Seminar seeks to facilitate citizens' access to information

ABO/VNA – A seminar discussing the role of journalists and citizens in the enforcement of the Law on Access to Information took place in Hanoi on September 28.

Illustrative image (Source: VNA)

The event was co-organised by Oxfam International, CARE International and Forland organisation in Vietnam on the occasion of International Day for Universal Access to Information (September 28) and the official enforcement of the Law on Access to Information (July 1, 2018).

The seminar aimed to raise public awareness of citizens’ right to get access to information.

Speaking at the event, Pham Quang Tu, a representative of Oxfam in Vietnam, said via the seminar, more people will learn more about tools to exercise their rights to get access to information in the daily life.

Nguyen Thi Kim Thoa, former Director of the Ministry of Justice’s Department of Criminal – Administrative Law, acknowledged that citizens’ access to information remains limited so that they are unable to fully protect their legitimate rights and interests, as well as offer opinions to build and refine legal regulations.

Journalist Dang Tam Chanh, head of the Tuoi Tre newspaper’s Socio-Political News Division, suggested that the Ministry of Information and Communications should issue detailed guidelines to monitor the enforcement of the law and supplement regulations on dealing with administrative violations by news providers.

Participants discussed opportunities and challenges in getting access to information, effective experience in the field, thus creating a transparent business environment and improving national and corporate competitiveness.

(Source: VNA)