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The 14th edition of the International Conference of Information Commissioners (ICIC) was officially launched on Monday at the Philippine International Convention Centre (PICC) by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) through its Freedom of Information Programme Management Office (FOI-PMO).

ICIC Chair and President Commissioner of the National Institute for Transparency, Access to Information and Personal Data Protection (INAI) of Mexico Blanca Lilia Ibarra, PCO Secretary Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil, and His Excellency President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. served as the ceremony’s hosts. His Excellency President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. served as the keynote speaker.

The ICIC is a global network that connects commissioners, ombudspersons, and other authorities in charge of monitoring the application of laws and regulations governing access to public information.

Its members are committed to defending and advancing the right to access information available to the public as a cornerstone of exercising one’s social and economic freedoms.

The network’s annual conference, with the theme “Bridging Information Across Nations: Concretizing the Global Role of Access to Information for Democratic Preservation, Inclusivity, and Development,” is hosted for the first time in Asia for the network’s 20th anniversary.

Legarda, a fervent supporter of good governance, stated in her message that the government itself should be the biggest possible defender of openness and that this should start with civil servants being fearful of disagreement. Her initiative resulted in the national budget 2023, including the financing required for the international conference.

Velicaria-Garafil states, “being the host this year is indeed a testament that the Philippine government recognizes access to information as a fundamental human right that must be upheld.”

The PCO Secretary’s remark was echoed by Mexico’s Ibarra, who added that advancing the right to knowledge is an objective shared by all democratic governments and facilitates the advancement of society.

The President committed to advancing the fight against misinformation and disinformation in the nation while urging all branches of the government to preserve the public’s right to knowledge.

In our daily activities, with good faith and transparency, I renew our request to all government departments, not only the executive branch, to genuinely preserve and implement the people’s right to information, Marcos stated.

As host and a member of the ICIC Planning Committee, the PCO, through the FOI-PMO, has planned a robust schedule of sessions and workshops to explore and analyze Asia-Pacific practices and perspectives in access to information. These discussions also try to address the potential and difficulties in the same subject.

Over 80 representatives from more than 50 access to information implementation offices from the Americas, Africa, Australia, Asia, Europe, and the Pacific islands are present.

During the last edition of the conference, PCO was allowed to host the 14th Edition of ICIC in June 2022 in Puebla, Mexico. FOI Philippines is the first country from Southeast Asia to join the ICIC network.

It will take place from June 19 to June 21.

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