Workshop on Public Disclosure of Information: Relevant government confirmed a proactiveness in the current public information handling and shared good practices and recommendations for future improvement

Posted on 10/16/2021 Categories: Uncategorized Comments are off for this post

The mechanism for disclosing and accessing public information is essential for building transparency and good governance in the forest sector. Every group will benefit from the robust public information system; the private sector will have all the information regarding legal compliance to conduct their businesses; civil society and the public equipped with useful information will monitor forest management efficiently. Under the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade Voluntary Partnership Agreement, Thailand has committed to implement an active public disclosure of information system, which is part of the work towards good governance in the forest sector.

On 15 Oct. 2021, The Royal Forest Department and RECOFTC – The Center for People and Forests invited state departments responsible for handling public information on forest, trade, labor, factory, environment, and society for a discussion on the current practices and a way forward for improvement.

All departments affirmed the effectiveness of the current public information management, implemented according to the principle of the Official Information Act, which contends that information deemed beneficial to the public must be disclosed. Nonetheless, the departments are aware of the public complaints regarding the challenges in accessing public information. This meeting provided opportunities for different organizations to share their good practices and recommendations for future improvement. The main recommendations suggest;

increasing the numbers of responsible staff to manage public information;
ensuring that the responsible officers understand the importance of public information;
developing a central information system;
and laying out a standard guideline for government officials and the public.

Following this meeting, the Royal Forest Department, RECOFTC, and the Thai PBS broadcasting company will organize an online public seminar on 29 Oct. 2021. Representatives from government, civil society, and the public will join the panel discussion to exchange their perspectives on the current public disclosure of information, under the main theme “citizen rights to information and the government’s role in facilitating it”.