Chief Ombudsman Calls for Institutional Capacity Building to Realize Access to Information Rights

Addis Ababa  September 29/2020 (ENA) Institution of the Ombudsman has called for the enhancement of institutional capacity in order to ensure access to information.

Chief Ombudsman Endale Haile held press briefing today in connection with the International Access to Information Day that will be celebrated on Thursday October 1,2020.

During the press briefing, he said institutional capacity of organizations toward access to information is at low level in the country, and needs to be enhanced.

“In our assessment many government institutions are very restrictive and do not allow the right to access of information. As a result, most of the media resort to sharing unreliable information to the public and even creating fake news,” he explained.

Access to information is a right recognized, but many institutions have limitations in implementing and understanding access to information. This is creating gap in  implementation.

He said institutions needs to provided public relations departments with full information and  build their capacity to openly cooperate with the media.

The chief noted that some media outlets are not correctly implementing and using their freedom to access information; and some have even been misleading the public.

“We recommend the media and the institutions to integrate their efforts in accessing  information because coordinating efforts is necessary to enhance capacity to information”, he explained.

According to him, a panel on enhancing institutional capacity of access to information will be held on the day.

Access to Information Day is expected to be celebrated in Adama and government officials, members of House of People's Representatives, and representative of media institutions will take part in the celebration.