What’s New
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30 September 2011
Islamabad Declaration Seeks Pakistan Movement on FOI
A declaration issued Sept. 28 from an international conference on right to information held in Islamabad, Pakistan, calls for the federal and provincial governments to enact right to information laws. The “Islamabad Declaration” outlines the basics of what should be in good RTI statutes, according to an article by Myra Imran in The News. The […]
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29 September 2011
Cambodian Activists Draft Second Proposed Law
Freedom of information supporters in Cambodia have redrafted a proposal for the country’s first FOI law and hope for parliamentary consideration. The latest draft access to information law was drafted by the opposition party after the ruling party in late 2010 said the first version was too weak and full of mistakes, according to a […]
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29 September 2011
Serbia Tops New FOI Ratings, Austria Ranks Lowest
A significant variation exists in the legal environment for right to information in 89 countries studied by Access Info Europe (Spain) and the Centre for Law and Democracy (Canada) that gives Serbia the highest rating. The RTI Rating is “based on 61 indicators drawn from a wide range of international standards on the right to information, feedback […]
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28 September 2011
Web Portal to Facilitate Information Requests to EU
A web portal to facilitate public information requests to the European Union was unveiled Sept. 28 by the pro-transparency human rights group Access Info Europe. AsktheEU.org “is designed to radically simplify the process by which the public puts requests to European Union bodies,” the group said in an announcement. An email is sent from the […]
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27 September 2011
7 FOI Laws Pass in Past Year; 18 More Under Consideration
By Toby McIntosh Freedom of information laws were created in seven countries in the year since the last Right to Know Day, notable positive changes were recorded in four other countries and active efforts to pass laws are under way in about 18 nations, according to a FreedomInfo.org survey. Since International RTK Day 2010, first-time […]
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27 September 2011
FOI Notes: Bangladesh, WikiLeaks, Mobile Phones
Bangladesh: A new publication documents 15 RTI related stories in Bangladesh – The Power of Using the Right to Information Act in Bangladesh: Experiences from the Ground (PDF 1376 KB). This publication documents the experiences of NGOs working in the field and how the RTI Act has had an impact on individuals. Also, see a […]
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27 September 2011
Provincial Variation Apparent in Canadian FOIA Audit
Response time to freedom of information varies among the Canadian provinces, according to the latest version of The National Freedom of Information Audit, sponsored by Newspapers Canada. Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Yukon were the fastest responders, while British Columbia was the slowest, according to the report, which includes A-F grades along with “bricks” […]
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27 September 2011
Let a Thousand Flowers of Information Bloom
By Rakesh Rajini Rajani is head of Twaweza Tanzania. This article is an edited version of a presentation he made on behalf of civil society at the Sept. 20 launch of the Open Government Partnership in New York on Sept. 20. Perhaps the most important reason we need open government, in a world marked by […]
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22 September 2011
African Conference Adopts Declaration on Access
The African Platform on Access to Information Declaration was adopted at the Pan African Conference on Access to Information held Sept. 17-19 in Cape Town, South Africa. Developed by a variety of groups, the wide-ranging declaration sets out 14 principles on the right of access to information, but also discussed how they should be implemented […]
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22 September 2011
Norway Includes Gender Equality in OGP Plan
Unusual among the action plans by the eight founding member governments of the Open Government Partnership, Norway included gender equality as one component. Norway is a founding member of the OGP, officially kicked off in New York City Sept. 20. (See FreedomInfo.org overview.) The 46 countries joining the effort agree to write action plans containing […]
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22 September 2011
South African Government Proposes Eight-Part OGP Plan
South Africa has made eight broad commitments in its Open Government Partnership action plan. South Africa is a founding member of the OGP, officially kicked off in New York City Sept. 20. (See FreedomInfo.org overview.) The 46 countries joining the effort agree to write action plans containing their commitments. The South African plan is less detailed than […]
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22 September 2011
Mexico’s OGP Plan Pledges New Proactive Disclosures
The Mexican commitments made in its Open Government Partnership action plan promise a range of information disclosures about government services, release of databases and creation of online windows for commercial and corporate transactions, among other things. Mexico is one of the founding members of the partnership, officially kicked off in New York City Sept. 20. […]
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22 September 2011
UK OGP Plan Emphasizes Foreign Aid Transparency
The United Kingdom’s plan submitted as part of the Open Government Partnership initiative drew attention for focusing on foreign aid transparency and also contains a number of other proposed activities for the home front, including on open data. In Associated Press report leading up the May 20 meeting in New York, quoted a U.K. minister […]
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22 September 2011
After Disasters, Japan FOI Reformers Wait Patiently
By Lawrence Repeta Repeta is a professor at Meiji University, Tokyo, and a FreedomInfo.org contributing editor When the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) took power in a historic landslide election in August, 2009, there were high expectations that party leaders would adopt a series of reforms that would mark a significant change from the Japan […]
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22 September 2011
Access Advocates Organize, Raise Support in Paraguay
By Julia Fernández Cruz Cruz is a staff member of the Alianza Regional por la Libre Expresión e Información (Regional Alliance for Freedom of Expression and Information) The Alianza Regional por la Libre Expresión e Información has been supporting, since 2008, the Promoting Group on Access to Public Information (GIAI), a coalition of Paraguayan civil society organizations […]
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22 September 2011
Indonesian Action Plan Issued as Part of OGP Process
The Indonesian “action plan” announced Sept. 20 as part of the Open Government Partnership aims to be execution-oriented, people-oriented and have a snowball effect, according to the words of the preamble. Indonesia is one of the founding members of the partnership, officially kicked off in New York City Sept. 20. (See FreedomInfo.org overview.) The 46 […]
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22 September 2011
Polish Legislation Called Too Broad; Signing Opposed
Polish transparency activists are asking the country’s president not to sign recently passed amendments to the freedom of information law. Parliament Sept. 16 approved a variety of changes, including an amendment added by the upper chamber which critics consider too broad. The specific objectionable provision (translated by a Polish FOI activist) states: 1a. The right […]
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20 September 2011
Open Government Effort Officially Begun at NYC Event
World leaders inaugurated the 46-nation Open Government Partnership Sept. 20 in New York City with speeches about the value of open government. Endorsing a declaration on open government, the partner countries agreed to issue national action plans in which they make commitments to advance open government on many fronts. The eight founding members issued their […]
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20 September 2011
Brazil Submits Action Plan for Open Government Partnership
The Brazilian government Sept. 20 issued its action plan for improving open government. The announcement came in connection with the kick-off of the Open Government Partnership, a multinational effort that Brazil co-chair with the Unites States. The eight core members of the OGP released their plans at an event in New York City. (See related […]
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20 September 2011
U.S. Issues 26-Point Plan of Transparency Commitments
The United States Sept. 20 made 26 specific commitments as part of its national action plan for participation in the Open Government Partnership. Some part of the plan have announced previously, but a few items are new. “Probably the biggest announcement,” according to an administration official, is a commitment to implement the Extractive Industries Transparency […]