What’s New
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20 July 2012
Two Weeks Remain for Action on RTI Bill in Ghana
Despite promises of action in July on a right to information bill for Ghana, few signs of progress exist. The chairman of the Joint Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs and Communication of Parliament, Emmanuel Kwasi Bandua, recently said the panel is waiting for input from the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), […]
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20 July 2012
OGP Seeks IRM Comment; Finland Makes 56 Members
The Open Government Partnership, one member larger with the addition of Finland, is seeking public comment on its system for reviewing country action plans. The OGP also is conducting a survey on civil society participation in the OGP process and planning to hold a consultation about how to rotate the civil society members on the OGP […]
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20 July 2012
FOI Notes: Research Calls, Grants, Job Opening, Reports
Open Data: The Web Foundation and International Development Research Centre are seeking proposals for “exploring the emerging impacts of open data in the south.” They want research proposals from specified southern countries by Sept. 10 “that address current gaps in the evidence base underlying the implementation of open data initiatives in the developing world, and […]
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20 July 2012
Azerbaijan President Signs Law on Corporate Disclosure
Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev July 6 signed into amendments to the law limiting disclosures by corporate entities, adopted by Parliament on June 12.. Strongly criticized by pro-transparency activists, the changes will curtail public access to information about the ownership of commercial entities, the amount of their charter capital, ownership structure, and other similar data. (See […]
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20 July 2012
Irish FOI Reform Delayed; Government Backs Expansion
Legislation to expand the coverage of the Irish freedom of information law will not be taken up until next April, a key minister has announced, but the government is supporting having the law cover the National Asset Management Agency and the Central Bank. Minister of State for Reform Brian Hayes said the government would act […]
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13 July 2012
Moody’s Says Secrecy Bill Could Affect SA Credit
A top official for Moody’s has cautioned that passage of the South African secrecy bill could affect the country’s credit rating. The comments were made in an interview by Kristin Lindow, Moody’s senior vice-president and regional credit officer for Europe and Africa and subsequently confirmed for FreedomInfo.org by a Moody’s official. Although South Africa’s current […]
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13 July 2012
OGP Summer: Mauldin at Helm, IRM Process Plans
The Open Government Partnership, now with a temporary director, is continuing to work on its plans for the Independent Review Mechanism and still appears to be interesting possible new members. Libya, Tunisia, Nigeria, Rwanda and Zambia have started to explore whether to join by talking with existing members, according to notes from a recent meeting […]
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12 July 2012
Un caso chileno: acerca de la publicidad de nombres y honorarios de asesores jurídicos
Por Dolores Lavalle Cobo Lavalle Cobo es abogada argentina, miembro del Centro para la Información Ciudadana y autora de diversos artículos y libros. El derecho de acceso a la información pública como derecho fundamental no es un derecho absoluto, sino que encuentra límites para su ejercicio. Sin embargo, en su regulación y aplicación a casos […]
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12 July 2012
A Chilean Case: About the Disclosure of Names and Fees of Legal Advisor
By Dolores Lavelle Cobo Lavalle-Cobo is an Argentine lawyer, member of Centro para la Información Ciudadana (Center for Citizen´s Information) and author of books and articles. The right of access to public information as a fundamental right is not an absolute one. Its exercise has specific limitations. Nevertheless, in its implementation and application to concrete […]
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12 July 2012
FOI Notes: Parliaments, Disadvantaged Communities, Corporate Reporting
Parliaments: OpenParliament.org is inviting comments on a draft Declaration on Parliamentary Openness. The Declaration on Parliamentary Openness “is a call to national parliaments by civil society parliamentary monitoring organizations for an increased commitment to openness and to citizen engagement in parliamentary work. Comments are due by July 31. Disadvantaged Communities: South African History Archive has […]
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12 July 2012
Most OGP Countries Overlook RTI Reform, CDL Study Finds
Only 30 percent of the countries that have joined the Open Government Partnership and submitted action plans have pledged to substantially enhance their legal frameworks for the right to information, according to a report released July 11 by the Centre for Law and Democracy, a Canadian-based nongovernmental organization. “Just 13 of the 44 Plans include […]
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6 July 2012
New Cypriot Presidency in EU Signals Interest in Access
The new Cypriot presidency of the European Union has held meetings on access to information, showing interest in continuing work on the controversial topic, according to a person close the situation. The possible revival comes after the June demise of the Danish presidency’s attempt to broker a compromise. The last gasp of the Danish effort […]
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6 July 2012
Roy Positive on Indian RTI Law, But Sees Challenges
The Indian Right to Information Act “is a galvanizing force that has acquired a momentum that none of us saw coming, and which is going to be impossible to stop,” according to Aruna Roy, an instrumental force behind the law’s passage, who also outlined problems facing the law in a newspaper interview. “What we are […]
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6 July 2012
Canadian Commissioner Plans to Review 1982 Access Law
Canadian Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault July 6 said her office will conduct a major review of Canada’s Access to Information Act. Her announcement came on the 30th anniversary of the act, which she said is showing its age. Canada “was a trailblazer in government transparency three decades ago,” according to the press release, but today […]
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6 July 2012
Pakistani Agencies Fail When Tested, CPDI Study Finds
Only two out of 54 Pakistani federal and provincial departments initially provided information information requested by the Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI) in a recent study. Twenty-five departments responded positively but after the applicant got help from the federal or provincial ombudsman. CPDI concluded that the federal and provincial governments should repeal the […]
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6 July 2012
Nigerian Court Orders Disclosure by Assembly
Amid a swirling controversy over President Goodluck Jonathan’s adamant “don’t give a damn” refusal to disclose his assets, a Nigerian judge has ordered the National Assembly to disclose information on salaries, emoluments, and allowances received by its members between 2007 and 2011. The president’s statement has arroused heated debate and even involved the U.S. embassy. […]
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6 July 2012
EU Parliament Access Ideas From Finnish Member
The European Parliament should take several steps to improve its own transparency, according to a Finnish parliamentarian who also lambasted the Danish presidency and the EU Commission for recently failing to compromise during negotiations on the EU access regulations. Finnish liberal Anneli Jäätteenmäki made her comments in a column published in Wobbing EU. She also […]
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6 July 2012
Are Qualified Commissioners Being Appointed in India?
By Shonali Ghosal Ghosal is a correspondent with Tehelka where this article first appeared. Last month, on 9 June, Ratnakar Gaikwad, former chief secretary, Maharashtra, was sworn in as the state’s Chief Information Commissioner (CIC). Curiously, his appointment came just over a week after his retirement as chief secretary. This, after the post of CIC […]
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6 July 2012
FOI Notes: Special Access Research, Twitter, Open Data
Special Access: A research paper by Toby Mendel, director of the Centre for Law and Democracy, on whether researchers should be granted special access to information privileges. Twitter: The first Twitter transparency report is issued, documenting government requests for user information and government requests received to withhold content, plush takedown notices received from copyright holders. The […]
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5 July 2012
National Security Archive Marks 46th FOIA Anniversary
Marking the 46th anniversary of President Johnson’s signing the Freedom of Information Act, the National Security Archive July 4 posted a compilation of 46 news headlines from the past year made possible by active and creative use of the FOIA. This representative sample, drawn from hundreds of FOIA stories reported by newspapers, blogs, broadcasters, and researchers, describe […]