FreedomInfo.org has appealed a World Bank decision not to release a month’s worth of the requests under the Access to Information policy, stressing that redaction could solve the Bank’s concern over disclosing personal information.
The Bank declined to redact information that might be covered by exemptions to the AI policy, saying redaction is not mandatory under a ruling by its Access to Information Committee.
FreedomInfo.org stressed the first principle on which the Bank access policy is based: “maximizing access to information,” pointed out that redaction is optional under the AIC policy, and noted redaction is a universally applied tool to maximize disclosure.
The Bank has interpreted of the “Safety and Security” provisions incorrectly, FreedomInfo.org also contended, saying that it failed to meet the burden of showing that disclosure of requester information is “likely to endanger the life, health, or safety of any individual, or the environment.”
FreedomInfo.org also said the Bank is wrongly asserting that the FreedomInfo.org request is a prohibited “blanket” request.
The appeal goes to the Access to Information Appeals Board, made up of three non-Bank persons.
Filed under: IFTI Watch