On 22-24 June, the 13th edition of the International Conference of Information Commissioners (ICIC) was held in the United States of Mexico, hosted by the National Institute for Transparency, Access to Information and Personal Data Protection (INAI).
This annual meeting is the leading global forum to address issues in terms of promoting transparency, integrity and accountability of public authorities. The theme of the activity was “Access to information, participation and inclusion in the digital age” which was held in hybrid format (in person and online), gathering representatives of member authorities, partner organizations, academia, civil society, media etc.
The Closed Session of the ICIC was held on 24 June, and focused on the activities conducted over the last 12 months, followed by adoption of the Annual report, and the respective reports of the working groups and the regional networks. The Commissioner’s Office is member of two working groups dealing with the promotion of proactive transparency and training. Two new authorities from the African continent joined the ICIC, namely the Ivory Coast Commission for Access to Public Information and the Ethiopian Ombudsman, thereby taking the total number of members to 73 national/regional institutions.
The Open Session was held from 22-23 June, focusing on a number of issues and challenges relating to public information and transparency in the face of artificial intelligence, cloud or blockchain. Moreover, interest was shown with regard to topics such as access to public documentation, disinformation and freedom of the press in the digital age; as well as proactive transparency as an effective mean for promoting and increasing the transparency of institutions. In the margins of the Conference, a number of side events and seminars were held by UNESCO, and various international working groups and regional networks.