The complainant asked the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for information about a request from the United Nations (UN) request to certain member states to appoint an independent and high ranking official to review relevant files they may hold about the plane crash that killed UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold in 1961. The FCO confirmed that it held information falling within the scope of the complainant’s request but it considered this to be exempt from disclosure on the basis of sections 23(1) (security bodies) or 24(1) (national security), 27(1)(a), (b) and (c) (international relations), 35(1)(a) (formulation and development of government policy) and 40(2) of FOIA. The Commissioner has concluded that the FCO is entitled to rely on sections 27(1), 35(1)(a) and 40(2) to withhold parts of the withheld information. She has also concluded that that remaining parts of the withheld information are exempt from disclosure on the basis of either section 23(1) (security bodies) or section 24(1) (national security) of FOIA.
FOI 40: Complaint not upheld FOI 27: Complaint not upheld FOI 24: Complaint not upheld FOI 35: Complaint not upheld FOI 23: Complaint not upheld
Citations:
[2020] UKICO fs50858911
Links:
Jurisdiction:
England and Wales
Information
Updated: 30 November 2022; Ref: scu.653587