25 February 2025
Following his visit to Kyiv in October 2024 to participate in a conference devoted to access to information under martial law, Scottish Information Commissioner David Hamilton is pleased to announce his official support for the UN-backed declaration emerging from that event. The Kyiv Declaration sets out to create a framework for access to information for authorities to adopt in times of conflict.
During the October 2024 conference, delegates contributed to discussions on what international partners could do to support information rights in these circumstances, while the Commissioner shared the Scottish experiences of enforcing Freedom of Information (FOI).
The Kyiv Declaration was subsequently shaped through further discussion with international colleagues and the introduction of important provisions, including a ‘sunset’ clause.
The full text of the Kyiv Declaration is published here.
With Monday 24th February marked the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Commissioner David Hamilton also expressed his support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, including our Ukrainian colleagues.
The Commissioner said:
“The resilience and ingenuity of the Ukrainian people never ceases to impress me and they continue to show themselves as global leaders in transparency and open government.
"My office and I stand in solidarity with Ukraine, recognising the immense courage and determination that continues to be shown by its people in such challenging circumstances.”
