The Egyptian human rights law firm the United Group on Sept. 28 released a draft of a proposed law on freedom of information for Egypt.
“Freedom of information is essential to democracy, and Egypt will not be truly democratic until freedom of information is guaranteed,” said United Group Senior Partner Negad El-Borai at a press conference in Cairo, according to a press statement. “This proposed law represents more than three years of effort and the input of countless Egyptian policymakers, businesspeople, journalists, and civil society groups. It is vital for Egypt’s future that it be instituted right away.”
The proposed law consists of 62 articles in eight sections, according to the statement which continues:
It establishes freedom of information as the default mode of operation for government, and goes on to identify which governmental and nongovernmental bodies are subject to the law, how they must make information available, and how citizens may access it. The draft law establishes an independent high commission for information with the power to adjudicate disputes over access to information. It tasks the high commission with spreading awareness of the importance of freedom of information and with training relevant officials in their obligations under the law. Finally, the law establishes fees and penalties for violation of the law, including possible criminal prosecution.
The draft law is the result of parallel multi-year, broad-based consultative efforts to promote freedom of information on the part of Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) and the United Group.
In 2009, CIPE produced a policy paper titled Freedom of Information and Transparency in Egypt.
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