What’s New
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17 October 2013
Top European Court Rules in Favor of Transparency
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) Oct. 17 ruled that the Council of the European Union can’t keep secret the identities of member states making proposals in the context of negotiations on EU legislation. “This is a significant victory for transparency and participatory democracy,” said Helen Darbishire, Executive Director of Access-Info Europe, the winning plaintiff. The final […]
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17 October 2013
Half of OGP Cohort 2 Submit National Self-Assessments
Twenty Open Government Partnership countries recently submitted their self-assessments of progress on their national action plans, according to a FreedomInfo.org tally. Nineteen countries who faced the same Sept. 30 deadline have told OGP officials that the self-assessments are on the way. Posted on the OGP website (on the individual country pages) are self-assessments from: Chile, Colombia, Croatia, […]
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17 October 2013
Sierra Leone Moving to Pass FOI Law; With U.S. Nudge?
Sierra Leone’s parliament may soon pass a long-pending freedom of information law. The unexpected rush to approve the law was sparked by the president’s interest in qualifying for the U.S. aid program, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, according to an informed source. Sierra Leone in December was made eligible for MCC membership. The process to actual inclusion, which […]
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17 October 2013
FOI Notes: Transparency Research, Rio, Nigeria, Open Data
Transparency Research: The papers for the 3rd Annual Conference on Transparency Research, to be held in Paris Oct. 24-26 are now available. Hannes Meissner, ‘Functioning , Effects and Perspectives of Transparency Initiatives – The Example of Azerbaijan‘ Luis Emilio Cuenca Botey & Laure Célérier, ‘Participatory Budgeting: a Bourdieusian Interpretation‘ Tsvetelina Yordanova, ‘Transparency in Foreign Policy […]
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17 October 2013
Philippines Senate Delays Vote on FOI Legislation
The Philippines’ Senate has delayed a vote on a freedom of information bill, probably until 2014. The Senate plans to work first on the proposed 2014 national budget, according to media reports of statements by Senate President Franklin Drilon. Plenary debates on the bill started and some reports had suggested a vote would be held […]
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14 October 2013
Eighth Anniversary Prompts Reflections on Indian RTI Act
The eighth anniversary of India’s Right to Information Act was observed with a mixture of frustration and celebration. Unquestionably, the 2005 sunshine law is being used, with an estimated 4 million people using the Act during 2011-12, the latest year for which all-India data is available, according to a report by the Commonwealth Human Rights […]
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14 October 2013
FOI Notes: Records, India Data, Open Data
Record Management: The interplay of record management and freedom information is explored in a new book by Eduardo Bertoni and Natalia Torres of the Center for Studies on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information (Centro de Estudios en Libertad de Expresión y Acceso a la Información – CELE) in Argentina. “The main purpose of […]
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11 October 2013
Canadian Commissioners Issue Call for Reform
Canada’s national information and privacy commissioners and the provincial commissioners on Oct. 9 issued an unusual joint resolution saying “Canada must re-establish its position as a leader in both the access and privacy fields” and offering 18 specific suggestions. Only a few Canadian laws “address modern challenges and to ensure continued protection of individuals’ rights […]
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11 October 2013
Seven Senators Offer FOI Bill in Paraguay Drafted by NGOs
Seven senators have introduced a Transparency and Access to Information bill that was drafted by Paraguayan nongovernmental organizations. Martha Ferrara, director of Semillas para la Democracia (Seeds for Democracy), said the project is the result of 10 years work on the subject and presentation, supported by several legislators , and means ” a great achievement […]
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11 October 2013
Alliance Protests Defiance by El Salvador Legislature
The Alianza Regional por la Libre Expresión e Información (Regional Alliance for Freedom of Expression and Information) has protested the decision of the Board of the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador to ignore an order from the Institute for Access to Public Information (IAIP) to release information about the legislators’ legal advisors. The legislature said […]
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11 October 2013
FOI Notes: Latin America, Nigeria, Canada, India, U.S.
OGP: A study documents the experience of civil society in Latin American regarding the Open Government Partnership focuses on the c activities of two regional civil society networks – Transparency International and Alianza Regional por la Libre Expresión e Información (Regional Alianza for Freedom of Expression and Information). Nigeria: A civil society organization, Public and […]
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10 October 2013
Chilean Senate Advances Access Law Amendments
The Senate in Chile has moved toward the adoption of amendments to the law on access to public information, according to media reports and the Pro Accesso advocacy group. The amendments would restrict access to official e-mails, critics say. The bill also touches on many procedural elements of the current law. The House has not […]
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10 October 2013
Israel to Cut FOI Fees, Cover Private Functions, Livni Says
Fees for making freedom of information requests will be cut and more information will be provided about private organizations performing public functions, according to Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni. “When the state transfers resources into private hands,” Livni said, “the communication needs to be transparent and open for public scrutiny… the relationship needs to be […]
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8 October 2013
Indian Supreme Court Rules in Case Impacting RTI
The Indian Supreme Court ruled Oct. 3 in case that may have implications for which nongovernmental organizations are “substantially financed’ by public funds and are thus covered by the Right to Information Act, Although analysts are just beginning to sort through the ruling, there are indications it might reduce coverage of the RTI Act and […]
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7 October 2013
Awards Programs Reward Effort, Chastise Opacity
By Toby McIntosh Only this audience would laugh so heartily at five surrealistic stories about government denials of access to public information. The incredulous appreciation of unfortunate stories stemmed from shared experience. The 100 persons attending the annual awards ceremony in Sofia, Bulgaria, were a community celebrating the pro-transparency efforts of journalists, activists and public officials. “Golden Key” […]
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7 October 2013
Uruguay’s Senate Defers Making FOI Amendments
The Senate in Uruguay has delayed making controversial modifications to the freedom of information law. A budget bill approved before by the Representatives Chamber contained an article (Article 37) to make changes to the law. The Center for Archives and Access to Public Information (CAINFO) and other civil society groups opposed the amendments as regressive. […]
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4 October 2013
Punjab Issues Ordinance on Right to Information
The state of Punjab in Pakistan has decreed a right to information law. The “Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Ordinance 2013” (text) has been introduced as an ordinance, making it valid for 120 days. After that it lapses unless approved by the provincial assembly. “Great development here and we are very excited!!,” commented Zahid […]
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4 October 2013
Tunisia Proposes to Amend Access Law, Add Commission
The Tunisian government has proposed amendments to the post-revolution Decree 41 on accersss to information The proposed changes would create an independent commission to monitor government performance on access to information and to process appeals. Abderrahman Ladgham, the deputy prime minister for anti-corruption and good governance said, “If their demands [for information] are not met, citizens […]
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4 October 2013
FOI Notes: OGP, Open Data, Open Contracting, Funding, Reports, More
OGP: Overview of the civil society experience with the Open Government Partnership. The lead authored is by Dolar Vasani, who also examined the civil society experience with the OGP in 15 countries in a series of stories underwritten by the OGP civil society coordinator. The conclusion states: The OGP has, in many instances, facilitated the […]
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3 October 2013
Only Commissioner in Africa Busy With Delayed Start
By Toby McIntosh Liberia’s new information commissioner received his first appeal while working on his car in his garage. Mark Bedo-Wla Freeman had been appointed several months earlier, but in the beginning he lacked a computer, an office or any staff. Things are looking up now, after a little more than a year in office. Freeman has an […]