A new online course on access to official information within international and domestic legal frameworks has been launched by the Civil Service Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with support from the Council of Europe.

The course is designed for civil servants in Bosnia and Herzegovina and for anyone interested in strengthening their understanding of the right to access official information. It introduces key international standards, in particular set out by the Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents (CETS No. 205), also known as the Tromsø Convention, as well as national regulations, with a focus on the duties of public authorities and officials to ensure transparency and accountability.

The course is available in the official languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and can be accessed here.

Participants will learn the core principles and practical steps for handling requests for information, as well as how to balance access to information with other legitimate interests. The course also explores the links between access to information and other human rights, such as freedom of expression and privacy, and explains the role of oversight bodies in protecting this right.

The development of the course was supported as part of the project “Enhancing Institutional Capacities on Freedom of Expression and Information (EFEx) in Bosnia and Herzegovina,“  funded under the Council of Europe's Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2022-2025 through the voluntary contribution of Sweden via the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).