The Independent Information Commission (IIC) has conducted a high-level Freedom of Information (FoI) compliance training at the Ministry of Labor.
The exercise is a sustained effort to strengthen transparency and accountability across public institutions.
The training session, facilitated by Acting Compliance Director Armah Boimah Johnson, forms part of an ongoing nationwide initiative to reinforce adherence to the FoI Act among ministries, agencies, and commissions (MACs).
The engagement focused on strengthening institutional systems, enhancing compliance performance, and ensuring that public entities effectively meet their legal obligations under the FoI framework.
Mr. Johnson highlighted Liberia’s pioneering role in promoting access to information across Africa.
He said, the enactment of the FoI Act on September 16, 2010, positioned Liberia as the first country in West Africa to adopt a comprehensive access to information law, and the first on the continent to establish an independent oversight body dedicated to its implementation.
Johnson further explained that Liberia’s FoI regime is grounded in both national and international legal frameworks, including Article 15(c) of the 1986 Constitution, Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights all of which affirm citizens’ rights to access public information.
The training provided detailed guidance on the statutory responsibilities of public institutions, including the designation of public information officers, the establishment of internal information request review bodies, the development of functional institutional websites, and the proactive disclosure of essential public documents.
Participants were also reminded of their obligation to produce and submit annual compliance reports to the Commission, a key requirement for measuring institutional transparency.
The training was attended by Labor Minister Cooper W. Kruah, and his deputy for planning and manpower development Steven S. Kolubah.