Posts Tagged ‘human rights’
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25 March 2015
Article 19 Urges Sri Lanka Not to Limit Human Rights
Sri Lanka’s draft constitutional amendment on freedom of expression and the right to information should be broadened “to make sure that constitutional rights are available to all, not just citizens,” according to Article 19, the London-based free expression group. In a March 23 statement, Thomas Hughes, Article 19 Executive Director, said: According to international law […]
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24 December 2014
New Document Throws More Light on Mexico’s San Fernando Killings
By Jesse Franzblau The author filed an information request as part of the Migration Declassified project with the National Security Archive, resulting in the IFAI judgment described here. Federal prosecutors in Mexico have made the first official disclosure of investigative files concerning state complicity in the country’s 2010–11 migrant massacres in San Fernando. In August […]
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14 October 2014
Freedom of Information as a Fundamental Right
By Aiden O’Neill The author is a member of Matrix Chambers in London. 1. Introduction 1.1 One aspect of the rule of law in the context of the information age is the ideal of transparency: that members of civil society should be able to ascertain the factual and legal bases on which official decisions are being […]
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28 August 2014
Mexican Migration Agency Makes First Disclosure on Massacre
By Jesse Franzblau This report first appeared in Migration Declassified on Aug. 20. Franzblau is a policy analyst working on freedom of information projects in an independent capacity. He specializes in the use of FOI laws in Latin America, and is a regular contributor to the Migration Declassified project. Mexico’s federal migration agency has for the […]
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30 May 2014
Mexican Court Orders Release of Documents on Massacre Investigations
By Michael Evans and Jesse Franzblau Evans and Franzblau work at the National Security Archive. This report first appeared May 29 in Migration Declassified. Can the Mexican government continue to hide evidence from the public about grave human rights atrocities? A pair of access to information cases now moving through the Mexican justice system may put […]
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25 April 2014
Inter-American Rapporteur Addresses FOI in Report
Freedom of information is one of many topics addressed a 619-page report of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights that includes the 2013 Annual Report of the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression. (Spanish) The report by rapporteur Catalina Botero Marino also addresses national security surveillance and violence against journalists, combining a descriptive […]
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14 April 2014
Access Info Appeals Spanish Ruling in Human Rights Court
Access Info Europe April 14 appealed to the European Court of Human Rights following an unsuccessful seven-year legal battle to obtain information from Spain’s Ministry of Justice. Spain’s Constitutional Court in 2013 rejected an Access Info appeal based on the freedom of expression provisions of the Constitution (Article 20.1.a) and Article 10 of the European […]
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7 April 2014
Mexico selection of new IFAI important for migrant rights
By Jesse Franzblau This report was posted April 4 on Migration Declassified. It is the second in a series on Mexico’s FOI reforms and information relating to migrant rights. See first report in English, Spanish. Mexico’s Senate is now in the process of selecting the country’s new information commissioners who will be at the center of […]
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4 April 2014
Mexican court orders a new review of massacre
By Michael Evans and Jesse Franzblau The following article was published March 28, 2014 in Migration Declassified, a project of the National Security Archive. In a case that with important ramifications both for access to information and for human rights investigations in Mexico, a federal judge declared last week that the country’s information commissioners can and should […]
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31 May 2013
UN Panel Includes RTI, Better Data as Development Goals
A high-level panel charged by the United Nations with drafting a post-2015 development agenda has included the better use of data and right to information in its report. Under Goal 10, “Ensure Good Governance and Effective Institutions,” it proposes the objective: “Guarantee the public’s right to information and access to government data.” RTI is listed […]
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29 March 2013
OAS Rejects Proposals to Limit Work of Rapporteur
The Organization of American States has rebuffed an effort by some members to limit the work of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and its special rapporteur for freedom of expression, The OAS extraordinary assembly of foreign ministers, held March 22 in Washington, D.C., adopted a resolution rejecting a series of proposals from the Bolivarian Alliance […]
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26 November 2012
Argentine Supreme Court Hears Significant FOI Case
By Dolores Lavalle Cobo Lavalle Cobo is an Argentine lawyer, member of Centro para la Información Ciudadana (Center for Citizen´s Information) and author of books and articles. Nov. 22 was a significant day for the right of access to information in Argentina. While in Congress the draft of a bill implementing access as a constitutional right is about […]
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23 November 2012
ASEAN Declaration Includes Mention of Access Right
The recently issued declaration on human rights by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, facing criticisms, includes a provision recognizing the right to receive information. It states: 23. Every person has the right to freedom of opinion and expression, including freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information, whether orally, […]
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21 October 2011
FOI Notes: Open Data, Latin America, ICIC, Morocco, US
Open Data: Material from the Warsaw open government data conference. An evaluation of the state of open data movement by blogger David Eaves. Latin America: A delegation representing the Alianza Regional por la Libre Expresión e Información will present a report Oct. 24 in Washington at a hearing about access to public information before the […]
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29 July 2011
UN Committee Completes Guidance on Article 19
The United Nations Human Rights Committee has issued new guidance on the interpretation of Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees freedoms of opinion and expression. Two sections address the right to information. The much-expanded guidance was praised by several international experts. The committee conducted several years of consultations and […]
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22 July 2011
Alliance Backs Case on Transparency in Ecuador
The Regional Alliance for Freedom of Expression and Information (Alianza Regional por la Libre Expresión e Información) has submitted an amicus curiae brief to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in Costa Rica that seeks to establish standards for dissemination of information. The case, “Pueblo Indígena Kichwa de Sarayaku vs. Ecuador,” is being conducted by […]
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2 May 2011
OAS Reports Examines FOI, Human Rights Violations
The Organization of American States Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, Catalina Botero, has released an annual report that includes a section on the right to access to information regarding human rights violations. The 341-page report also discusses “best practices of national courts with regard to access to information in the Americas, and the principles […]
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1 April 2011
UN Body Makes Progress on Article 19 Amplification
The United Nations committee developing an expanded interpretation of Article 19 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights will soon publish the results of its deliberations, according to a U.N. official. The Human Rights Committee met March 23-25, and the official said it discussed up to paragraph 25 of the proposed Draft General Comment […]
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22 December 2010
WikiLeaks Controversy Prompts Statement From UN, OAS Rapporteurs
Two leading international voices for freedom of information have issued a joint statement (In English and Spanish) reminding “states and other relevant actors to keep in mind” various international principles concerning the right of access to information. The unusual statement was made Dec. 21 “in light of ongoing developments related to the release of diplomatic […]
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15 December 2010
Court Orders Brazil to Open Files in Human Rights Case
By Peter Kornbluh and Erin Maskell On Dec. 14, 2010, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights handed down a long-awaited decision in the case of Gomes Lund and others (Guerrilha do Araguaia) vs. Brazil. A landmark decision, this 119-page ruling forces the Brazilian government to publicly accept responsibility for grave human rights violations committed during […]