The Africa Freedom of Information Centre and 47 other groups have sent a letter to African leaders urging them to implement an access to information agenda. The leaders will be meeting for the 15th African Union Summit in Kampala from July 19-27 with an agenda focus on maternal and child health issues.
The proposed letter to the leaders notes the severity of health issues in Africa and says, “African leaders and governments have it in their power to address maternal, child and infant deaths by enabling access to information.”
It amplifies: “This mechanism would provide a platform [for] mothers and other community members who form the largest part of care givers to participate in addressing common facility challenges such as chronic shortage of medicines and absenteeism occasioned by theft and mismanagement. These actions could significantly improve the health of mothers, infants and children.”
AFIC’s letter recommends that the leaders “consider adoption of an Africa wide access to information instrument that commits member states to guarantee and afford citizens the right to information.”
National access to information laws are needed, the letter also states, to guarantee the right to information and guide citizens on how they can request and receive information held by public bodies.
“In the case of Uganda, Angola, South Africa and Ethiopia where national Governments have adopted access to information laws, efforts on implementation should be strengthened, according to the letter.
Countries like Zimbabwe “whose legislation restrict rather than facilitate freedom of information” should be urged to repeal them and enact progressive ones, according to the letter and “in countries such as Zambia and Kenya where constitutional reforms are under the way, the right to information should be guaranteed in the constitution.”
New Discussion Board
A new discussion board on access to information that has just been brought to life by the International School of Transparency. It is based on IST website. It is hoped that the IST Forum will be a good platform for inter-country, inter-sectoral co-learning on issues of ATI.
Go to http://www.istinfo.net/ and then become a member. once you log on as a member.
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