A new study by MISA says Southern Africa is home to some of the most secretive government and public institutions in the world. The findings, based on research conducted by the Media Institute of Southern Aftrica between June and August 2010 across nine countries, “reveal non-transparent and overly secretive public institutions, making it difficult for citizens to access information in their possession and under their control.” MISA concluded that “using international standards and principles on Access to Information, no more than four of 61 institutions surveyed in this research qualified as open and transparent including the National Assembly of Mozambique, one of the most secretive and non-transparent institutions in southern Africa.” The full report will be on www.windhoekplus20.org.
The Palestinian Centre for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) issued a study entitled: “The reality of access to information right in Palestine.” The study says there are obstacles facing the right of access to information in Palestine. It recommends adoption of a draft law of access to information which was approved in the general discussion in the Palestinian Legislative Council. Also proposed is inclusion of the right of access to information in the draft proposal of Palestinian constitution.
The Open Society Justice Initiative has launched an updated version of www.right2info.org, that runs faster, has a new section “cases” which includes case summaries and links to more than 50 cases from 24 countries, and has additions to a list of constitutional provisions, laws and regulations from 103 countries, among other features.
The Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD) has a website with pages listing recent activities, research, media work, legal work and projects.
Many relevant articles were published on Right to Know Day, here’s a sampling.
Lalanath de Silva, director of World Resources Institute’s Access Initiative, wrote a retrospective piece.
Jordanian journalist Ahia Shukkeir of Al Arab Al Yawm wrote an article (in Arabic).
Nepalese right to know activist Krishna Saptoka wrote this article that appeared in The Kathmandu Post, called “The long march towards open, democratic and transparent society.”
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