Freedom of Information Center of Armenia.

From now on the Identification Cards of information and public relations departments’ civil service employees of State Governing Bodies should include duty for updating the information periodically and compulsory.

On June 27, Civil Service Council of Armenia sent a circular letter to the authorities of State Governing Bodies recommending them to draft and make provisions in the “VII: Rights and Obligations” section of the Identification Cards of civil employees. They have been recommended to envisage the following:

Chairmen of subdivisions:

- to assure the openness of public information at least once a year, if some changes are made, then the information should be published in ten days.

- to organize the drafting of access to information procedure and its publication.

Experts of subdivisions to fulfill:

- the openness of public information at least once a year, if some changes are made then the information should be published in ten days.

- the procedure and publication of providing information, pasting it in available place visible for everybody.

At the same time, a questionnaire has been drafted to conduct tender and certifying interviews for employees of information and public relations subdivisions of state bodies. The questionnaire is prepared for those employees applying for chief, advanced and junior positions. 46 questions on Freedom of Information and Mass Media legislations, as well as national and international legislations are included in the questionnaire. Hence, the employees of information and public relations subdivisions should be strongly aware of the main principles of FOI legislation and their duties considered by law.

The initiatives are taken jointly by Freedom of Information Center and Civil Service Council.