News
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24 March 2016
OAS Rapporteur Emphasizes Access to Info for Women
The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has called for improved access of information for women and better government data on issues affecting women. The recommendations and considerable supporting research are included in an annual report (in English and in Spanish) from Special Rapporteur […]
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24 March 2016
UNESCO Amplifies on Plans for SDG Access Indicator
By Toby McIntosh UNESCO has provided more information about its plans for measuring access to information as part of the new UN Sustainable Development Goals. The finalization of a measurement plan for the access indicator remains months in the future, but the planning process is well under way. (See previous FreedomInfo.org article.) Indicator 16.10.2 mandates […]
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24 March 2016
OGP Civil Society Reps Outline Future Priorities
The civil society members of the OGP Steering Committee have stated their priorities following a February planning meeting in Washington DC stressing “co-creation” of national action plans as a key goal. “After almost five years, the OGP honeymoon is over and this is no time for big innovations but for real consolidation,” according to a […]
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24 March 2016
FOI Notes: India, EU, Open Data, China, US, Ireland, Thailand, Hong Kong, West Africa, Research
OGP: The Access to Information Working Group will hold a webinar (link for registration) at 10 a.m. March 30 that will include a presentation of the 2016 ATI WG work plan. There will be a “particular focus on the implementation of the peer learning networks to support identified cohort countries for assistance, engage mentors, and more […]
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24 March 2016
Redesigned Nigerian Website Permits Online Requests
Right To Know (R2K), Nigeria and the Bureau for Public Service Reforms (BPSR) have launched a Freedom of Information portal designed to receive electronic FOI requests to the bureau. “This innovative website which is the first of it’s kind by any public institution in Nigeria has made it possible for the BPSR to fulfill it’s […]
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24 March 2016
After Delay, RTI Bill Presented in Sri Lanka
The right to information bill was tabled in Parliament by Media Minister Gayantha Karunatillake on March 23, according an article in The Colombo Gazette, another in News First and a third in The Sunday Times. The introduction of the draft bill was delayed from a promised March 8 date while Provincial Councils reviewed it. All nine […]
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23 March 2016
Danish Lawmakers Considering Changing Blackout Law
The Danish ombudsman has put on hold his analysis of a controversial provision limiting public access to ministerial communications, saying he does not wish to “short circuit” ongoing talks among parliamentarians about pulling back the so-called blackout law. The development is reported (in Danish) in various media articles: Feyns, Information and Politiken. Ombudsman Jørgen Steen […]
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23 March 2016
Speakers at SE Asian Meeting Urge Publicizing RTI
Representatives from five South Asia countries held a regional conference on right to information on March 16-17, stressing the need to encourage greater use of RTI laws, according to an article in The Daily Times and another in The Tribune. Delegates from Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal met at a conference sponsored by […]
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17 March 2016
Attention Shifts to Measuring UN Access to Info Indicator
By Toby McIntosh Q. What’s next now that “access to information” has been included as an “indicator” of progress toward sustainable development? A: Developing the indicators for the indicator. Work on that challenge is expected to intensify now that the United Nations Statistical Commission on March 11 approved access as one of 230 indicators for […]
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17 March 2016
FOI Notes: OGP, US Sunshine Week, Country News, Research Reports, More
OGP: The OGP Working Group on Access to Information has extended until March 23 the deadline for applications to serve on the Steering Committee. Complete the attached form and return it to megan.card@cartercenter.org with a CV. OGP ATI WG Steering Committee App_FINAL_with fillable text OGP: The OGP announces the names of the 16 “shortlisted candidates” vying for six […]
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16 March 2016
India’s CIC Says Ministers Covered by RTI Act
India’s Central Information Commission ruled March 13 that ministers are public authorities subject to the Right to Information Act and should take an oath of transparency. The commission gave the cabinet secretary and chief secretaries in the states two months to appoint public information officers for each minister’s office. Also, the CIC said each minister […]
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15 March 2016
US Senate Approves Reforms to 50-Year-Old FOI Act
The US Senate on March 15 approved by unanimous consent a set of amendments to the Freedom of Information Act. The Senate bill (S 337) is different in some ways from a bill previously passed unanimously by the House of Representatives. These differences will have to be reconciled before the legislation is sent to President […]
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14 March 2016
Tunisia Assembly Adopts Freedom of Information Law
The Tunisian parliament has overwhelmingly approved a freedom of information law after making a variety of amendments. The Assembly of People’s Representatives adopted the bill by a vote of 123-0, with one abstention. “It was a difficult birth of a historical law and an important step taken by Parliament towards the consecration of the principles of […]
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10 March 2016
Ghana Parliament Takes Up Long-Delayed RTI Bill
Ghana’s Parliament March 8 began consideration of a right to information bill, with many amendments in the offing, but made little progress. Disagreements surfaced over the first part of the first clause, according to a Daily Graphic account, which also noted that some members raising concerns over the absence of the relevant sector ministers in […]
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10 March 2016
Tunisian Assembly Hung Up On Exemptions Provision
The Assembly of People’s Representatives in Tunisia on March 9 approved about one-third of the proposed 62 articles in draft law on access to information, according to a report (in French) in Business News. But debate was suspended to consider compromises on the controversial Article 24, which contains exemptions that have been strongly criticized as […]
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10 March 2016
Indian Activists Question Circulation of Rules as Model
The Indian agency that supervises right to information administration has circulated for discussion the RTI Act rules of the state of Uttar Pradesh, according to The Economic Times. RTI activists say that that the UP rules are worse than those of other states and worried that they might be considered as a model for national […]
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10 March 2016
Bangladesh Parliament Refuses to Disclose Attendance Records
The Secretariat of the Bangladesh parliament has rejected requests for the attendance records of the deputies of parliament. According to Section 7 (q) of the Right to Information Act, providing “information that may be prejudicial to the special rights of the House of the Nation” is not mandatory, according to the Secretariat, as reported by […]
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10 March 2016
CHRI Critiques Draft Law Developed in Myanmar
The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative has issued an analysis of a draft right to information law for Myanmar. “CHRI’s first and foremost recommendation to the Government of Myanmar is to launch a public consultation process around the Draft RTI Bill,” according to the analysis. The CHRI critique is based on an English translation of the […]
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10 March 2016
Venezuelan Assembly Passes Access Bill on First Reading
The Venezuelan National Assembly has approved on first reading a draft Law on Transparency, Disclosure and Access to Public Information, according to an article (in Spanish) in El Universal. Simon Calzadilla, second vice president of the Assembly National, presented the bill, commenting that public administration in Venezuela is “dark.” See a video explanation of the bill […]
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10 March 2016
FOI Notes: FOI Advocacy, India, UK, US, Argentina, Open Meetings, Commentary, More
United States: The Sunshine in Government Initiative announces WITHOUT FOIA, a project to show FOIA’s impact through examples. India: Nagaland Information Commission has one the lowest rates of rejection of RTI applications recorded in the country at 0.7% cumulative. Only 3% of the RTI applicants in Nagaland are female. Bukchem Phom, Chief Information Commissioner, cited these […]