Environmental Governance and Democratic Accountability: An International Legal Perspective
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63208/21015-396Keywords:
Accountability, Access to Information, Democratic Governance, Transparency, UNCACAbstract
Access to information constitutes a fundamental principle of democratic governance because it promotes transparency, accountability, public participation, and institutional legitimacy. This study analyzes the contribution of international legal frameworks to democratic governance by examining the implementation of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), particularly Articles 10 and 13, together with the Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents (Tromsø Convention) as normative foundations for public access to information. The research employs a normative juridical method using statute, conceptual, and comparative approaches to analyze international legal instruments and contemporary scholarly literature concerning transparency, accountability, and democratic governance. The findings demonstrate that UNCAC and the Tromsø Convention establish important legal standards requiring governments to strengthen transparency, facilitate public participation, and improve institutional accountability through broader access to official information. These frameworks also reinforce democratic legitimacy by enabling effective public oversight and informed citizen participation. Nevertheless, contemporary challenges, including misinformation, artificial intelligence governance, digital transparency, and information inequality, continue to affect the effectiveness of information governance. The study concludes that strengthening international legal standards on access to information remains essential for ensuring accountable, transparent, and democratic governance in the digital era.
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