What’s New
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24 May 2011
Donor Community Eager for Deeper Research, Tisne Says
Martin Tisne, program manager for the Transparency and Accountability Initiative, a research effort set up about a year ago by eight major funders to inform their work, suggested May 20 that considerable additional research is necessary, not only to understand the impact of FOI laws, but to know how change occurs. His remarks sparked some […]
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24 May 2011
Reasons Advanced for Lack of African FOI Laws
Why does Africa have comparatively few freedom of information laws? The reasons were explored in a number of papers presented at The First Global Conference on Transparency Research held May 19-20 at Rutgers University-Newark, N.J. (See overall report in FreedomInfo.org.) One reason is that the western, liberal concept of access to information conflicts with different traditions […]
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24 May 2011
Next Steps on Transparency Research Sketched
What additional research is needed on in the area of transparency? Concluding the transparency conference at Rutgers University-Newark May 20, about 70 persons gathered for a session on follow-up ideas, with the remarks of several panelists almost universally preceded by praise for the value of the multidisciplinary gathering. (See overall report in FreedomInfo.org.) Yamini Aiyar, […]
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24 May 2011
FOI Passage Factors Elucidated in Research
Several papers addressing the various influences on passage of FOI laws were offered at The First Global Conference on Transparency Research held May 19-20 at Rutgers University-Newark, N.J. (See overall report in FreedomInfo.org.) They concerned Latin America and the media’s role, the risks of comparative and China. Looking at Latin America, political scientist Greg Michener […]
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24 May 2011
Theory, Philosophy of Transparency Explored
Papers exploring the theories and philosophies of transparency, and even its definition, were presented at The First Global Conference on Transparency Research held May 19-20 at Rutgers University-Newark, N.J. (See overall report in FreedomInfo.org.) “Questioning the moral attachment to transparency,” by Clare Birchall, University of Kent, UK, expressed concern that “the left” has “abandoned secrecy […]
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24 May 2011
Mexican RTI Case Study Looks at Facilitating Factors
A major study in Mexico has identified a variety of non-legal factors that facilitate a strong transparency system. The results were presented at The First Global Conference on Transparency Research held May 19-20 at Rutgers University-Newark, N.J. (See overall report in FreedomInfo.org.) Researchers from the Mexican Center for Research and Teaching in Economics (CIDE) looked […]
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24 May 2011
Problems Seen With Government Websites
Local government websites still have a long way to go, according to a number of surveys described at The First Global Conference on Transparency Research held May 19-20 at Rutgers University-Newark, N.J. (See overall report in FreedomInfo.org.) A detailed look at municipal websites in the Ukraine indicated that many cities lack sites and that many […]
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24 May 2011
Is Transparency Losing in Fight With Corruption?
The influence of transparency on fighting corruption was questioned in several papers presented at The First Global Conference on Transparency Research held May 19-20 at Rutgers University-Newark, N.J. (See overall report in FreedomInfo.org.) The Nigerian Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI) “has at best been ineffective in the fight against corruption in Nigeria, and the assumed […]
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24 May 2011
Transparency, Trust Dynamic Explored in New Studies
Whether more transparency generates trust in government was examined in several studies presented at The First Global Conference on Transparency Research held May 19-20 at Rutgers University-Newark, N.J. (See overall report in FreedomInfo.org.) Exploring “the relationship between transparency and power,” three Danish researchers stated, among other findings: “While transparency is often seen as a panacea to […]
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24 May 2011
Is WikiLeaks a New Chapter in Transparency History?
What’s new about the WikiLeaks phenomenon is that retribution is difficult, the sheer quantities of information released, and the potential for searches of the disclosed materials, according to Christopher Hood, the Gladstone Professor of Government and Fellow at All Souls, Oxford, U.K., and the author of a book titled “Transparency: the Key to Better Governance?” […]
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24 May 2011
Transparency Researchers Gather at Rutgers Conference
With 130 research papers presented in 30 sessions over two days, The First Global Conference on Transparency Research showcased an emerging area of research. Some 160 participants from many countries attended the meeting, held May 19-20 at Rutgers University-Newark, N.J., engaged in multidisciplinary exchanges and networking. Roughly one–third came from civil society groups, international governmental […]
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24 May 2011
Papers Probe Drivers of Transparency in China
Emerging transparency in China and what explains it was the topic of two papers presented at The First Global Conference on Transparency Research held May 19-20 at Rutgers University-Newark, N.J. (See overall report in FreedomInfo.org.) In “the first empirical study uncovering the drivers of fiscal transparency in China,” Liang Ma and Jiannan Wu of Xi’an Jiaotong […]
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24 May 2011
Studies Explore Transparency Performance in South Korea
Good experiences with virtual local government builds trust, according to a study on South Korea presented at The First Global Conference on Transparency Research held May 19-20 at Rutgers University-Newark, N.J. (See overall report in FreedomInfo.org.) The study found that “satisfaction with the user-friendliness of e-participation applications directly and positively affects participants’ social learning and […]
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24 May 2011
Researchers Examine Future of Open Data in Latin America
Two preliminary views of the future of the open data movement in Latin America were presented at The First Global Conference on Transparency Research held May 19-20 at Rutgers University-Newark, N.J. (See overall report in FreedomInfo.org.) One examination concluded that it is still “early days” and suggests that better coordination is needed between right to information campaigners […]
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19 May 2011
Uganda Approves Rules to Operationalize FOI Law
After years of delay, the Ugandan government has decided to issue rules to operationalize the 2005 Access to Information Act. The regulations have not yet been made public, but the promise that they will be “gazetted” has been made by a key minister. A $500 dispute with the printing company is delaying publication. The Africa Freedom […]
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18 May 2011
Canadian Court Limits Access to Ministerial Records
The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that the daily agenda of the prime minister is not disclosable under the Access to Information Act. Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault.criticized the ruling that such documents are not subject to the act, and called on the Conservatives, who control the government, to rewrite the law. The court decided […]
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18 May 2011
Exempting Security Agencies From Indian RTI Proposed
A key Indian cabinet committee is recommending that three law enforcement and intelligence agencies be exempted from the right to information law, Indian newspapers are reporting. The move would exempt from RTI coverage the Central Bureau of Investigation, the National Investigation Agency and the National Intelligence Grid, according to the Hindustani Times and the Indian […]
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18 May 2011
Group Seek Uniformity in Indian State RTI Rules
The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative has asked the Indian Department of Personnel and Training, Government to address a lack of uniformity with regard to right to information rules by state governments and the High Courts. One problem, according to the letter is that “Parliament can annul or modify Rules made by the Central Government but […]
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18 May 2011
Court Records Covered by RTI, Indian CIC Decides
The Indian Central Information Commission (CIC) has ruled that the Right to Information Act takes precedence over the internal rules of the Supreme Court. The court rules required a showing of “good cause.” The First Appellate Authority (FFA) held that any information on judicial records could be accessed only under the Supreme Court rules. In […]
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17 May 2011
Blacklisted Armenian Mayor Retreats on Access Charges
Named to a “Black List” by the Freedom of Information Center of Armenia (FOICA), the mayor of Stepanavan acted to eliminate charges for access to information. His action came May 13, three days after release or publication of the quarterly list, according to a Center statement. Besides making it on the Center’s black list, the […]