News
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8 September 2016
Tanzanian Assembly Backs Information Access Bill
Tanzania’s National Assembly Sept. 8 approved an access to information bill. The Assembly on Sept. 6 opened debate on the bill, with some members calling the bill too weak and urging amendments, according to media reports. Constitution and Legal Affairs Minister Harrison Mwakyembe said he was “surprised” at the criticisms. The bill that passed had some minor changes, […]
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8 September 2016
FOI Notes: South Africa, India, Australia, Research, US, Much More
South Africa: The National Assembly elects Pansy Tlakula as chair of the newly-formed information regulator, despite fierce objection from opposition parties, reports News24 and others. The African National Congress and the United Democratic Movement were the only parties in favor of her appointment, while the Democratic Alliance, the Economic Freedom Fighters and Inkatha Freedom Party […]
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7 September 2016
UNESCO Picks Ghana Leader To Speak at ATI Day Event
By Toby McIntosh UNESCO has picked the president of Ghana, whose nominal support for an access to information law in Ghana has yet to produce results, to give the keynote speech at the first International Day for Universal Access to Information. President John Dramani Mahama will speak on Goal 16 of the UN Sustainable Development […]
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2 September 2016
NGO Complains to OGP About Israel’s Behavior
Israel is acting in ways contrary to the principles it endorsed when becoming a member of the Open Government Partnership, according to a nongovernmental organization, the Alternative Information Center (AIC). After a month’s delay, the Open Government Partnership on Sept. 2 posted the four-page letter dated July 25. The OGP Criteria and Standards Subcommittee met […]
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1 September 2016
FOI Notes: US, Argentina, Nepal, UK, Malta, Much More
United States: Most U.S. journalists want the government to delay the public release of documents they request. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press has published the results of its survey of journalists on the “release to one, release to all” policy being considered by the Obama administration. (See previous FreedomInf.org report.) More than […]
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1 September 2016
Kenyan President Signs Bill Creating Access Law
Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta on Aug. 31 signed an Access to Information bill into law. The final text of the bill is not yet available. The Kenyan National Assembly recently approved the Senate’s changes to the ATI bill. (See previous FreedomInfo.org report.) “The new law allows the public to seek information from government, and obliges […]
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29 August 2016
166 Exemptions Suggested For Philippines FOI EO
The Philippines government has proposed 166 exemptions to its new freedom of information executive order. The 11 pages of exemptions are contained in an Aug. 22 draft of the FOI People’s Manual. (See text as pdf in Rappler article.) Separately, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said Congress may not be able to pass the long-delayed FOI […]
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25 August 2016
Kenyan Assembly Endorses Senate Changes to ATI Bill
The Kenyan National Assembly has approved the Senate’s changes to an Access to Information bill, according to an article in The Nation by John Ngiruchu and an article in The Standard by Alphonce Shiundu. The bill will now be presented to President Uhuru Kenyatta for his signature. “Most of what the Senate introduced were clarifications on […]
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25 August 2016
FOI Notes: National News Briefs, Transparency Research, More
Malaysia: The response from citizens to the 2010 Penang Freedom of Information Enactment “has been positively lukewarm,” according to a top official and statistics quoted in an article by Boo Su-Lyn in the Malay Mail. Civil servants are afraid to release information, the article says. Penang Deputy Chief Minister II Prof. P. Ramasamy said there […]
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25 August 2016
Fiji FOI Legislation Faulted For Being Too Restrictive
Draft freedom of information legislation for Fiji is too restrictive, a witness recently told a parliamentary committee, the Fiji Times’ Aqela Susu reports. Bill No. 34 (text) being considered by the Parliamentary Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights “is based on the notion that the citizen is an alien who is not to be […]
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11 August 2016
FOI Notes: Sierra Leone, Commentary, Olympics, Philippines, Canada, US, Cayman Islands, Japan, Panama, Research, India, Australia
Sierra Leone: The Campaign for Human Rights and Development International (CHRDI) called on parliamentarians to account for the millions of dollars they are receiving annually for the development of their respective constituencies. The Sierra Leone Telegraph reports that many of the parliamentarians are not taking too kindly to being called to account. Commentary: Nathaniel Heller of […]
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4 August 2016
Australia Refuses to Release Emails With UNESCO
The government of Australia has declined to release documents concerning the removal of all references in a UN report to damage from climate change to the Great Barrier Reef and other Australian World Heritage sites. UNESCO subsequently dropped the references after Australian officials argued that mentioning the damage would harm tourism, a development disclosed in […]
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4 August 2016
FOI Notes: Pakistan, Honduras, Open Data, Budget Transparency, EU, US, Philippines
Pakistan: The federal ombudsman directs the Pakistan Cricket Board to share details of inquiries conducted against the players involved in match-fixing and betting since 1996. Civil society activist Zahid Abdullah requested the information under the Freedom of Information Ordinance 2002, according to an article in The News. Honduras: The Regional Alliance for Free Expression and Information […]
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3 August 2016
OGP Begins Refresh Exercise; Revision of Co-creation Guide
The Open Government Partnership is beginning a “refresh” exercise that includes a reexamination of its guidelines for “co-creation” of national action plans. The refresh initiative was described in a letter to civil society leader by Alejandro González Arreola, Executive Director of GESOC and the Civil Society Lead Chair of the OGP Steering Committee. “As we approach […]
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28 July 2016
Ghana RTI Coalition Asks President to Push Bill
The Right to Information Coalition issued a statement July 27 challenging President John Dramani Mahama to fulfill his campaign promise to pass the Right to Information Bill this year. The RTI bill is languishing in Parliament without presidential encouragement, the Coalition said, elaborating: The Coalition would like to draw the attention of the public to the […]
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28 July 2016
FOI Notes: OGP, US, Bulgaria, India, Spain, Open Data, Slovakia, Open Budgets, Board Game
OGP: See proposals for sessions at the OGP December summit in Paris, including many on access to information. OGP: “The inconvenient truth about the Open Government Partnership,” by Mukelani Dimba, Executive Director of the Open Democracy Advice Centre and incoming civil society chairperson of the Open Government Partnership, describes how OGP member states Kenya, Nigeria and South […]
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25 July 2016
President of the Philippines Issues FOIA Executive Order
The new president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, has signed a freedom of information executive order. The six-page order signed July 23 outlines policies and procedures for accessing public information, accomplishing much of what the Congress has been unable to do by legislation. (See image of text here.) Read articles in The Rappler and The […]
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21 July 2016
Moroccan Lower House OKs Access to Information Bill
The lower house in Morocco has approved an access to information bill. The July 20 action is revealed on the website and Facebook page of the Cente Marocain Pour le Droit d’access a l’information (CEMDI). The legislative process now requires that the bill be submitted to the upper house, but under the Constitution, in case […]
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21 July 2016
Kenyan Senate Approves Access to Information Bill
The Senate has passed an access to information bill. The bill now goes back to the National Assembly for consideration of changes made and expected approval, according to an article in The Nation by John Ngirachu. “Among the amendments by the Senate is a provision to have information held by a public entity or private […]
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21 July 2016
FOI Notes: Liberia, SDGs, India, US, Bangladesh, Kosovo, Open Data, More
Liberia: President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has created an Inter-Ministerial Committee on Women’s Access to Information, led by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and the Ministry of Information, “to develop appropriate policy framework and reforms that address any constraints and guarantees women’s access to information,” according to her statement. SDGs: A letter from […]