What’s New
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11 September 2013
CIMA Report Makes Suggestions for Improving FOI Implementation
Many freedom of information are “exemplary on paper” but “poorly implemented,” according to a new report that offers a variety of recommendations aimed at “breathing life” into FOI laws. Authors Craig L. LaMay, Robert J. Freeman and Richard N. Winfield aim to provide a list of “practical” suggestions in the 55-page report was sponsored by […]
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6 September 2013
Georgia Decree Mandates More Proactive Disclosure
The government of Georgia has published a decree concerning online requests for information and proactive disclosure of information. The decree published July 26 follows through on commitments made in the context of Georgia’s action plan as a member of the Open Government Partnership. The decree (in English) contains seven sections, defining standards of Public information disclosure, rules […]
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5 September 2013
Indian Court Reverses Qualifications Decision
The Indian Supreme Court Sept. 3 retracted most of its controversial ruling seeking to dictate the qualifications for membership on information commissions. The court had ruled that only retired judges or those having legal training could be appointed as information commissioners at the Central Information Commission and at the state level. Justices A.K. Patnaik and […]
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5 September 2013
OGP Announces Reviewers for 39 National Action Plans
The Open Government Partnership has announced the names of a new group of researchers who will examine the fulfillment of the action plans of 39 countries. While releasing the names on the OGP blog, an OGP official declined to disclose any information besides the names of the selected reviewers to FreedomInfo.org, citing OGP capacity issues […]
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5 September 2013
Indian RTI Amendments Referred to Committee
Legislation to exempt the political parties from coverage under the Indian Right to Information Act on Sept. 5 referred to a parliamentary standing committee for further consideration. “The government has decided that there should be more discussion on this Bill. We will bring this Bill in Parliament in the Winter Session,” said V Narayanasamy, […]
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5 September 2013
FOI Notes: Legislative Transparency, CIMA FOI Forum, Open Data Census
Legislative Transparency: The new Open Government Partnership Legislative Openness Working Group (LOWG) will hold a webinar from 09:00 – 10:30 a.m. EST (13:00 GMT) on Sept. 10. Register HERE . Presenters will be Juan Pablo Olmedo of the Bicameral Commission on Transparency of the Congress of Chile, Scott Hubli of the National Democratic Institute for International […]
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5 September 2013
Senate Panel Sets Course to Process FOI Legislation
A Senate committee plans to speed up public hearings on the freedom of information with the goal of passage before Congress goes on break starting Sept. 25, Senate President Franklin Drilon said Sept. 2, according to media reports. The committee on public information and mass media has begun hearings on the FOI bill. Senate passage […]
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30 August 2013
Pakistani Committee OKs Freedom of Information Bill
A Senate committee in Pakistan has approved a freedom of information bill. The Senate Committee on Information and Broadcasting approved the bill on Aug. 28 after eight months of deliberations. Committee chairman Kamil Ali Agha is expected to propose it in the Senate as a multi-party bill. The committee rejected a request from the defense […]
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27 August 2013
Vanuatu Passes RTI Policy, Makes Plans to Adopt Law
The South Pacific nation of Vanuatu has approved a Right to Information (RTI) policy, according to an Aug. 21 article in Island Business. “The RTI policy commits Government to release all information to the public, except where releasing information would be a breach of security or privacy, or would compromise commercial in confidence,” according to […]
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27 August 2013
New Regulation in Nepal Praised; NIC Lacks Officials
New regulations on right to information in Nepal are being welcomed, but vacancies at the National Information Commission are becoming an issue. The revised regulations make 13 positive accomplishments, according to the advocacy group Freedom Forum, which was part of a task force that recommended the changes. Many of the improvements are to the request-handling […]
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27 August 2013
Pakistani Province Issues RTI Ordinance; Changes Urged
The Pakistani province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Aug. 13 promulgated a Right to Information Ordinance. The ordinance (official site) (Word version) is better an earlier version, according to advocates, but they said it still needs improvements. The ordinance, which has a 90-daye life-span, must be presented before the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly for review. Critics believe that […]
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27 August 2013
FOI Notes: Manning, World Bank, UK, US, Open Data, OGP, India, Grants
Whistle-Blowing: A post on the Open Society Foundations website says the 35 year sentence for Bradley Manning is out of step with the punishment he would have received in other democracies, and certainly not in line with international law, including as the Tshwane Principles. IFTI Watch: The World Bank has released a new report — […]
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27 August 2013
Indian Parliamentary Panel to Review RTI Amendment
A committee of the Indian Parliament will review proposed amendments to exempt political parties from the Right to Information Act. Getting committee consideration was a key demand of opponents of the bill, which is supported by all the major parties. “I have written to Speaker Lok Sabha (Meira Kumar) to refer the RTI Bill to […]
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27 August 2013
MISA Botswana Protests Continuing Delays on FOI
The Media Institute of Southern Africa Botswana Chapter (MISA Botswana) has urged the government to stop delaying consideration of freedom of information legislation. The group said in a statement that it wanted “to register its disappointment on the continued postponement of the tabling of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Draft Bill by Government.” The chapter […]
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27 August 2013
Groups Urge UNCAC Parties to Promote Access Regimes
A number of nongovernmental organizations Aug. 23 urged parties to the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) to promote adoption of access to information laws and increase the availability of information on beneficial ownership of private companies. A letter sent to members of the UNCAC Working Group on Prevention was signed by Access Info Europe and […]
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27 August 2013
India Expands Scope of Online Request Portal
India on Aug. 21 made possible the online filing of right to information requests in applications in all central ministries and departments. Previously the rtionline.gov.in portal was available only for 40 ministries, departments and commissions. The government launched the portal earlier this year. “The portal will now be open to entertain questions under the RTI Act […]
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27 August 2013
The Nigerian FOIA Picks a Useful Compass in the U.S. FOIA
By Oluwasegun Obebe Obebe is the Records, Information & Privacy Officer with the Washington, D.C., Department of Corrections. Nigeria surely has a tempestuous post colonial history, and has garnered unenviable international notoriety as a corrupt country of swindlers and “419” scam artists. But the nation has also clearly shown an irrepressible drive toward a transparent and […]
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25 August 2013
Mexican House Passes FOI Bill With Altered Amendment
The Mexican House of Delegates on Aug. 22 overwhelmingly approved freedom of information legislation after a modification was made to a controversial provision that activists had said would undermine positive reforms. The House bill still would permit the government’s top legal official to ask the Supreme Court to override decision of Federal Institute for Access to […]
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22 August 2013
Groups Condemn Amendments Passed by Mexican House
Supporters of Mexico‘s freedom of information law are slamming a legislative change approved by several congressional committee that would make the Supreme Court the final legal authority in some instances instead of the Federal Institute for Access to Information (IFAI). In a statement issued Aug. 21, the Transparency Collective and México Informate, a coalition 15 […]
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16 August 2013
Kenya Debating Transparency of Natural Resource Contracts
Very few countries disclose the contracts made with private companies to develop natural resources, but pressure for more transparency has been on the rise, as is now on display in Kenya. The Kenyan government recently cancelled contracts with mining companies over questions about their adequacy and transparency. The International Monetary Fund had been pressuring Kenya to disclose […]