Amman, Sept. 28 (Petra) – Jordan was the first Arab country to adopt a guarantee of access to information law in 2007, reaffirming its commitment to transparency and reliable information, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Culture Nidal Al-Ayasrah said on Sunday.

Speaking to Petra on the occasion of the International Day for Universal Access to Information, observed annually on September 28, Al-Ayasrah noted that Jordan was among the earliest countries to meet the standards of the Open Government Partnership, which it voluntarily joined in 2011.

He said the Cabinet approved protocols in late 2020 to institutionalize enforcement of the law, requiring all ministries and government entities to implement them. This step, he explained, aligned with Royal directives to strengthen strategic partnerships across state institutions, bolster integrity and accountability, and combat corruption.

Al-Ayasrah added that His Majesty King Abdullah’s call to review the law led to the endorsement of the amended Guarantee of Access to Information Law No. 3 of 2024, which incorporates international standards and streamlines public access to information.

He said the Cabinet also endorsed the Information and Document Indexing and Classification System of 2025, developed by a joint committee of government and independent experts to standardize procedures, including defining exceptions under current legislation.

The secretary-general highlighted that the Information Council has held 78 specialized training courses under its institutionalization program, with 1,394 participants from various ministries and agencies, each receiving ten days of training to ensure proper implementation of the law and sound file management.

"By embracing these measures, Jordan reinforces the importance of its legislative and regulatory framework in guaranteeing access to information, which is a cornerstone of good citizenship and a direct driver of transparency, trust, and investment," Al-Ayasrah said.

The date, September 28, was chosen following a 2002 conference in Sofia, Bulgaria, attended by freedom-of-expression advocates from 15 countries. The final day of the conference was declared the "Right to Know Day," which later evolved into an international observance focused on transparency and universal access to information as a fundamental human right and a pillar of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

//Petra// AF