Search Results
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18 February 2016
FOI Notes: Nigeria, Research, Open Data, Open Contracting, Much More, Even FOI Valentines
Nigeria: In order to sensitize youths on their rights to access information from public institutions, the Lagos State chapter of the National Youth Service Corps inaugurates a new Community Development Service group — the Freedom of Information Act Club. United Kingdom: FOIA requests are more effective than informal inquiries, according to a new paper: “Transparency […]
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22 December 2015
FOI Notes: India, Funding, PPPs, Australia, US, UK, OGP, UNIDO, Open Contracting, Big Data
India: An analysis of the recent ruling of the Supreme Court concerning the Reserve Bank of India says the decision mandating disclosures “is likely to have implications on other regulators overseeing capital markets and insurance as well. The LiveMint story was written by Shreeja Sen and Remya Nair. Also see column on the ruling by Madabhushi Sridhar […]
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30 November 2015
FOI Videos
This collection of videos promoting freedom of information is drawn from the FreedomInfo.org archive, plus additional research and reader contributions. This list includes a variety of promotional videos, some inspirational talks and a few instructional videos. Generally avoided were lectures, news broadcasts and nation-specific educational material (possibly an area for a future archive). It is arranged chronologically […]
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26 November 2015
FreedomInfo.org Collection of FOI Videos
This collection of promotional videos about freedom of information is drawn from FreedomInfo.org articles in recent years, plus some additional research and arranged loosely chronologically. This archive includes a variety of promotional videos, some inspirational talks and a few instructional videos. Generally avoided were lectures, nation-specific material and news broadcasts. Suggestions for additions are very […]
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28 September 2015
Three More FOI Laws; Negativity Poses Challenges
By Toby McIntosh The number of national freedom of information laws continues to grow, and at least 20 countries are considering passage of FOI laws, but threats to transparency laws are emerging. In the year since the last International Right to Know Day, three countries joined the list of now 104 countries with FOI regimes: […]
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27 September 2015
Article 19 Closely Examines State of RTI in Asian Nations
Some Asian countries are world leaders in providing access to information, but many others are backsliding or resisting transparency, according to comprehensive new report by Article 19, the London-based free expression organization. Looking in depth at 11 countries, Article 19 generalizes: Right to information legislation in Asia includes a huge cross sample in regards to […]
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29 July 2015
India: How we fail our RTI heroes
By Manu Moudgil This article, reprinted with permission, first appeared July 20 in The Hoot, an independent initiative of the Media Foundation based in New Delhi. Another recent Hoot story, by Geeta Seshu, also addressed the issue and possible solutions. The Indian government recently announced plans to gather more statistics on the deaths of RTI activists. (See previous FreedomInfo.org […]
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17 July 2015
Cabo Verde Joins OGP; Steering Committee to Meet
Cabo Verde has indicated its intention to join the Open Government Partnership, bringing membership to 66 out of the 93 eligible countries. The deputy minister of foreign Affairs indicated Cabo Verde’s intention in a letter dated July 13, the OGP announced. A Cabo Verde government statement notes that the idea of joining was raised when […]
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1 July 2015
South Asia Advisory Group Issues RTI Recommendations
The Transparency Advisory Group (TAG) in South Asia has recommended making private sector bodies and political parties subject to right to information laws. These were among a series of just-released recommendations decided on during the group’s sixth meeting, held in February. See detailed report on meeting and summary. The group also addressed the role of […]
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21 May 2015
RTI and the Indian Official Secrets Act
By Venkatesh Nayak The author is Coordinator of the Access to Information Programme at the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative. This post first appeared May 15 in The Hoot. Last week, upon being requested by a section of the family of the leader of the Indian movement for independence, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, to make the […]
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7 May 2015
PPP Calls for Adoption of Right to Information Bill
The Pakistan People’s Party has called for adoption of the Right to Information (RTI) Bill, an appeal welcomed by a key advocacy group, though it noted that the PPP didn’t push through an RTI bill when it was in power. In recent times, an RTI bill was adopted by a Senate standing committee but it […]
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23 April 2015
IAEA Lacks Transparency, Observers, Researchers Say
By Toby McIntosh and William Burr McIntosh is Editor of FreedomInfo.org, published by the National Security Archive. Burr is Senior Analyst at the National Security Archive, where he directs the Archive’s nuclear history documentation project. See the Archive’s Nuclear Vault resources page. Several facts serve as metaphors to describe the lack of transparency at the […]
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9 April 2015
FOI Notes: Olympics, India, US, Drones, Open Data, More
Sports: The International Olympic Committee announces plans to disclose the compensation of its top officials. India: The Department of Personnel and Training has invited views/suggestions from citizens on the draft guidelines regarding elements that a RTI reply should essentially contain, RTI India reports. United States: “The expanding reach of the Freedom of Information Act has […]
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11 March 2015
Government is Open in Rhetoric and Secret in Reality
By Umar Cheema The author is an investigative reporter for the Pakistani newspaper The News, where this article first appeared March 10. ISLAMABAD: The PML-N government is determined to promote transparency in rhetoric but has been found building walls of secrecy in reality. The Ministry of Law, Justice and Human Rights has denied the citizens’ […]
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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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14 August 2014
FOI Notes: Research, Facebook, Environmental Transparency, More
Environmental Transparency: The July issue of the European Environmental Law Observatory covers information about the application of the Aarhus Convention on access to information, participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters; provides updates on judgments of the Court of Justice and the General Court; and highlights questions raised in recent doctrinal contributions, […]
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13 June 2014
FOI Notes: C20, Technology, Environment, More
G-20: “After feedback through the C20 Conversations platform, the final position papers for the four C20 working groups are now online. You can read the papers now around: Inclusive Growth and Employment; Infrastructure; Climate and Sustainability; Governance. These position papers will form the basis for discussions at the C20 Summit and the key recommendations from […]
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6 June 2014
FOI Notes: Research, Audits, Reports, Interviews More
Research: “Does Access to Information Empower the Poor? Evidence from the Dominican Republic,” a report by Emmanuel Skoufias (World Bank), Renata Narita (Universidade de São Paulo) and Ambar Narayan (World Bank). World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 6895 (on SSRN) and on Bank website. This paper assesses the impact of an effort in the Dominican […]
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9 May 2014
Internews Proposes Forum on FoE/RTI for Southeast Asia
Internews Europe has recommended the creation of a regional forum and network for Southeast Asian organizations working across the range of freedom of expression and right to information issues. Funding for activists to work on these issues has diminished, according to the report. The 60-page report, “Freedom of Expression and Right to Information in ASEAN […]
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30 December 2013
FOI Notes: Russia, India, France, UK, EU, FOI Tips, Open Data, World Bank
Russia: The Freedom of Information Foundation reports on the monitoring of official websites in large municipalities makes proposals for improvements. Also, a nice review of transparency disappointments in Russia in 2013 by (in Russian) by Asya Suvorova. India: Maharashtra will soon become the first state to allow online RTI requests, according to an article in […]