Phnom Penh, January 29, 2015: The NGO Forum on Cambodia (NGOF) and the Advocacy Policy Institute (API) came together for a full day consultation workshop to provide feedback on the Access to Information Draft Law focusing on Natural Resource Management and the Environment Sector at International Christian Fellowship. There were 58 participants (sixteen women) in the consultation workshop.
The purposes of this workshop were:
- To improve the knowledge about access to information and international policies on Access to Information
- To identify information resources which need to be integrated into Access to Information with a focus on Natural Resource Management and the Environment Sector
- To increase the awareness of laws which support to access to information in Natural Resource Management and the Environment Sector and
- To compile the recommendations from NGO/CSO for inputs into the selective service law on Access to Information
“There are loads of information related to natural resources and environment that need to be put into the discussion for this draft law such as environment impact assessment, right of access to nature resources, hydropower dam development, economic land concession, social land concession, mining concession, river and water resources, natural disaster, species, climate change, indigenous people and many more. In addition, the procedures of providing and receiving information related to natural resources and environment, and the procedures of public participation in the process of large scale development and the timing of that information are also in need to be discussed,” Mr. Tek Vannara, said during the meeting. He also suggested that Free and Prior Inform Conscience (FPIC), Human Right and Business Concept should be included into the draft law of Access to Information.
The NGO/CSO open statement on the draft law of Access to Information in Natural Resource Management and Environment Sector has been released to government and the public.
