Sierra Leone: The Campaign for Human Rights and Development International (CHRDI) called on parliamentarians to account for the millions of dollars they are receiving annually for the development of their respective constituencies. The Sierra Leone Telegraph reports that many of the parliamentarians are not taking too kindly to being called to account.
Commentary: Nathaniel Heller of Results for Development addresses “a recurring angst emerging from open government advocates around the world: why don’t “regular people” get excited by and rally around open government?” An excerpt:
Are we facing a crisis where the open government movement becomes completely detached from “regular people” and slowly fades into history as another elite policy fad? I don’t necessarily think so. Instead, I think we’re seeing a grudging recalibration of our collective expectations. To me, open government wasn’t and never will be a broad-based social movement. But that doesn’t mean it’s any less important; we just need to channel its energy and possibilities in a more strategic direction in order to maximize its impact for citizens.
Olympics: Article 19 issues a report, “Murky water: transparency of depollution programmes in Guanabara Bay,” investigating the transparency of two government programs that were designed to depollute the Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro. Article 19 also said in a statement of concern about “a lack of transparency around security preparations for the Olympic Games. “Almost half of the FOI requests submitted were refused, often on the basis of being classified as ‘secret’, without providing sufficient justification, as is required under the Access to Information Law….”
Ghana: A column by the Media Foundation for West Africa in PeaceFM asks whether Deputy Attorney General and the Minister of Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine misled the UN Human Rights Committee on June 24 when he testified that Ghana was going to pass the RTI Bill by July 22, 2016.
United States: In an advisory opinion issued today, the head of the New York agency charged with overseeing open government laws rejected Mayor Bill de Blasio’s argument that some of his outside advisers were “agents of the city” and therefore exempt from the state’s Freedom of Information Law, according to The Village Voice.
Canada: The province of Ontario is inviting the public to submit ideas to help the province become “the most open and digitally-connected government in Canada.”
Philippines/Commentary: Pachico A. Seares, executive director of Cebu Citizens-Press Council, writes in opposition to a proposed Cebu City FOI ordinance, saying,it “may gag, instead of open up, local news sources. He wrote: “A journalist can get a document without hassle, to the point that an official once complained of reporters reading documents on his table without permission. But with an ordinance requiring forms and a waiting period, it may be tougher for reporters to meet deadlines.”
Cayman Islands: Acting Information Commissioner Jan Liebaers says his office was not involved nor was it consulted in the drafting of the new Civil Aviation (Investigation of Air Accidents and Incidents) Regulations which offers limitations on access to information related to civil aviation accidents and incidents here,” according to an article in The Cayman Reporter.
Panama: Two members of Panama Papers commission resign – Swiss anti-corruption expert, Mark Pieth, and US economist Joseph Stiglitz – after officials say the government would retain the final say on whether to publish the panel’s findings on the offshore tax evasion scandal, according to BBC and Agence France-Press.
Australia: “A weakened form of the Greens’ landmark freedom of information bill looks set to pass, after the Liberals offered their broad support on the condition of significant amendments,” according to Christopher Knauss in The Canberra Times.
Transparency Research: “More information leads to fewer coups — in both democracies and non-democracies,” according to an article by three academics in The Washington Post. They estimated how likely the governments of 125 countries were to disclose economic information during the period from 1980 to 2010.
Australia: “The Turnbull Coalition government plans to offer incentives to local councils, if re-elected, to be open about their data to improve collaboration with communities, local business, not-for-profits, and research institutes,” according to ZDNET.
Japan: Newly elected Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike plans to creat ean advisory panel on reform whose first tasks will be promoting transparency and re-examining the ballooning cost of the 2020 Summer Olympics, according to an article in Nikkei Asian Review.
Fiji: The Labour Party says the Freedom of Information Bill should be withdrawn, says an article in Fiji News. “This bill restricts access to information held by the state or its agency confining it only to information which directly affects the person making a request furthermore it also places prohibition on accessing any information which predates the commencement of the act.”
Pakistan: A new cybercrime law is criticized as over-broad, according to a summary in Dawn, text included.
India: The Kejriwal government is offering cash prizes for high marks on an RTI test on the Right to Information Act, 2005, in November. According to the city government, various government departments are not complying with the law, according to an article in The Asian Age.
Open Data: A new website by OpenGov Foundation, Open Data Decoded, provides the open data policies of US cities.
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