Access to information in Lebanon
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by Ghassan Moukheiber July 4, 2018

written by Ghassan Moukheiber July 4, 2018

The same questions come up often: “How can I use the Access to Information Law (A2I)?” or “Can I use it at all, or has it joined the ranks of the dozens of good laws that are not enforced in Lebanon?” Lebanese citizens, once hopeful that transparency in the country would be heightened with the passing of the A2I Law on February 10, 2017—after years of preparation—are now disappointed by the many unfortunate examples that show how difficult, or seemingly impossible, it is to actually enforce. The latest in the series of such disappointments was the delay in releasing a copy of the naturalization decree, ultimately published after significant pressure on the website of the interior ministry. So, is the A2I Law dead? To all such citizens, take comfort that the A2I Law is alive, but requires a stronger will and better means for enforcement. The law is an important

Ghassan Moukheiber

H.E. Ghassan Moukheiber is a member of the Lebanese Parliament, representing the Metn district since 2002. He is a long-time activist in a number of Lebanese civil society organizations dealing with the areas of human rights, anti-corruption, democratization, the rule of law, and conflict resolution. In addition, he is a member of the parliamentary committees on law and administration, and on environment. He is also the rapporteur of the parliamentary committee on Human Rights. He obtained his law degree from Université Saint Joseph in 1981 and his LL.M. from Harvard Law School in 1983.

1 comment

George Sabat, ACMA July 7, 2018 - 7:04 AM

My friends, Let us set aside the term “ACCESS TO INFORMATION” because I believe it is somewhat misleading. Information is something that should always be ACCESSIBLE. Let us go back to the roots. What is the function of a “DEPUTY”? The right answer is to “deputize” for the citizen. In other words, to replace him. Consequently, the information that this deputy collects MUST be shared with the citizens whom the “deputy” represents. Otherwise the deputy would fail to “represent” the citizen properly if he/she does not “share the information” with him/her. In the particular case of the “PUBLIC DEBT” I state that the deputies, all the deputies, have failed “OVER THE PAST TWENTY-FIVE YEARS” to properly and effectively “represent and deputize for the citizens ” by not “SHARING THE INFORMATION THEY POSSESS ABOUT THE PUBLIC DEBT WITH THEM”. The consequences of NOT SHARING THE INFORMATION THEY POSSESS OR SHOULD POSSESS ON THE PUBLIC DEBT are estimated at $84 billion dollars today and a possible trillion dollar in 2056. There is still time to address this problem effectively, but we must HURRY UP.

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Access to information in Lebanon
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