---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> Date: 11 Sep 2014 18:41 Subject: [ogp] FW: NEW STUDY: Classified Information: A review of current legislation across 15 countries & the EU To: "OGP Civil Society group" <[email protected]> Cc:
Please excuse duplicate postings. *Press release | Transparency International: excessive secrecy increases corruption risk in defence and security <http://ti-defence.org/what-we-do/news-events/press-releases/305-classified-information-press-release.html> * *New study finds that classified information laws often lack safeguards to protect accountability* Jakarta, 11 September – Too often, governments keep information about defence and security secret from the public, citing national security concerns. A new report from Transparency International UK’s Defence and Security Programme <http://www.ti-defence.org/publications/dsp-pubs/304-classified-information.html> calls for better legislation that balances national security concerns with the public right to access information. “A strong defence and security sector can coexist with the ability of citizens to access to information and hold leaders to account”, said Mark Pyman, the director of Transparency International UK’s Defence and Security Programme. “In fact, greater openness can help reduce corruption, which devastates the effectiveness of defence and security establishments.” A new study by Transparency International UK’s Defence and Security Programme <http://www.ti-defence.org/publications/dsp-pubs/304-classified-information.html> examines secrecy laws across 15 countries and the European Union, and dispels the notion that national security depends on high levels of secrecy. Secrecy is especially problematic in the national security and defence sector, where it is often as much a part of culture as of policy. It recommends precautions that can help prevent corruption and malfeasance: information must only be classified when the public interest in withholding it outweighs public interest in disclosing it; it must not be classified indefinitely; classification decisions must be justified in writing; internal and independent external reviews should be part of the legislation; information should be properly archived; and civil society should be engaged both in the regulation of this field and in the oversight of classification. Few countries studied met these standards. The report supports the Global Principles on National Security and the Right to Information (the Tshwane Principles) <http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/publications/global-principles-national-security-and-freedom-information-tshwane-principles>, a set of global standards to guide a state’s authority to withhold information on national security grounds. The report provides good practice examples to support principles of openness in this sector in a range of countries, including Mexico and New Zealand. … Patrice OpenTheGovernment.org <http://www.openthegovernment.org/> 202.332.6736 *From:* FOIAnet [mailto:[email protected]] *On Behalf Of *Adam Foldes *Sent:* Thursday, September 11, 2014 12:26 PM *To:* FOI Advocates *Cc:* [email protected]; [email protected] *Subject:* [foianet] NEW STUDY: Classified Information: A review of current legislation across 15 countries & the EU Dear all, I would like share with you my brand new study “*Classified Information: A review of current legislation across 15 countries & the EU”*, published by Transparency International UK’s Defence and Security Programme. It was launched today in Jakarta by Transparency International Indonesia with the support of TIFA Foundation. Find the press release here: http://ti-defence.org/what-we-do/news-events/press-releases/305-classified-information-press-release.html and the study here: http://www.ti-defence.org/publications/dsp-pubs/304-classified-information.html Comments and questions are welcome. Best regards Adam *Ádám Földes *Advocacy Advisor Conventions Unit Governance and Special Initiatives Transparency International Alt-Moabit 96, 10559 Berlin, Germany T. + 49 30 3438 20 763 F. + 49 30 3470 3912 E. 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