Posts Tagged ‘implementation’
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10 April 2009
Signs and Smokesignals
Asked by e-mail about the fund, Alejandra Videos, a Senior Communications Officer with the World Bank replied, We dont have anything new to report on the Facility. Well let you know if anything comes up. Another Bank official explained that no disclosure about the funds expenditures is necessary under Bank rules because it is bank-executed […]
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7 April 2009
Jordanian Civil Society Group Organizes Freedom of Information Training
Amman, Jordan — In February, the Al Urdun Al Jadid Research Center (UJRC), in conjunction with IREX, held a series of 2-day training workshops. In 2007 Jordan became the first Arab country to pass an access to information law, but public use of the law is still in the early stages of development. 27 journalists […]
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31 March 2009
IMF Begins Delayed Review of Transparency Policy
The International Monetary Fund on March 25 requested public comment on its transparency policy. The IMF asked for comments by April 30 and offered questionnaires for three different types of potential respondents: "civil society organizations," "financial market participants," and "think tanks, academics and other stakeholders." Questionnaires Questionnaire for Civil Society Organizations Questionnaire for Financial Markets […]
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27 March 2009
Chileans Prepare for New FOI Law: An Interview with Juan Pablo Olmedo
By Peter Kornbluh Special thanks to Marianna Enamoneta, Emilene Martinez-Morales, Carly Ackerman, Joshua Frens-String and Yessica Esquivel Alonso On April 20th, Chile will become the most recent country to have a functioning Freedom of Information Act—and potentially establish a leading model for new access to information laws around the world. The new “Law of Transparency […]
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17 March 2009
World Bank Rejects Disclosure of Aide Memoires
The World Bank has rejected a request by a civil society group for a key document about a major water project in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The denial is not unexpected — it follows the letter of the Bank’s disclosure policy — but is very frustrating to Mushtaq Gaadi, who works with an […]
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16 March 2009
Reasons for Reform Cited
The World Bank March 13 announced plans to review its disclosure policy, unveiling an “Approach Paper” that moves in the direction of more transparency. Significantly, the Bank’s proposal includes a “paradigm shift,” meaning that the “presumption of disclosure” will be judged against a set of exemptions. This approach has long been advocated by […]
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13 February 2009
Guatemala Looks to Mexican Model for Access Implementation
By Jesse Franzblau Mexico City, Mexico – On January 30, 2009, in a testament to Mexicos frontrunner role in the global transparency movement, Guatemalas Vice President Rafael Espada led an official delegation to lay the groundwork for future collaboration with officials from the Instituto Federal de Accesso a la Informacin Pblica (IFAI), the forward-thinking governmental […]
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27 January 2009
Russian Government Heeds Civil Society’s Call for Access to Information Law
Moscow, Russia — On January 21, 2009, the same day that US President Barack Obama took decisive steps for transparency and accountability in the US government, the lower chamber of the Russian Parliament, the State Duma, passed the Bill on Ensuring Access to Information about Activities of State Organs and Organs of Local Administration. The […]
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23 January 2009
Day One: President Obama Pledges to Open Government – International Openness Advocates Applaud US Reforms
Washington, DC – On Day One of his administration, President Barack Obama took authoritative steps to “create an unprecedented level of openness” in the US government through an executive order and two presidential memoranda. International openness advocates, including more than 60 organizations and individuals in at least 30 countries, have issued a statement welcoming the […]
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22 December 2008
World Bank, Others to Support CSOs with New Funds
A new “Global Partnership Facility” holds the promise of new resources for civil society groups working on governance and anticorruption issues, including freedom of information and media development. The $65 million four-year initiative being administered by the World Bank is designed to “strengthen governance programs and further the fight against corruption,” according to a Dec. […]
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5 August 2008
President Carter Disseminates Atlanta Declaration to Advance Right to Information Worldwide
Last month, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter forwarded the Atlanta Declaration and Plan of Action for the Advancement of the Right to Information to all heads of state and leaders of the major international organizations and financial institutions. President Carter urged these leaders to ensure the right of access to information and its implementation and […]
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17 July 2008
Annual Report Suggests Gaps in Routine Disclosure
As its Public Communications Policy nears its third anniversary, the Asian Development Bank is coming up short of its own targets for routinely disclosing information and has frustrated civil society groups by denying several access requests. The ADB’s second report on the policy shows progress toward disclosure goals, but also indicates some gaps. For example, […]
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17 July 2008
PAKISTAN: Access to Information Advocates Criticize Proposed Freedom of Information Bill
The Consumer Rights Commission of Pakistan (CRCP) this week held a consultation on the draft Freedom of Information Bill of 2008, which is likely to soon be tabled for consideration by the legislature. The CRCP, which has been working for to strengthen the freedom of information (FOI) framework in Pakistan since 1998, expressed reservations about […]
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16 May 2008
Canadian Government Reports on IFI Activity Get Good Grade
The Canadian government’s annual reporting on its activities at international financial institutions is getting better, according to the authors, and to a Canadian civil society group which recently gave the latest report its best grade ever. The Halifax Initiative said the report on 2007 activities merited a B+, up from last year’s rating of B-, […]
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15 February 2008
IMF Making Little Progress on Release of Article IV Reports
The International Monetary Fund appears to have reached a plateau when it comes to releasing its key document assessing member countries. Despite its stated intention to make all Article IV reports public, only about four in five is released. About 20 countries still oppose issuance of the annual or biannual report assessing their economic policies, […]
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18 January 2008
GTI Makes Comments on EBRD Public Information Policy
The Global Transparency Initiative has proposed changes in the Public Information Policy (PIP) of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The Bank is just beginning a review of its policy, having issued a call for comment in late November. The GTI comments are similar to those made during a 2006 EBRD policy review and […]
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18 January 2008
Zoellick Orders Release of World Bank Report on Corruption in India Projects
World Bank President Robert Zoellick ordered the disclosure recently of a World Bank investigation showing “serious incidents” of fraud and corruption in five Bank projects in India. It was the first time the Bank had disclosed a “Detailed Implementation Review,” conducted by the Department of Institutional Integrity. His action was praiseed by Transparency International-USA. A […]
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5 October 2007
EBRD Preparing to Issue Discussion Paper on Disclosure
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is very close to putting out a "discussion paper" as a first step in a review of its Public Information Policy (PIP) and inviting public comments, according to an EBRD official. The information policy review is being done in parallel with an ongoing review of the EBRD’s environmental […]
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28 August 2007
World Bank Issues Implementation Plan for Anticorruption Strategy
The World Bank has released its long-awaited “implementation plan” for its governance and anticorruption strategy, a document much shorter and less specific that the guiding Bank “strategy” set in March. There are some new revelations, however. The implementation plan issued Aug. 21 for the first time reveals a budget, $14.8 million for fiscal 2008. And […]
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20 June 2007
In First Year, Germany’s Federal Agencies Struggle to Adapt to FOIA: But Requesters Off to Slow Start as Well
By Thoralf Schwanitz According to the first statistics published by the German Freedom of Information Commissioner, the federal administration is still struggling to adapt to the new openness required by Germany’s Freedom of Information Act, which entered into force on January 1, 2006. The new data also show that usage of the new law has […]