On 20 March 2023, the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Slovenia to the Council of Europe, Andrej Slapničar, handed over the document of ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents to the Deputy Secretary General, Bjorn Berge.

The Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents, also known as the Tromsø Convention, is the first binding international instrument regulating the general right of access to official documents held by public authorities, without discrimination and irrespective of the status of the applicant or the reasons for access. As the preamble to the Convention indicates, the exercise of the right of access to documents of the institutions:

1. provides a source of information for the public;
2. helps the public to form an opinion on the state of society and public authorities; and
3. fosters the integrity, efficiency, effectiveness and accountability of public authorities, so
   helping affirm their legitimacy.

Slovenia became the 14th Member State to ratify the Convention, which officially enters into force for Slovenia on 1 July 2023. The ratification of the Convention coincides with the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the first Access to Public Information Act.