An international conference on the right to information in Indonesia yesterday highlighted the importance of proper interpretation of exceptions to the right of access, as well as the experiences of public bodies in implementing the Indonesian RTI law. Two significant publications on the same themes were also launched at the conference, Interpretation of Exceptions to the Right to Information: Experiences in Indonesia and Elsewhere (CLD and ICEL) and Implementation of the Right to Information: An Assessment of Three Indonesian Public Authorities (CLD and Yayasan 28).
Click here to read Interpretation of Exceptions to the Right to Information: Experiences in Indonesia and Elsewhere (in English) (in Indonesian)
The conference was part of an ongoing programme of cooperation 
between CLD and Indonesian partners, including the Indonesian Center for Environmental Law (ICEL), Yayasan 28, the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), PATTIRO and Yayasan SET which has focused on both the supply and demand sides of implementation.
Click here to read Implementation of the Right to Information: An Assessment of Three Indonesian Public Authorities (in English) (in Indonesian)
“These publications represent an important contribution to implementation of the RTI law in Indonesia,” said Toby Mendel, Executive Director of CLD. “They combine national and international expertise in a way that provides pertinent, relevant information for officials, decision-makers and other stakeholders.”
“We hope that this conference will help public authorities and oversight bodies interpret exceptions in line with the spirit of openness,” said Henri Subagiyo of ICEL. “We look forward to building on the success of this conference to create partnerships for implementation of the RTI law with the various commissions, public authorities and other stakeholders.” 
Speakers at the conference included András Jóri, former Hungarian Information Commissioner, Ahmad Alamsyah Saragih, Indonesian Central Information Commission, General Saut Nasution from the Indonesian National Police Headquarters, Professor Takdir Rahmadi, Supreme Court Judge and Tara Hidayat, Indonesian Presidential Task Force.
