Posts Tagged ‘rti legislation’
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12 April 2013
African Model Access Law Issued by Rights Panel
The long-awaited final version of the Model Law on Access to Information for Africa was posted April 12 on the website of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The model law is “a common approach to a common problem” wrote Pansy Tlakula, the Special Rapporteur on Access to Information in Africa and Freedom […]
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11 April 2013
Afghanistan Considering Draft Law on Access to Information
A draft access to information law has been prepared in Afghanistan and comments received, but it remains unclear whether government’s proposal will be adopted. The government came under pressure in September from civil society and media groups to prepare an access law. Civil society also demanded a fixed timeframe to pass the law and […]
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5 April 2013
Ghana Minister Backs FOI Bill; Passage Pledged in OGP Plan
Favorable comments March 28 by Alhassan Azong, Ghana’s Minister of Public Service Reform Sector, bolstered a mood of confidence among supporters of the long-stymied freedom of information legislation The minister said the cabinet has already approved the FOI bill and that it will be passed by the end of the year, according to an article […]
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5 April 2013
Morocco’s Proposed FOI Law Scored as Consultation Opens
The Moroccan government has begun a month-long consultation on a proposed freedom of information law (in Arabic) (in English). The period of consultation began March 26, with early commentators saying that the proposal contains too many exemptions. An article by Mohammed Jaabouk says the 13 proposed exemptions exceed those suggested in the Article 27 of […]
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5 April 2013
Pakistan Senate Panel Tells Ministry to Present FOI Law
The Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting in Pakistan on April 5 gave the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting 15 days to table a draft of Freedom of Information law before the committee. The directive was issued during the committee meeting chaired by Kamil Ali Agha at the Parliament House, according to an Associated […]
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25 March 2013
President Sees Nothing to Fear in Ghana RTI Bill
Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama March 22 again voiced support for passage of a right to information bill and a broadcasting bill. The president was quoted as saying he has no “fear of the Right to Information Bill… it is not a monster and I think that Parliament should pass it.” Parliament in recent years […]
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21 March 2013
Guyana Minister Says ATI Law May Be Effective in 2013
A key minister in Guyana has said the access to information law passed September of 2011 may be implemented by the end of 2013, according to a March 20 article by Denis Scott Chabrol in Demarara Waves quoting Presidential Advisor on Governance, Gail Teixeira. The law does not go into effect until an information commissioner […]
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14 March 2013
Malaysia Urged to Enact FOI Law; Fix Two State Laws
Malaysia needs to enact a freedom of information law, two nongovernmental organizations have urged, also pointed to weaknesses affecting the two state FOI laws in Malaysia. The comments came from the London-based freedom of expression group Article 19 and the Malaysian human rights group Suaram in the context of the Universal Periodic Review, a state-driven […]
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13 March 2013
Rwanda Publishes New Law on Right to Information
Rwanda has a right to information law, the 11th in Africa and the 94th in the world. The new law was formally gazetted on March 11 (See Official Gazette No 10, the March 11 issue, page 66). It was passed by parliament in November 2012. The law came into force on the date of publication and several […]
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27 February 2013
Zambia Again Delays Introduction of FOI Bill
The government of Zambia says a freedom of information bill will be submitted in June, continuing a pattern of delay in unveiling a bill. In December, a key Zambian minister promised that a bill would be presented to Parliament in the first quarter of 2013, according to a newspaper report. (See previous FreedomInfo.org report.) Now the same minister […]
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22 February 2013
Ghana President Pledges to `Implement’ FOI Law
In his State of the Nation speech, Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama Feb. 21 made “Transparent and Accountable Governance” one of his four “vital pillars” and said he will implement a freedom of information law. The law has been tied up in Parliament with very little progress in recent years. Campaigners this year have begun […]
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18 February 2013
Two Alternative FOI Bills Complicate Moroccan Scene
The expected passage of a government-backed freedom of information bill in Morocco has been complicated by the entry of competing versions, one proposed by an opposition political party and one by a political party that is part of the government coalition. There has been a proposal backed by different forces to organize a meeting in March to discuss the […]
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18 February 2013
Philippines Official Replies to Criticisms on FOI Legislation
A Philippines official has replied to allegations that the Aquino administration failed to live up to its commitments by not making sure a freedom of information bill passed, saying that other priorities took precedence. The government has taken other steps to increase transparency, according to the Feb. 13 letter which was sent to the members […]
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15 February 2013
Revised African Model Law Posted in Advance of Meeting
A revised version of the proposed model law on access to information for Africa has been prepared for an upcoming meeting of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. Discussion of the new draft is planned during the Commission’s meeting Feb. 18-25 in Banjul, Gambia. The new version, in English and French, is posted […]
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13 February 2013
OGP Subcommittee Expected to Discuss Philippines, FOI
A subcommittee of the Open Government Partnership is expected this week to discuss whether the OGP should signal its disappointment with the Philippines government for failing to pass freedom of information legislation. The request from FOI advocates poses a challenge to OGP officials, who have said that criticizing governments is not an OGP function. The […]
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11 February 2013
Tanzania Will Seek Input on RTI Bill, Minister Says
Tanzania’s Minister for Constitutional and Legal Affairs, Mathias Chikawe, recently told representatives of the National Coalition on Right to Information that the government will seek public input on the drafting of a law. “As long as I am here, I will make sure we get more views so that we won’t be criticised for not […]
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6 February 2013
Aquino Blamed for Failure to Pass Philippines FOI Bill
Philippines President Benigno Aquino was disingenuous in his promise of support for freedom of information legislation, according to strongly worded statement from the broadly based Right to Know. Right Now! Coalition. “Mag-Ingat sa Hindi Tunay” (Beware of Fakes), is the headline on the statement with 160 signatures that was issued Feb. 6 as Congress ended […]
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4 February 2013
Tanzania Say More Study Needed on FOI Measure
The Tanzanian government has said more research is necessary before it introduces a freedom of information bill. Amos Makalla, Deputy Minister for Information, Youth, Culture and Sports, said Feb. 1 that a bill will not be tabled in the National Assembly soon, which was “widely anticipated by stakeholders including media practitioners,” according to an article […]
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4 February 2013
Legislative Calendar Slips for FOI Legislation in Malawi
The government of Malawi will not submit a freedom of information bill during the current session of parliament, according to a media report. This development was met with regret by Anthony Kasunda, the chairperson of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Malawi chapter. Kasunda told Capital FM that “the process will delay a bit. […]
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31 January 2013
Lack of Aquino Support Seen Dooming Philippines FOI Bill
Time appears to be running out for freedom of information legislation in the Philippines in the absence of support from President Benigno Aquino and with only three days left in this session of Congress. Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda on Jan. 31 said, “Our position is let’s have a debate, a healthy debate on this issue […]