DUSHANBE, May 28, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- An international workshop has produced a set of recommendations aimed at strengthening the right to information in Tajikistan.

The workshop on “Right to Information in Tajikistan; Law and Practice” took place in Khoja Obi Garm on May 1-3.

The NGO “Public Association Civil Internet Policy Initiative” (CIPI) partnered with the UNESCO Almaty Cluster office, Open Society Tajikistan, and the Internews Network in Dushanbe for the meeting.

According to press release issued by UNESCO on May 27, the workshop provided participants an opportunity to discuss in depth the new law on information in the Republic of Tajikistan, signed by President Rahmon in August 2008.  Authors of the Tajik law, policy makers, international and local experts on access to information analyzed the law over the course of the three days. A representative from the London-based right to information organization Article 19 contributed a human rights perspective to the discussion.

Participants engaged in lively debate; experts compared the compatibility of the Tajik information law with the current information environment as well as with international standards. They gained understanding on the role of access to information in general and how application international standards in access to information would benefit Tajikistan in particular.

The recommendations adopted at the workshop reflect the common desire among participants for improving the legal basis for access to information in Tajikistan. They have now been released for public dissemination and use by Tajik policymakers in further development and implementation of the law.