Access to Public Information

The Ministry of Social Policy works to ensure equal access to public information based on the European standards of openness and transparency in operations of the public authorities. An important step on this path was the Law of Ukraine “On Access to Public Information” signed by the President of Ukraine.

According to the Law, public information is the one presented and recorded by any means and on any carriers that has been received or created during the discharge of their powers and duties by the power entities, as prescribed by the effective legislation, and that is held by the power entities, other administrators of public information under this law.

The right of access to public information is guaranteed by:

• the duty of information administrators to provide and public information except as otherwise prescribed by the law;
• determining the special structural subdivisions or officers that guarantee access to the public information held by the administrator;
• simplifying the procedure for filing a request and receiving information to the maximum extent;
• access to meetings of collegial power entities except as otherwise prescribed by the legislation;
• parliamentary, public and state control over observance of rights of access to public information;
• legal responsibility for violating the legislation on access to public information.

Main Principles of Access to Public Information

• transparency and publicity of activities of power entities;
• free receipt and dissemination of information except as otherwise restricted by the law;
• equal rights regardless of race, political, religious and other beliefs, sex, ethnic and social origin, property status, place of residence, linguistic or other characteristics.

Forms of Requests for Information

Public information of the Ministry of Social Policy is provided in response to an information request.

A request for information is made in the free form, but it must contain the following elements:

• contact details: first and last name of the requesting person, postal or electronic address, and telephone number;
• description of the information the requesting person would like to obtain: type, title, details or content of the document associated with the request;
• signature and date.