges.

Background information: 

The analytical materials on access to public information were developed with the support of the Human Rights for Ukraine (HR4U) project, which is being implemented from 2019 to 2023 by the United Nations Development Programme in Ukraine, with financial support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.

The project is being implemented to foster inclusive and sustainable human development in Ukraine and to further promote ongoing democratization processes in the country, focusing on human rights and access to justice for all. Through the project, UNDP is continuing to prioritize its work with key national partners and stakeholders, such as the National Human Rights Institution, national and local authorities, civil society, and human rights defenders, joining efforts to promote human rights across Ukraine and improve access to justice, especially for vulnerable groups.

Media enquires:

Yuliia Samus, UNDP in Ukraine Communications Team Leader, yuliia.samus@undp.org