Posts Tagged ‘NGOs’
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25 March 2013
Russian Officials Pay Surprise Visit to FOI Group
Russian government officials on March 21 conducted a surprise visit to the St. Petersburg office of the Foundation for Information Freedom. Arriving at the office about noon, the four officials — an assistant district prosecutor, two police officers, and a tax inspector – stayed for an hour and a half and left a long list […]
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7 September 2012
Russian FOI Foundation Resists Registration as a Foreign Agent
By Nate Jones Jones is the Freedom of Information Coordinator at the National Security Archive who is also currently working with the Freedom of Information Foundation in Saint Petersburg, Russia. According to the Russian federal law 121-FZ, “On the Regulation of Noncommercial Organizations Acting as Foreign Agents,” Russian noncommercial organizations funded from abroad that engage […]
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17 May 2011
Blacklisted Armenian Mayor Retreats on Access Charges
Named to a “Black List” by the Freedom of Information Center of Armenia (FOICA), the mayor of Stepanavan acted to eliminate charges for access to information. His action came May 13, three days after release or publication of the quarterly list, according to a Center statement. Besides making it on the Center’s black list, the […]
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8 April 2011
Canadian Political Parties Criticized for Silence on FOI
Three Canadian groups have asked the political parties to say what they will do to fix an access to information system that the groups say is “in chaos.” “In the campaign so far, politicians have used words like open government, transparency and democracy,” said Troy Lanigan of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, “but they say almost […]
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8 April 2011
Environmentalists Begin Effort to Seek Information in Africa
A U.S. environmental group and partners in Africa have begun an effort to request environmental-related information from the governments of Ghana, Uganda and South Africa, and hope to find new strategies to promote freedom of information reform. The project was announced by the World Resources Institute in Washington, the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) in […]
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7 April 2011
Mexican Network Sets Strategy, Discusses Successes
By Gabriela Ruiz Visiting researcher at The National Security Archive and FOIA Officer at the Chiapas Access to Information Institute The México Infórmate FOI advocates network celebrated its second annual meeting in Cancún March 17-18, trading success stories and planning strategy. The Mexico Infórmate network integrates members of the media, civil society, and local government ministries. […]
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3 September 2010
Lebanese CSOs React to Disclosure of Strategy
It’s still early days for the World Bank’s new policy of disclosing certain documents in advance of Executive Board meetings, so lessons about it are just trickling in. The policy gives interested parties a last chance to comment on upcoming decisions, but the window of opportunity is small, as some Lebanese civil society organizations learned […]
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3 September 2010
FOIA Notes: CSOs Under FOIA; EU Ombudsman
The Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi has issued a short policy brief that looks at the potential of the Right to Information Act in India as a tool to promote civil society accountability. India is among a few countries where the RTI Act applies to non-government organizations that are substantially financed directly and […]
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16 March 2010
New IMF Disclosure Policy Goes Into Effect
The International Monetary Fund’s slightly revised disclosure policy enters into effect March 17, with the hope that a few more governments will allow the public release of key Bank documents about their countries, but still with a proviso giving governments veto power. Although the new policy is not expected to allow significantly greater access to […]
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16 March 2010
New EIB Disclosure Policy Found Wanting
The European Investment Bank Feb. 3 announced a disclosure policy, making limited movement toward the release of more documents. The new policy was greeted with criticism by a leading group that follows the Bank closely and critically. CEEBankwatch Network stressed that the EIB is continuing to shield intermediary financial institutions from disclosing what loans they make with EIB […]
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12 March 2010
Civil Society Groups Seek More Disclosure by IFC
A consortium of civil society groups March 8 urged the IFC to be more responsive to environmental and social concerns, and also suggested a variety of disclosure policy reforms. These comments, signed by nearly 100 organizations from 38 countries, were submitted as the IFC conducts a review of the implementation and effectiveness of its Social and…
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4 March 2010
Carter Center Releases African Regional Plan of Action to Advance the Right of Access to Information
Participants from the African Regional Conference on the Right of Access to Information have released the Regional Findings and Plan of Action to advance the right of access to information in Africa. The conference, which took place in Accra, Ghana, from February 7-9, examined the specific the political and institutional constraints in Africa that have limited the opportunities […]
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24 February 2010
CSOs Urge IDB Governors to Be More Transparent
In advance of a key March meeting of the Board of Governors for the Inter-American Development Bank, more than 100 civil society organizations have called for more transparency and other reforms. The calls for transparency begin with a demand that the IDB disclose its proposal for recapitalization, saying the lack of disclosure and consultation “implies a violation…
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17 February 2010
The Oaxaca Group: Eight Years Later
By Lilia Saúl Rodríguez (liliasaul@gmail.com) Translated by Jesse Franzblau (Disponible en español) www.twitter.com/liliasaul On October 11th, 2001, the Oaxaca Group (an alliance of academics and journalists) presented the Federal Access to Information Law (Ley Federal de Transparencia y Acceso a la Información) to the Commission on Governance and Public Security in Mexico’s House of Representatives. In […]
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17 February 2010
Ocho años del Grupo Oaxaca
Por Lilia Saúl Rodríguez (liliasaul@gmail.com) www.twitter.com/liliasaul El 11 de octubre del 2001, el Grupo Oaxaca (que reunió a académicos y periodistas) presentaba la propuesta de Ley Federal de Transparencia y Acceso a la Información ante la Comisión de Gobernación y Seguridad Pública de la Cámara de Diputados. En las imágenes, disponibles ahora en el documental […]
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19 November 2009
Access Info Unveils Question to Brussels Report on Requesting EU Information
Brussels, Belgium — In April 2009, an internal guide from the EU Directorate General (DG) for Trade revealed that public officials were being given tips on how not to record information and how to avoid providing documents to the public. Access Info has launched a report on its follow-up investigations into the internal guides of 16 […]
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18 November 2009
World Bank Board Broadens Access in New Disclosure Policy
The World Bank’s executive directors November 17 approved a new policy on access to information that will mean significantly more transparency about Bank decision making and operations. The Bank’s press release said, “The new policy represents a fundamental shift in the Bank’s approach to disclosure of information—moving from an approach that spells out what documents it can […]
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4 November 2009
GTI Praises, Criticizes World Bank Disclosure Proposal
The World Bank’s proposed disclosure policy falls well short of its potential, but it still will bring greater transparency to the Bank, according to the Global Transparency Initiative, an international nongovernmental organization. The GTI November 3 sent the Bank extensive new comments, including many recommendations to improve the policy, which the Bank’s Executive Board is scheduled […]
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20 October 2009
New Report on Aid Transparency: Not Available! Not Accessible!
Madrid, Spain — Transparency NGO Access Info Europe released a report on October 20 entitled “Not Available! Not Accessible!” to coincide with the opening of the International Aid Transparency Initiative’s conference of donors and recipient governments in the Hague. The report shows how donor governments are failing to make available the information needed to prevent corruption in […]
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15 October 2009
Ukrainian Group Protests Lack of Transparency by EBRD in Connection with Major Power Project
The National Ecological Centre of Ukraine (NECU) recently criticized the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for violating EBRD procedures on public consultations and not providing full information about a major power transmission project in Ukraine. “On a recent fact-finding mission to the region, NECU representatives uncovered a highly haphazard approach from the project promoter Ukrenergo—Ukraine’s national […]