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What’s New

• 9 December 2005

  Armenia: Freedom of Information Awards Winners of 2005 Announced

  On December 9, 2005 the Freedom of Information Center (Yerevan, Armenia) announced its Freedom of Information Awards winners for 2005. Read more >>.

• 16 November 2005

  How to Measure Openness?

  Towards an International Index Government transparency ranks as a fundamental human right and an essential element in developing effective democratic governance. Nonetheless, international freedom of information advocates face a daunting challenge in quantifying and evaluating government openness and access to information in different nations. A wide range of researchers have pioneered the development of indexes […]

• 28 September 2005

  International Right to Know Day 2005

  Since 2002, freedom of information advocates around the world have been working together to promote the right of access to information for all people and recognize the benefits of transparent and accountable governments. We use this day as a way to share ideas, strategies and success stories about the development of freedom of information laws […]

• 18 August 2005

  German Federal Data Protection Commissioner to become Freedom of Information Commissioner

  Under the new German Freedom of Information Law, which will enter into force on January 1, 2006, the current Federal Data Protection Commissioner Peter Schaar will also assume the job of Federal Commissioner for Freedom of Information. Schaar has emphasized the importance of his new position to the successful implementation of the new law: Timeline: […]

• 23 June 2005

  Documents Released Under Public Information Disclosure Law Show Government Designated Tombs of Ancient Emperors Based on Questionable Evidence

  Noboru Toike, a professor and expert on Imperial tombs, used Japan’s public information disclosure law to obtain academic studies conducted by the Imperial Household Agency regarding the discovery of at least 10 ancient tombs that the government has claimed hold the remains of emperors from the 5th through 13th centuries. The documents support the belief […]

• 24 May 2005

  Latest Analysis of India’s New Right to Information Law

  "Good, Bad, and Ugly (maybe)" says Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative UPDATE – 25 JUNE 2005 CHRI Conference Report Effective Implementation: Preparing to Operationalise the Right to Information Act, 2005 After a number of false starts and even one Act which was on the books but never came into force, it is with much excitement that […]

• 9 May 2005

  Article 19 Reports on Freedom of Information in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia

  A report from London-based NGO Article 19 on freedom of information legislation and its impact on the news media in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, finds that problems with implementation, state secrets legislation, and a Soviet-style predilection for excessive secrecy have created “the environment for arbitrary refusals, manipulation of information, and, in extreme cases, even release […]

• 9 May 2005

  REPORT: Article 19 on Freedom of Information in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia

  A report from London-based NGO Article 19 on freedom of information legislation and its impact on the news media in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, finds that problems with implementation, state secrets legislation, and a Soviet-style predilection for excessive secrecy have created "the environment for arbitrary refusals, manipulation of information, and, in extreme cases, even release […]

• 15 April 2005

  Teaching Institute or Dance Bar? Putting Local Freedom of Information Legislation to Use in Argentina

  By Martha Farmelo Martha Farmelo is Co-Coordinator of the Access to Information Program at the Buenos Aires-based Association for Civil Rights (www.adc.org.ar). I’ve never slept particularly well the first night in a new home, what with the excitement of the move and all the strange, new sounds. Little did I expect the sounds of the […]

• 7 April 2005

  FOIA Law Discloses British Farm Subsidies

  For the first time the British Freedom of Information Act forced the disclosure of the amounts and recipients of UK farm subsidies on March 22, revealing over £1,000,000 in payments to the British royal family. A request filed with the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) by the Guardian newspaper produced a pair of Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, […]

• 21 February 2005

  Information Commissioners Meet in Cancún

  3rd Annual Conference Draws Attendees from 50 Countries Today, freedom of information advocates and government officials who implement access laws around the world gathered in Cancún, Mexico for the 3rd annual International Conference of Information Commissioners, hosted by Mexico’s own commission (IFAI – Instituto Federal de Acceso a la Información Pública). The Mexican organizers reached […]

• 9 February 2005

  On-line Networking Solves Potential Secrecy Problem in Slovakia in 4 Hours

  International openness advocates assist Slovakian reformers in debate over EU directive and its effects on Slovak law concept of "silent refusal" Freedom of information advocates in 10 countries plus the U.S. state of New York today combined forces on-line within an elapsed time of four hours to help Slovakian openness reformers refute a legal interpretation […]

• 7 February 2005

  Report on free expression in Tajikistan shows situation worsened for media in 2004

  SOURCE: National Association of Independent Mass Media in Tajikistan (NANSMIT), Press Release (7 February 2005) “Access to information, which is also guaranteed under Tajik law, is not protected in practice. In fact, the most common infringement of journalists’ rights is the restriction of access to information. Violations may take the form of direct denial of […]