What’s New
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27 June 2011
FOI Notes: South Asia, United States, OECD Report
South Asia: A new book, “Transparent Governance in South Asia,” published by the Indian Institute of Public Administration, provides detailed historical articles on the right to access movements in the region. The chapters cover: – Evolution of RTI Act 2009 in Bangladesh, – RTI Law Implementation in Bangladesh – RTI in Bhutan: A Background Note […]
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27 June 2011
EU Parliament Bows to Court Ruling on Access to Report
The European Parliament June 22 decided to surrender a report on the abuse of payments made to members of parliament. The so-called Galvin report was the subject of a court case recently decided in favor of the Irish lawyer who requested the document. (See previous FreedomInfo.org report.) At the time of the ruling it was not […]
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27 June 2011
Right2Know Welcomes ANC Concessions on POIB
The Right2Know campaign has welcomed “concessions” from the African National Congress on the Protection of Information bill. One key change would narrow the scope of the bill to apply only to security and intelligence services. Other organs of state could apply for inclusion. Another modification would allow a retired judge to review disputed classification of […]
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24 June 2011
Sri Lankan Government Pledges to Present RTI Bill
The Sri Lankan parliament has defeated an opposition proposal for a freedom of information, but the government has promise once again to make its own proposal, according to a report in The Daily Mirror. The bill offered by United National Party Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya was defeated in a vote with 97 members against it and […]
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24 June 2011
Mexican FOI Amendment Stalled According to Activists
Proposed amendments toMexico’s freedom of information law are “stuck,” according to activists, who believe that no legislative action is likely this year because of the 2012 elections . Congress has gone in the recess until September, after opposition from several key legislators and the Treasury ministry stalled progress on the bill, sources said. The bill […]
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24 June 2011
Spanish Official Promises Access to Information Bill
The Spanish government indicated June 21 that it will present an access to information bill. The announcement followed passage by the House of Representatives calling for such a law, a cause that transparency activists have pressed hard this year. A top government official in March pledged to produce a bill in a month, but did not meet […]
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24 June 2011
Report Analyzes Access in 7 Latin American Countries
An extensive new report examines access to information policies and practices in seven Latin American countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay. The report is titled “?Venciendo la Cultura del Secreto. Obstáculos a la implementación de políticas y normas de acceso a la información en la región?” (“Overcoming the culture of secrecy. Obstacles […]
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24 June 2011
Luxembourg Urged to Revive Effort to Pass FOI Law
Access Info Europe June 20 chided Luxembourg for not passing a freedom of information law 11 years after one was first proposed. The group wrote to Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker and to Alex Bodry of the Chamber of Deputies, the original promoter of the law and current rapporteur in charge of this file, asking what […]
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24 June 2011
South Africa Sets New Deadline for Secrecy Bill
The South African National Assembly has extended until Sept. 23 the deadline for approval of the controversial Protection of Information. The action, as reported in News24, came after an ad hoc committee working on the bill missed its June 24 deadline. (See previous FreedomInfo.org report.) The Right2Know campaign welcomed the action, commenting, “It is clear […]
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20 June 2011
Right of Access Proposed for New Morocco Constitution
Moroccans will vote July 1 on a proposed constitution that includes a provision proclaiming access to information a right. “If the yes vote wins, the constitutional right of access information will open the door to a new law,” according to Said Essoulami, director of the Center for Media Freedom in the Middle East and North […]
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20 June 2011
Guyana Government Tables Long-Promised FOI Bill
The Guyana government has proposed a long-promised freedom of information bill in the National Assembly. The bill was referred a special select committee, according to media accounts such as one in Demerara Waves. Demerara Waves reported: Friday’s introduction was the first time the opposition parties were seeing the bill and AFC’s Sheila Holder said they […]
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20 June 2011
Montenegro Group Seeks Documents on Energy Cable
A nongovernmental organization in Montenegro is asking the government to comply with an Administrative Court ruling and release an agreement dealing with a planned undersea energy cable linking Montenegro to Italy. The Network for Affirmation of NGC Sector (MANS) is seeking an agreement that was signed in November 2010 by representatives of Montenegro’s Prenos (CGEPS), […]
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17 June 2011
Mongolian Parliament OKs Transparency Legislation
The Parliament of Mongolia June 16 approved the Law on Information Transparency and Right and Freedom to Access Information. “We believe that the new law will help us to consolidate democracy, freedom of expression and human rights in Mongolia,” commented Naranjargal Khashkhuu,President of Globe International. Passage of the law was supported by Globe International and […]
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17 June 2011
Rousseff Does About-Face on Brazil FOI Legislation
By Greg Michener Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has reversed her support for expedited passage of a Brazilian freedom of information law this week, ceding to senators’ desire to reappraise the law and include weakening amendments. The proposed changes aim to eliminate time limits on how long information can be classified as secret and held from […]
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17 June 2011
Against Automatic Secrecy: An Agentinian Case
By Natalia Torres, CELE´s Senior Researcher Articles on freedom of information in Latin America, written by the Center for Studies on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information (CELE) in Argentina, will be a regular feature in FreedomInfo.org. See this article Spanish. On April 19th, the Supreme Court of Argentina ratified the decision of the National […]
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17 June 2011
Contra el Secreto Automático
By Natalia Torres, Investigadora Principal del CELE. El 19 de abril la Corte Suprema de Justicia de la Nación de Argentina confirmó una sentencia de la Cámara Nacional de Apelaciones en lo Contencioso Administrativo haciendo lugar a la demanda de un particular para acceder a sus datos personales en sede de la Secretaría de Inteligencia […]
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17 June 2011
Pakistani Group Seeks Appointment of Ombudsman
The Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI) has called for the appointment of the Federal Ombudsman in Pakistan, pointing out that the position has been vacant since the end of October 2010. The Office of the Federal Ombudsman was established as the result of President’s order 1 of 1983, CPDI noted, with the purpose […]
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17 June 2011
Jamaican Panel Recommends Ways to Improve Access Law
The Jamaican Parliament has recently passed the report of the committee that reviewed the Access to Information Act, reports Carolyn Gomes, chairperson of the ATI Advisory Stakeholders Committee. “This report recommends significant strengthening of the provisions of our Act, including the creation of a statutory body, the Access to Information Unit, which is to be […]
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17 June 2011
Senegal Leaders Support Passing Information Law
Key figures in Senegal’s government have committed to passing an access to information law, according the Committee on Access to Information in Senegal. Members of the Senate and National Assembly, and the minister of Communication, indicated their support following a June 8 seminar organized by ARTICLE 19 and the Forum Civil, in partnership with the […]
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17 June 2011
Indian Cabinet Exempts Bureau of Investigation
The Indian Cabinet June 9 decided to exempt the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from the Right to Information Act, according to news reports, but official confirmation has not been forthcoming. The exemption was requested by the CBI, arguing that its inclusion under the RTI made it difficult to share information and obtain information,” according […]