The conference takes place in Hanoi on November 8 (Photo: nhandan.com.vn)Hanoi (VNA) – An international symposium tookplace in Hanoi on November 8 to discuss people-centred policy communicationsand solutions to improve the public’s access to information.
It was organised by the Academy of Journalismand Communications, the Dai bieu nhan dan (People’s Representative) newspaper,and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
Experts from Vietnam and the Republic of Koreashared their experience in people-centred policy communications and solutionsto promote public engagement in policymaking.
Truong Ngoc Nam, Director of the Academy ofJournalism and Communications, said that the public’s central role in policymakingis evidenced as they are not only the target of such policies, but alsoparticipate in the process, give feedback on policy selection, and evaluate theimpact of policies.
He added that in order to ensure this ismaintained, it is necessary to build models and solutions to receive andanalyse public feedback, such as e-government or other communication models thatapply modern technology.
At the event, many opinions focused on theconditions for public access of policies, saying that information transparencyis essential for them to be able to exercise their right to know. Only when thepublic has full access to accurate, detailed information can they exercise theright to discuss it.
Do Chi Nghia, Editor-in-Chief of the Dai bieunhan dan newspaper, said that engaging the public in the policymaking processis an important solution to improving not only the effectiveness of policycommunications, but also people’s capacity of accessing, evaluating, and givingfeedback on policies.
It is necessary to ensure people’s right toinformation and promote the accountability of policymaking agencies, he added.
Other participants also highlighted theimportance of enhancing the public’s capacity of accessing information amid thetechnological and social media boom at present.
They said it is an urgent requirement to ensureinformation equality among regions with different development levels, notingthat more attention should be paid to improving the conditions for and capacityof accessing information among rural and mountainous residents.–VNA
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