What’s New
-
2 May 2014
US Must Publish FOIA Releases Online
By Lauren Harper This article was first published on the National Security Archive blog Unredacted. Harper is an Archive staff member. The US was the first country to enact a modern Freedom of Information Act, and was the model other countries looked towards when crafting their own FOI laws. Now, however, the US lags behind the […]
-
2 May 2014
FOI Weak in Most Mexican States, Fundar Reports
A new report on state freedom of information laws in Mexico delves into the quality of the 32 state laws, finding more than half of them deficient. The detailed index by the nongovernmental organization Fundar looks at three main categories: regulatory provisions, institutional design and the process to access public information. Of the 32 states, […]
-
2 May 2014
Canadian Supreme Court Backs Ontario Commissioner
The Supreme Court of Canada April 24 upheld an 2009 order by Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner Ann Cavoukian instructing the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services to disclose statistical information on the first three characters of Ontario postal codes (FSAs) and the number of registered sex offenders living in each FSA. The unanimous […]
-
2 May 2014
Japan Hints at Joining Open Government Partnership
Japan has indicated interest in joining the Open Government Partnership, again and tentatively. The suggestion came in one paragraph of a lengthy joint statement issued after a two day visit to the United Kingdom by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. While well short of a commitment to join, the Japanese government apparently indicated “willingness to accelerate the […]
-
2 May 2014
Australian PM Decides Against Visit to Indonesia
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has decided not to visit Indonesia for a visit intended to sooth bilateral tensions that also might have led to cementing Australia’s tenuous membership in the Open Government Partnership. The resolution of the OGP membership question was not clear in the wake of the trip’s cancellation May 2. The Australian […]
-
2 May 2014
FOI Notes: Budget Transparency, Global Data Alliance, Lots More
Budget Transparency: A World Bank report, “Financial Management Information Systems and Open Budget Data,” finds that only 48 of 198 countries (24 %) have websites providing an opportunity to monitor the budget. Global Data Alliance: A of a recent meeting to consider the formation of an international Global Data Alliance. Research: In the current issue […]
-
2 May 2014
OGP Issues Database on Performance by 43 Countries
The Open Government Partnership has issued a beta version of the data from the Independent Reporting Mechanism assessments of 43 countries. “It is hoped that everyone interested in OGP will use the data to take a fresh look at countries of interest, see where the trends lie, and see if there are lessons to be […]
-
1 May 2014
Mexican Senate Picks Seven New Commissioners
The Mexican Senate April 30 selected the seven new commissioners for the Federal Institute for Access to Information and Data Protection (IFAI). All seven candidates got more than 100 votes, above the two-thirds needed (74). There were objections that politics had trumped expertise in the decision-making (See CNN report). One of those selected, Eugenio Monterrey […]
-
29 April 2014
Going for a World Record in India
By Venkatesh Nayak Nayak is Coordinator, Access to Information Programme, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative. Last year when the Central Government threatened to amend the Right to Information Act, 2005 (RTI Act) to keep all political parties out of its ambit completely, many of you joined a nationwide signature campaigns to oppose the move. Thankfully, this […]
-
29 April 2014
Access Bill in Paraguay to Face Test in House Debate
Civil society groups in Paraguay are pushing to amend a proposed access to information bill that they say is too restrictive and some in Congress argue is totally unnecessary. The House is expected to debate the legislation on May 13, according to a media report (in Spanish) and FreedomInfo.org sources. The Senate adopted an access […]
-
28 April 2014
OGP Leaders to Consider Restrictions on Civic Space
The Open Government Partnership Steering Committee May 5 will consider proposed procedures that could lead to the expulsion of member governments whose actions undermine the values and principles of OGP. The policy is aimed to preserving “civic space” after some member governments were seen as repressing freedom of expression. Such behavior particularly concerned the representatives […]
-
28 April 2014
FOI Notes: India, US, Malawi, Open Data, OGP Job
India: One winner of the 2014 Goldman Environmental prize, Ramesh Agrawal of India, is an active RTI user. The announcement said: “With a small internet café as his headquarters, Ramesh Agrawal organized villagers to demand their right to information about industrial development projects and succeeded in shutting down one of the largest proposed coal mines […]
-
28 April 2014
State Secrets Laws Inhibit Open Data
By Travis Korte Korte is a research analyst at the Center for Data Innovation specializing in data science applications and open data. This article appeared April 25 in the CDI blog. Follow him on Twitter @traviskorte. In the United States and much of Western Europe, government data, such as economic indicators, government budgets, and agricultural information, […]
-
25 April 2014
Transparency International Scores EU Transparency
An adequate legal foundation for transparency exists in the European Union, but it is undercut in ways that foster corruption risks, according to a new 248-page report by Transparency International. The EU Integrity System report issued April 24 evaluates 10 EU institutions and bodies regarding transparency, accountability, independence, integrity and other factors. A solid legal foundation, […]
-
25 April 2014
25 Candidates Selected for 7 Slots on Mexico’s IFAI
Twenty-five persons have been advanced for seven seats on Mexico’s Federal Institute for Access to Information and Data Protection (IFAI). An expert committee chose them from 147 candidates after a series of hearings and announced the nonbinding list (below) April 21. Final selection requires the votes of two-thirds of the Senate and approval by President […]
-
25 April 2014
Freedom of Information: The World of Hurt
By Simon McGarr This post was published April 20 on the website of McGarr Solicitors, located in Dublin, Ireland. McGarr’s twitter account is @tupp_ed. Gavin Sheridan has an in today’s Sunday Independent, debunking all the arguments advanced for our State’s insistence on charging an upfront fee for making a Freedom of Information request. You should […]
-
25 April 2014
Inter-American Rapporteur Addresses FOI in Report
Freedom of information is one of many topics addressed a 619-page report of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights that includes the 2013 Annual Report of the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression. (Spanish) The report by rapporteur Catalina Botero Marino also addresses national security surveillance and violence against journalists, combining a descriptive […]
-
25 April 2014
FOI Notes: Job, US, Colombia, Budget Transparency, Open Data
Employment: The Open Society Foundations Justice Initiative Freedom of Information and Expression team is inviting applications for a new Program Officer position, to be based in New York. “We seek someone, preferably an FOI activist, who is fluent in Spanish and English and has worked in Latin America. Experience with FOI or transparency work would be […]
-
24 April 2014
Australia Reconsidering OGP Membership, Paper Reports
The Australian government under Tony Abbott is “reconsidering” the previous administration’s pledge to join the Open Government Partnership, according to Sean Parnell, reporting in The Australian. An announcement at the early May regional meeting of the OGP in Bali had been widely expected, but Parnell wrote: But Attorney-General George Brandis has instead passed responsibility for […]
-
24 April 2014
Carter Center Issues Tool to Assess FOI Implementation
The Carter Center April 23 unveiled a tool for assessing the implementation of access to information laws. The goal is to evaluate the “plumbing” that makes access laws work. The assessment tool uses 65 questions and the results are displayed with red, yellow and green ovals. The tool is not designed to rank countries or […]