What’s New
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15 April 2011
Passage of FOI Bill in Sierra Leone May Be Problematical
By Sulakshana Gupta The author works for the BBC World Service Trust in Sierra Leone and is also a freelance journalist Since October 2010, the Freedom of Information Bill in Sierra Leone has been pending in Parliament and now there’s a good chance it might not pass until much later. Sources at the Ministry of […]
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15 April 2011
ANC Holding Firm on Secrecy Legislation in South Africa
The ruling African National Congress in South Africa this week indicated it will not make significant changes to its controversial Protection of Information Bill. “Reading the position paper, it’s clear that the ANC’s position has hardly shifted since the massive public outcry last October,” said Alison Tilley of the Right2Know campaign. Little progress was made […]
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15 April 2011
Multifaceted Strategy Urged to Build Demand for Information
Identifying government information that citizens can use is key to building public support for access to information, according to four leading activists from Africa who spoke April 14 at an Open Society Foundations forum in Washington. Providing an example, Agnes Edo’o, executive director of the Citizens Governance Initiatives in Cameroon, described a recent effort to […]
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15 April 2011
Bangladesh RTI ACT, 2009: Present Status and Scope
By Sanjida Sobhan Coordinator, Manusher Jonno Foundation Perhaps the Right to Information Act, 2009 is one of the much talked about issues in Bangladesh after Nari o Sishu Nirjatan Domon Ain 2003 (songshodito) [Act for Suppression of Violence against Women and Children]. Demand for such Act came from every corner of the society like human […]
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15 April 2011
FOI Notes: History, Media Role, WikiLeaks, Whistleblowing
History: An article in Journal of Democracy by Brazil-based Greg Michener explores the origins of FOI laws (or not) in Mexico, Argentina, Bulgaria and India. He concludes that it takes “extraordinary conditions” to pass FOI laws. “The presence of absence of basic political preconditions, such as propitious legislative dynamics and a pubic-spirited news media, can help […]
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12 April 2011
CELE, FreedomInfo.org Form Cooperative Venture
Articles on freedom of information in Latin America, written by the Center for Studies on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Argentina, will be a regular feature in FreedomInfo.org, the two organizations announced April 12. The articles will be published both in English and Spanish and will periodically present the main debates on access to information […]
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8 April 2011
UN Panel Revises Draft Comment on Article 19
The United Nations Human Rights Committee endorsed the proactive disclosure of information recently as it made a few changes to the freedom of information section of its proposed General Comment 34 on the Article 19. Detailed notes on the three committee sessions, held in New York City March 18-24, were prepared by the Tashmin Ali […]
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8 April 2011
India CIC Sets Targets for Handling Appeals
The Indian Central Information Commission has taken a step to fight a backlog of cases and has decided that commissioners should disclose their assets. The six commissioners are being asked to dispose of around 3,200 appeals and complaints every year, an increase from the 2010 average of 2,741, according to articles in The Times of […]
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8 April 2011
Bar Group Urges Passage of FOI Legislation in Nigeria
The Human Rights Institute of The Nigerian Bar Association this week advocated for passage of freedom of information legislation. A letter signed by Festus Okoye, the secretary of the Institute, highlighted the nine major differences between the version passed by the Senate and that passed by the House. A joint committee has been named to […]
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8 April 2011
Canadian Political Parties Criticized for Silence on FOI
Three Canadian groups have asked the political parties to say what they will do to fix an access to information system that the groups say is “in chaos.” “In the campaign so far, politicians have used words like open government, transparency and democracy,” said Troy Lanigan of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, “but they say almost […]
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8 April 2011
Environmentalists Begin Effort to Seek Information in Africa
A U.S. environmental group and partners in Africa have begun an effort to request environmental-related information from the governments of Ghana, Uganda and South Africa, and hope to find new strategies to promote freedom of information reform. The project was announced by the World Resources Institute in Washington, the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) in […]
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7 April 2011
Zoellick Says Work Bank Promoting Transparency
World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick April 6 lauded the Bank’s work on making itself more transparent and helping national governments become more transparent, and noted the revival of interest in freedom of information in Egypt and Tunisia. His comments came in a speech to the Peterson Institute for International Economics about the Middle East and […]
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7 April 2011
Mexican Network Sets Strategy, Discusses Successes
By Gabriela Ruiz Visiting researcher at The National Security Archive and FOIA Officer at the Chiapas Access to Information Institute The México Infórmate FOI advocates network celebrated its second annual meeting in Cancún March 17-18, trading success stories and planning strategy. The Mexico Infórmate network integrates members of the media, civil society, and local government ministries. […]
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7 April 2011
Mexico Informate 2010 Yearbook, Advocacy in Action
By Gabriela Ruiz Visiting researcher at The National Security Archive and FOIA Officer at the Chiapas Access to Information Institute On March 16, the Mexico Infórmate network unveiled its 2010 Yearbook, which showcases the activities celebrated during the second annual México Infórmate week (Mexico Get Informed) on Sept. 26-Oct. 2, 2010. During the week, freedom […]
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6 April 2011
World Bank Publishes Major Database on FOI Laws
The World Bank April 4 posted a detailed database on freedom of information laws in 88 countries. The Bank does not rate or rank the countries, but the database is expected to be a trove of information for comparative research. The Bank now is moving into research on FOI implementation issues. The database collects information […]
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6 April 2011
Conference in Chile on FOI to Feature Piñera, Many Panels
A two-day conference in Chile will be conducted April 20-21 with the title, “Transparency as Modernization of the State; experiences, key actors and challenges.” Being held at the Catholic University of Chile in Santiago, the conference is scheduled to begin with remarks by Chilean President Sebastián Piñera and the President of the Council for Transparency, […]
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4 April 2011
Mongolia Considering Draft RTI Legislation
The Mongolian parliament is considering right to information legislation proposed by the Ministry of Justice. The draft law was submitted in January 2011, and has strengths and weaknesses, according to a critique by the Centre for Democracy and Law. CLD Executive Director Toby Mendel said: “It has a number of positive features, including a very […]
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4 April 2011
Conference in Nepal Makes Numerous Recommendations
Dozens of recommendations for improving the right to information in Nepal are included in a “Kathmandu Declaration” issued March 29 at the conclusion of a two-day conference of some 150 right- to-information experts. The conference was sponsored by the Freedom Forum and funded by the World Bank. The Freedom Forum website includes links to the […]
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4 April 2011
New Advisory Body Formed on South Asia RTI Issues
A new 16-person body, the South Asia Advisers on the Right to Information, was formed during a two-day long convention in Kathmundu, Nepal, from March 27- 29. Made up of chief information officers, RTI activists and others, the group will discuss “transparency law, norms for information commissions, and capacity building among government officials, media and […]
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1 April 2011
Selangor Passes FOI Bill; First in Malaysia
The Selangor state assembly April 1 passed a freedom of information bill, the first state government in Malaysia to do so. The Center for Independent Journalism Malaysia, which leads the FOI Task Force of the Coalition for Good Governance, hailed an “historic step” while also noting that the final product was improved from the first […]