The Freedom of Information Center announced the recipients of its annual “Golden Key and Rusty Lock” Awards for the 12th time. The award ceremony was dedicated to the International Right to Know Day, celebrated on September 28.
Traditionally, Golden Keys are awarded to individuals and organizations demonstrating openness and transparency in their activities or promoting the right for information access.
In 2014 the following institutions were awarded with Golden Keys by FOI Center:
– Regional administration of Armavir for being a self-governance agency that best applied the RA Law “On Freedom of Information”;
– Website of the RA Police for being the best official website in terms of access to information;
– Armavir Development Center for being an NGO that best used the right for access to information;
– Yerkir.am for being an online media outlet most actively using the Law “On Freedom of Information”;
– Public Radio of Armenia for being a media outlet most persistently covering freedom of information issues;
– Lawyer Karen Mejlumian for being the most consistent and persistent human rights advocate for the access to information.
The Special Prize of the FOI Center was awarded to the RA Ministry of Territorial Administration, for the best implementation of the Armenian Action Plan in the frameworks of the Open Government Partnership.
In 2014 the following institutions were awarded with Rusty Locks, as a symbol of secrecy and non-transparency:
– Armenian State University of Economics for the most ridiculous official response to an enquiry;
– State Committee of the Real Estate Cadastre for being the slowest state institution to provide responses to citizens.
