Active efforts to pass new or amended freedom of information laws are ongoing in more than a dozen countries, according to a FreedomInfo.org tally.
The number suggests the continuation of the trend toward more national FOI laws, but the landscape is not entirely friendly for pro-transparency activists. In South Africa, the government has proposed to cut back on access, and in Spain, the expected government proposal is being criticized as weak.
Some countries, such as Nigeria, the Philippines and Brazil, have been theaters for long-running campaigns to pass laws.
One success in recent months came in Liberia, where the president is expected very soon to sign a bill into law. The new constitution in Kenya guarantees access to information, although no implementing legislation exists. Bermuda adopted a law.
Progress toward passage of FOI laws is generally slow, as witnessed in the pace of legislation in Ghana, Sierra Leone, the Ukraine and Argentina.
In other countries, such as Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Malaysia, Botswana and Paraguay, pro-FOI advocacy campaigns are being conducted, but little or no actual legislative work has begun.
Campaigns Covered in Freedominfo.org
The status of some efforts to pass new laws or amend new laws has been covered in recent Freedominfo.org reports. Please information on activity in other places to the editors at freeinfo@gwu.edu.
Here, in no particular order, are quick summaries, plus links to the most recent Freedominfo.org reports.
Liberia: On the verge of having a new law following Senate and House passage.
Nigeria: After a decade of advocacy, the outlook still does not appear promising.
Sierra Leone: The Cabinet seemed poised to propose a bill in June, but nothing has been heard of it since.
Ghana: Freedom of information legislation gets referred to a parliamentary committee for consideration.
Botswana: An opposition parliamentarian receives approval to offer legislation.
South Africa: A government proposal to modify the law sparks major objections that a few subsequent concessions don’t calm.
Malaysia (Selangor): As Malaysian activists urge a national law, legislators in Selangor take the first steps toward a state statute.
Kazakhstan: Pro-transparency groups develop a proposal and hold public meetings in pursuit of a national consensus.
Spain: A leaked version of a still undisclosed FOI bill by the Cabinet gets poor reviews.
Slovakia: The government proposes to expand the law to cover government contracts.
Ukraine: Delays plague an effort to pass an access to public information bill.
Afghanistan: Media and civil society organizations encourage passage of a freedom of information law.
Brazil: Legislation passes in one committee but gets sent to four others and is not expected to have a chance of moving until after the fall elections.
Philippines: After nearly achieving passage of a law in June, the long-running wide-spread campaign continues, with enough backers in Congress and a supportive president.
Antigua: The president promises a bill, but proponents are skeptical.
Argentina: Committees in both houses of Congress start considering FOI bills.
Paraguay: Groups have opened talks with legislative leaders about a draft bill.
Filed under: What's New