Mali’s minister of communication has committed to support an action plan to promote the right to information in the country, according to a press release from the Africa Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC) and the Mali Association of Human Rights (AMDH).
The groups welcomed the development, which was made at a July 29 workshop they organized.
The workshop was designed to get public feedback on a freedom of information study conducted by AFIC in Mali and also develop an action plan to advance the right of access to information in the country.
“The government’s willingness to support the action plan is a great opportunity for AFIC, AMDH and the new coalition on ATI to build on” said Gilbert Sendugwa, AFIC Coordinator.
The over 30 participants at the workshop came from civil society, private sector, media and the public sector with leading institutions as the Office of the Ombudsman, National Archives, Customs Department, the Telecommunications Regulatory Agency and the National Human Rights Commission represented.
In his opening address, Mali’s Minister of Communication and New Technologies, Sidiki N’Fa Konaté, thanked AFIC for choosing Mali for the study and hoped the findings and action plan would support the government’s efforts in promoting the right of access to information, according to the press release.
“The adoption of laws to guarantee citizens’ right to information is a process that is universalizing and Mali will not be left behind.” the minister said, according to the press release.
Barrister Moctar Mariko, president of the Mali Association of Human Rights, told the gathering that “Mali is making progress since there is law no. 98-012 of 19 January 1998 and its decree of application of 30 December 2003 on access to administrative documents that regulates relations between the administration and users of public services.”
“However, this text does not constitute an access law because it has very large exceptions,” he said. “I call on all participants to continue the struggle to make the adoption of access laws a reality for all countries of the continent,” Moctar added.
After discussion of the study and of ways to advance FOI in the country, the participants proposed actions to inform an action plan to be finalized by AMDH, leader of the coalition on access to information that was formed during the workshop.
The plan will be formally submitted to the government of Mali for joint implementation.
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