The complainant alleged that Library and Archives Canada (LAC) had improperly withheld information under subsection 13(1) (confidential information from government bodies) and subsection 15(1) (international affairs, national security, defence) of the Access to Information Act in response to an access request for Joint Intelligence Committee Intelligence for the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) [1958-63].

During the investigation, LAC provided two supplementary releases to the complainant; however, LAC maintained some exemptions on the basis that the information was provided to Canada in confidence by NORAD.

The Office of the Information Commissioner concluded that, for the purposes of paragraph 13(1)(b), NORAD is an international organization of states or an institution thereof.

The complaint is well founded, because not all of the information LAC exempted under subsection 13(1) and subsection 15(1) when it originally responded to the access request met the requirements of the exemptions.

An order is not necessary, however, since LAC subsequently disclosed some information that was previously exempted and since the remaining withheld information meets the requirements of subsection 13(1).