FOI Conference/Call for Papers: Proposals are being invited for papers to be given at a conference, “Freedom of Information Laws on the Global Stage: Past, Present and Future,” to be held Nov. 4, 2016, at Southwestern Law School, Los Angeles, Cal. See announcement. Deadline for abstract is April 4. “Papers should have an international or comparative focus that engages historical, contemporary or emerging issues relating to freedom of information law.”
Bulgaria: The Access to Information Programme presents a collection of 37 cases of nongovernmental organizations which have used the procedures under the Access to Public Information Act (APIA) to seek and obtain information from public bodies and to defend their right to information in the court when being refused. Gergana Jouleva, the AIP Executive Director, writes that “…. the team of the Access to Information Programme is an integral part of all these stories, because we were supporting the information seekers, we were assisting them to go all the way to the end. These stories are our story.”
OGP: The Open Government Partnership releases the list of 47 civil society leaders who are candidates for the 6 civil society seats on the OGP Steering Committee. You can find all nomination letters, cv’s and other materials for the candidates here. The selection committee this year is made up of Manish Bapna (World Resources Institute – SC member), Juan Manuel Casanueva (SocialTIC), Mukelani Dimba, (ODAC – SC member), Anne Jellema (World Wide Web Foundation) and Paul Maassen (OGP Support Unit). Feedback and comments on any of the candidates can go here: rotation@opengovpartnership.org before Feb. 25, 2016 (midnight EST). Feedback received will be published in the Comments/Endorsements column unless otherwise requested. More information on the job description and the full process can be found here.
OGP: The OGP is seeking new members for the expert panel that oversees its Independent Review Mechanism.
India: “Ten Years of the Right to Information (RTI) Act: A Review,” by Neha Mahal, National Coordinator of the Centre for Development and Human Rights (CDHR), a non-partisan, non-governmental Indian research and advocacy organization based in New Delhi. Summary:
In 2015, the Right to Information act completed ten years, though amidst mixed opinions evaluating its journey so far. On one hand, there is a sense of rejoice for its role in establishing citizens’ right to seek information from public authorities. On the other hand, inaction on reforms needed for efficient implementation of the act have raised doubts over how far things have practically changed at the ground level. The reality of RTI act’s implementation lay somewhere in the middle of these two standpoints. In its decade long existence, the act has managed to bring transparency by exposing slew of corruption cases running into thousands of crores such as CWG, 2G and Adarsh society scam. But, accountability in the routine working of the public authorities is yet to take roots as majority of common citizens still find access to information difficult due to delays, supply of insufficient information and limited reach of the act.
India/Commentary: Given recent court rulings, it is important for the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to clarify its position regarding releasing information it collects from banks, writes Ira Dugal, assistant managing editor, Mint.
Pakistan: “Public sector companies: Time to demand transparency in national assets,” according to Naveed Iftikhar, a doctoral student in public policy at the University of Delaware, USA who served as a governance specialist in the Ministry of Finance.
Pakistan: Officials’ statements on transparency contradict their actions, writes Waqar Gillani in The News. “A recent example of the PML-N government’s lack of transparency remains the 550MW Nandipur Power Plant Project (NPPP).” Federal Minister for Information Pervaiz Rashid says that transparency was a key feature of the PML-N government’s manifesto, stating: “Transparency is a pre-requisite for good governance. And this is the reason why no corruption scandal has been reported or unearthed by the media or the monitoring agencies.” Gillani writes:
For many, his statement contradicts the reality on the ground. There are questions being raised by the civil society and the public regarding the transparency of the multifarious mega development projects that have been started over the past two years or so.
United States: “Freedom of Information Act is the crown jewel in the open government repertoire,” according to Nate Jones is the Director of the Freedom of Information Act Project for the National Security Archive, and editor of Unredacted, interviewed in Muckrock.
United States: “Scalia’s Death at Private Ranch Highlights Tension Over Justices’ Travel,” reports Zoe Tillman in The National Law Journal. “Financial reports filed by Scalia and other justices and federal judges reveal that certain vacations and private trips do indeed become public. Whether or not a trip remains secret hinges on any exchange of money.”
United States: A video on the FOIA in “Truth and Power” featuring activist Ryan Shapiro, though, sometimes, easier submitted than done. All-New Episodes – Fridays at 10 p.m. ET / PT on Pivot. Participant Media created the investigative documentary series with producer Brian Knappenberger.
India: The Delhi and Districts Cricket Association rejects proposals for greater transparency, IndiaToday reports.
India: Searching for 36-year-old scores of top government officials on the civil service exam would disproportionately divert resources, the Central Information Commission rules.
Ukraine: The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine endorses a Declaration on Parliamentary Openness. An action plan to implement the Declaration was presented and a working group to coordinate and implement the plan was operationalized.
Trade Transparency: Creative Commons and an international coalition of organizations and individuals has published the Brussels Declaration on Trade and the Internet. “Our declaration calls for increased transparency and inclusion by all stakeholders in the development and negotiations of global trade agreements.”
Commentary: “NGOs are great at demanding transparency. They’re not so hot at providing it,” writes Nives Dolšak is professor in the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs at the University of Washington at Seattle.
Pakistan: The Centre for Governance and Public Accountability (CGPA) Facebook page includes the Punjab Information Commission‘s promotional video.
United States: The Washington Post writes about the debate over release of videos from police body-worn cameras. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press has a map showing the current status of state legislation and police department policies regarding public access to police body-worn cameras.
United States: The Virginia state legislature is considering a bill to make the names and training files of law-enforcement officials “excluded from mandatory disclosure” under the state Freedom of Information Act, Corey Hitchins reports.
Nepal: A book on titled “Suchanako hak ra Arghakhachi” (RTI and Arghakhanchi) by RTI campaigner Muktinath Bhusal was released, according to a news report.
United States: The city of DeKalb, Ill., is seeking out more efficient ways to process Freedom of Information Act requests after seeing a more than 600 percent increase in requests from 2006 to 2015, the Northern Star reports.
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