What’s New
-
21 June 2012
Georgia Adopts Standards About Proactive Disclosure
By Giorgi Kldiashvili Kldiashvili is the Director of the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information based in Tbilisi. The General Administrative Code of Georgia, which regulates the Freedom of Information in Georgia, was adopted in 1999 and was pretty advanced at that moment. Nowadays is a little bit outdated and has some very significant […]
-
21 June 2012
Nigerian FOI Conference Focuses on Implementation
Suggestions for implementation and use of the new Nigerian freedom of information law dominate the communiqué developed at the National Summit on the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, held in Abuja, Nigeria, June 18 and 19. The conference was attended by 164 participants from various sectors and interest groups, according to the organizers, the Media […]
-
21 June 2012
Indian Court Says Presidential Donations Covered by RTI
Donations made by the Indian president using public funds are covered by the Indian right to information law, the Delhi High Court held May 14. The court directed the President’s Secretariat to provide the information, rejecting objections that it would impinge on the president’s privacy. The court also ordered that the donations information be published online. […]
-
21 June 2012
FOI Notes: New Book, Newsletter, Report
Media Law Advocacy: A new book, “Exporting the Matrix: The Campaign to Reform Media Laws Abroad,” includes 15 essays by media law experts about their experiences, including with FOI campaigns worldwide. One chapter is entitled “Adventures with Freedom of Information,” by David Freeman. It was edited by Richard N. Winfield for the International Senior Lawyers […]
-
21 June 2012
Access to Information in Bulgaria Issues 2011 Report
The Access to Information Programme (AIP) Annual Report Access to Information in Bulgaria 2011 is now available in English online. AIP also recently sponsored a conference on FOI, described here. The report contains: recommendations for facilitating the access to information and increasing the transparency and accountability of the public administration; detailed analysis of the effective access […]
-
21 June 2012
U.S. Mayors Form Open Government Initiative
An “Open Government Innovation Partnership” is being formed by mayors in the United States. A task force of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, chaired by San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee, developed the initiative. The goal is “to help build an ecosystem that will help cities advance and prioritize innovation to improve government.” In a resolution, […]
-
20 June 2012
Yemen FOI Bill Finalized With Six Presidential Amendments
Yemen on June 20 finalized its freedom of information law with some last-minute alterations, according to sources familiar with the development. Final approval was cemented by Parliament’s acceptance of changes to the law recommended by the president. The six amendments offered by Yemeni President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi were considered acceptable by the bill’s supporters, according […]
-
19 June 2012
Ghana Majority Leader Reiterates RTI Bill Promise
Cletus Avoka, Majority Leader in the Ghana Parliament, said June 18 that he hopes a right to information bill will be passed in July. “We have completed our deliberations on the Bill. We hope that between July 1- July 27, we would be able to lay the Bill before the President for his final approval […]
-
18 June 2012
Dutch Green Party Proposes Revised FOI Law
By Roger Vleugels The Dutch Green Party on June 4, 2012, issued a draft for a new Dutch Freedom of Information Act. This description is by Roger Vleugels, a lecturer, legal adviser, publisher, and an advisor to the Green Party. The problem: the Old Wob The current Dutch Wob: Wet openbaarheid van bestuur, the Dutch […]
-
18 June 2012
Botswana Chiefs Endorse MISA-Backed FOI Legislation
The Botswana House of Chiefs, a group of traditional leaders who play an advisory role to parliament, have endorsed proposed freedom of information legislation. The backing from the House of Chiefs, according to country activists and local media, came following a May 13 presentation about the bill by the Media Institute of South Africa-Botswana Chapter. […]
-
15 June 2012
Top Islamic Leader Supports RTI Law in Ghana
The leading Islamic figure in Ghana has called for passage of a right to information law. “The National Chief Imam, His Eminence Sheikh Dr Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, has added his voice to calls on Parliament to hasten the passage of the Right to Information Bill (RTI) as it has the potential of entrenching democracy, transparency […]
-
15 June 2012
Paraguay Posts OGP Action Plan, Other Plans Missing
The national actions plan for Paraguay has now been posted on the Open Government partnership website. Two other action plans, for Azerbaijan and Macedonia, that OGP officials said were on the verge of being published several weeks ago, have not yet appeared. South Korea also was reportedly read to post, but it unclear if the material on […]
-
15 June 2012
Hamburg Supplements FOI Law With Disclosure Mandate
The state parliament of Hamburg in Germany has passed legislation to create a central information register. The June 13 action was described in English according on the Transparenz Schafft Vertrauen website, which said the law will make Hamburg “the most transparent state in Germany” when it goes into effect. The planned register will be a repository for all […]
-
15 June 2012
Danish-Led Talks on EU Access Break Down
By Staffan Dahllöf This article appeared June 14 in Wobbing Europe. Another report was done by the EU Observer. Late last week, the Danish proposals failed to gain approval at a key meeting, see previous report. While words like collapse, and breakdown make the headlines on news about the negotiations for access to documents in […]
-
15 June 2012
FOI Notes: Personnel Moves, Research
Moves: Daniel Kaufmann, “a renowned expert on governance and anti-corruption issues worldwide,” will become president of the Revenue Watch Institute in September 2012, Revenue Watch announced June 14. Kaufmann is currently a Senior Fellow in the Global Economy and Development Program at the Brookings Institution and a former director at the World Bank. He will […]
-
15 June 2012
Work on Secrecy Bill Delayed in South Africa Over Dispute
Passage of the so-called secrecy bill in South Africa has been delayed amid what observers describe as disagreement within the ruling African National Committee. In addition, more international criticism of this bill surfaced this week. The National Council of Provinces ad hoc committee reviewing the Protection of State Information Bill on June 13 cancelled further […]
-
15 June 2012
Chinese Cities Lack Fiscal Transparency, Study Shows
Most Chinese cities lack fiscal transparency, according to a survey conducted by Tsinghua University and described in a Xinhua article. Only seven of the 81 city governments met the basic requirements on fiscal transparency, according to the survey released June 12. Xinhua reported: The survey examined the 2010 fiscal disclosures of four municipalities as well […]
-
15 June 2012
Reports Examine Access Issues in Chilean Cities
Two reports have been prepared addressing transparency in Chilean cities. A report entitled “Challenge of Transparency in Municipalities,” prepared by the lawyer Daniela Cañas, provides a comprehensive analysis of the causes and problems of transparency in municipalities. The report “Barriers of Access to Public Information City 2012” was done by Pro Acceso Foundation and studies […]
-
14 June 2012
Report Addresses Access, Public Safety in Chile
Pro Acceso Foundation and Paz Ciudadana Foundation have published a report (in Spanish) called “Access to Public Information and Public Safety in Chile.” The paper argues that access to public information should be understood not only as a mechanism to ensure probity in public administration, also as “a necessary condition for the construction of a […]
-
11 June 2012
EU Member States Reject Transparency Proposals
By Staffan Dahllöf This report appeared in Wobbing EU on June 10. An update of a negotiating mandate dated June 4 failed to get backing from Member States’ representatives on a working party meeting between national experts four days later. The presidency had suggested amendments that in some respects would be a move in the direction […]