What’s New
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26 November 2014
Rwanda’s commitment to transparency, a key to development
By Wakesho Kililo The author works for Article 19 – Eastern Africa. This is a chapter from a recently issued State of Right to Information in Africa Report 2014 and is reprinted with permission. (See previous FreedomInfo.org report.) Rwanda has ratified all African Union treaties that promote the right to information, except the African Charter on the Values […]
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24 November 2014
Philippines Committee Passes FOI Bill 10-3 With Dispute
A Philippines House committee on Nov. 24 voted 10-3 to approve a freedom of information bill. The bill is “almost toothless,” charged some emerging critics, the seven-person Makabayan Coalition, whose members voted against the bill. But other lawmakers who have supported the bill and influential, long-time FOI campaigners called the committee bill “genuine and strong.” […]
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20 November 2014
Study Examines Success of FOI Request Platforms
The first study of the growing number of nongovernmental platforms that facilitate freedom of information requests has found limited evidence of measurable impact but some encouraging signs. The 27 sites studied, most of which have emerged in the last four years, have been technologically workable, weathered government resistance and face future sustainability challenges, according to […]
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20 November 2014
Senate Panel Approves Reforms for US FOI Act
The US Senate Judiciary Committee Nov. 20 unanimously approved reform amendments to the Freedom of Information Act. The bipartisan support for a somewhat modified version of the bill (S. 2520) is expected to improve the chances of passage in the Senate this year. Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said in an opening statement, “We have […]
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20 November 2014
FOI Notes: Advocacy, Open Contracting, Whistleblowers, Opinion, Open Data, More
FOI Advocacy: Rappler in the Philippines published an example-filled article, ‘How access to information laws can help you.” Rappler is “a social news network where stories inspire community engagement and digitally fuelled actions for social change.” Rappler comes from the root words “rap” (to discuss) + “ripple” (to make waves). Separately, the FOI Youth Initiative […]
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20 November 2014
New Tool Examines Jamaica’s Development Projects
By Carole Excell and Stephanie Ratte The authors work for World Resources Institute. Excell is Project Director of WRI’s Access Initiative. Ratte is Project Coordinator/Research Analyst with the Governance of Forests Initiative. Portland Bight (PBPA) is Jamaica’s largest protected area, extending more than 200 square miles of land and 524 miles of sea. The region is home to […]
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19 November 2014
World Bank Previews Study of RTI Law Implementation
The World Bank Nov. 19 previewed a detailed analysis of the factors that determine effective implementation of right to information laws, The analysis is based on a closer look at 12 case studies done over the last several years by the Bank. Analysts coded the information from the studies to isolate factors that influenced implementation effectiveness. […]
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19 November 2014
Private Bodies Carrying Out Public Functions
The following is a chapter from the third “International Survey of Information Commissioners,” conducted by the Centre for Freedom of Information, University of Dundee, Scotland. Responses were provided by 53 commissioners or ombudsman in 33 countries. (See FreedomInfo.org report.) In the last survey we noted that “increasingly a number of public functions and services, such […]
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19 November 2014
Latin American Countries to Write Green Access Standards
A regional agreement on access to information in the environmental context for Latin America and the Caribbean will be negotiated, participants at a Nov. 9 at a meeting in Santiago, Chile, decided. Representatives from the 19 Latin American and Caribbean signatory countries of Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration – which promotes access to information, […]
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18 November 2014
Senate FOI Bill Stripped Of Deliberative Process Reform
Sponsors of a Senate Freedom of Information Act reform bill have dropped a provision dear to the heart of supporters. Gone is a so-called “public interest balancing test” to evaluate agency claims that disclosures would interfere with the deliberative process, according to a revised text to be considered Nov. 20 by the Senate Judiciary Committee. […]
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17 November 2014
Info Commissioners See Need to Cover More Bodies
Almost two-thirds of information commissioners around the world (63%) think more private bodies in their countries should be covered by the national freedom of information law. The results are reported in the third “International Survey of Information Commissioners,” conducted by the Centre for Freedom of Information, University of Dundee, Scotland. Responses were provided by 53 […]
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17 November 2014
NGOs in Myanmar Pledge Effort to Push RTI Cause
Almost a dozen nongovernment organizations in Myanmar have agreed to work collaboratively towards establishing and implementing a right to information RTI law. The joint statement resulted from a workshop in Yangon hosted by the Local Resource Centre and the Centre for Law and Democracy in collaboration with International Media Support. Issuing the statement were: the […]
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17 November 2014
Professional Groups Endorse FOI Legislation in Ghana
Twenty-five groups, including the Ghana Bar Association, the Association of Ghana Industries and the Ghana Medical Association, have urged passage of a freedom of information law in Ghana. The groups called on the Attorney General and Minister for Justice to expedite the drafting of amendments to the bill, according to the Ghana News Agency. “We […]
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17 November 2014
Charges Against Oil Officials Sent to Tanzanian Speaker
Two top officials at Tanzania’s state-owned oil agency, arrested Nov. 3 on charges of failing to give requested information to parliament, have been released without charges, according to journalist Kizoto Makoye. The two executives had declined to provide parliament with 26 oil and gas contracts the government signed with foreign and local investors, according to […]
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13 November 2014
Nigeria: a case of progressive implementation
By Edetaen Ojo and Ann Iyonu Ojo is Executive Director, Media Rights Agenda. Iyonu is Program Officer, The Right to Information Initiative (R2K), Nigeria. This is a chapter from a recently issued State of Right to Information in Africa Report 2014 and is reprinted with permission. (See previous FreedomInfo.org report.) Apart from the African Charter on Values and Principles of Public […]
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13 November 2014
Namibia Imprisoned in a Secrecy System
By Natasha H. Tibinyane The author is National Director of MISA Namibia. This is a chapter in a recently issued State of Right to Information in Africa Report 2014 and is reprinted with permission. (See previous FreedomInfo.org report.) The Government of Namibia is a State Party to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and has also ratified the African […]
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13 November 2014
US Senate Panel Delays Markup, Chairman Optimistic
The US Senate Judiciary Committee Nov. 13 delayed approval of a freedom of information amendments package, but the chairman predicted passage next week. Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said in a statement issued to reporters: “I have worked with Senator Cornyn for months on the FOIA Improvement Act. It has broad bipartisan support, including the […]
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13 November 2014
FOI Notes: Latin America, FOI 100, Research, OGP, Privacy, EU
Latin America: Read the minutes (English and Spanish) of the VIII International Meeting of the Red de Transparencia y Acceso a la Información Pública (RTA) in Brasilia Nov. 4-5. “The RTA is a collective space that brings together public institutions responsible for overseeing implementation of Transparency and Access to Information Laws in Latin America. This […]
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12 November 2014
Asia Foundation Report Finds Many Implementation Issues
Awareness of right to know laws in three Southeast Asian countries is very low and public officials report many obstacles to implementing the RTI laws, according to a new report by the Asia Foundation. The study was done in partnership with civil society organizations in Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan, and with the foundation’s country office […]
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12 November 2014
Nigerian Judge Says FOI Law Not Applicable to States
Nigerian Federal High Court Justice Okon Abang on Oct. 31 ruled that the 36 states of the federation are not subject to the national Freedom of Information Act. The judge ruled the FOI Act is only binding on the federal government and its agencies, rejecting a suit by The Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP), […]