1. Organizer: Fund for an Open Society, Serbia
Date: September 28, 2006
Event: Round tables, tribunes, TV talk shows, Annual Awards

Description: This year different promotional activities will be undertaken throughout of Serbia. In seven regional centers and neighboring municipalities members of the NGO Coalition on Free Access to Information will organize round tables, tribunes, TV talk shows in which they will present the results of the monitoring process that has been conducted for a year and a half before. As well street events will be organized on the September 28 when different promotional materials will be disseminate, together with policy paper titled "The Right to Free Access to Information" (enclosed), that was prepare recently by the experts from the Coalition.This policy paper will be sent to each member of the Serbian Parliament, next week.

A central celebration will be organized in Belgrade. Special program is designed. American Bar Association (ABA/CEELI) with USAID support together with tree major actors in the field of free access to information: Commissioner for free access to information, NGO Coalition for free access to information and Independent Journalist Association of Serbia (IJAS) is going to institutionalize the Annual Award for the most accountable and transparent public body in implementation the FOI Law in Serbia. The winner will get a modern statue (made by a young designer) that illustrate its openness and a written framed award in permanent possession. The statue will stay with the winner until the next year and then will be handed over to a new (or the same - competition is desirable) best public body.

The Jury which will select the best public body consists of 9 members: 4 representatives from NGO Coalition, 4 from IJAS and Serbian Commissioner for free access to information. The Jury will award, as well, the best journalist - researcher who has made a certain contribution in the promotion of the FOI Law through his/her work and to the development of investigative journalism in Serbia. Criteria for the selection are developed, the process of selection is underway and we expect that all will end in the proper and quality decision of the Jury.

Significant media coverage will be obtained.

2. Organizer: Transparency Serbia
Date: September 28, 2006
Event: Press conference, public statement

Description: As on Serbia a group of NGO's (which TI Serbia is a member of ) along with the Commissioner for information of public importance organized a central event on the very Right to Know Day, Ti Serbia opted to organize a press conference two days in advance. So, we presented to the Serbian journalists and the public how the implementation of FOIA during last 12 months was going, highlighting both bad and good developments.

On the very September 28 we issued a public statement ( PDF 91 KB) on new constitution drafting procedure and access to information, arguing once again for right to access information to become constitutional provision and commenting inappropriate secrecy of final drafting procedure.

The parliament adopted during weekend constitution, where provision on free access to information is one of recognized human rights. At the same time, even most members of the parliament, not to speak about general public, were for the first time introduced with final version of constitution on the very voting day! So, unfortunately my country contributed to the world heritage of government/political party secrecy examples doing on this way.