News
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21 April 2011
European Parliament Holds Hearing on Transparency
Pro-transparency members of the European Parliament last week called for an improved European Union disclosure policy, continuing to fuel a now long-running schism with the European Commission and Council. Action by a parliamentary committee on its proposals to change the European disclosure standard, Regulation 1049/2001, is not likely to occur until early summer, after a […]
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20 April 2011
Brazilian FOI Bill Clears Two Senate Panels, One to Go
The proposed Brazilian freedom of information law cleared two Senate committees April 19, leaving one committee to go in an apparent sprint to meet the Brazilian president’s declared goal of passage by May 3. The bill was passed the committees of Human Rights and Science and Technology and will now be considered by the Committee […]
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20 April 2011
Seminar, Activities Mark 2nd Anniversary of Chile FOI Law
By Emilene Martínez Transparency Programs Coordinator at the National Security Archive Diverse activities will be held in Chile the week of April 18 to commemorate the second anniversary of Chile’s Access to Information Law – among them the signing of a draft of a Public Probity Law by President Sebastián Piñera; an International Seminar in […]
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20 April 2011
Chile celebra Seminario Internacional
By Gabriela Ruiz Gabriela Ruiz es Investigadora Visitante del Archivo de Seguridad Nacional en Washington DC; se desempeña como Jefa de la Unidad de Acceso a la Información del Instituto de Transparencia de Chiapas. Para conmemorar el segundo aniversario de la Ley 20.285 de Acceso a la Información Pública de Chile y de la instalación […]
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18 April 2011
Russian Compliance With Two New Laws Faulted
Russian agencies and courts are not abiding by two relatively recent transparency laws, according to a watchdog group’s annual report, which colorfully states, “One cannot stop a ripping rusty locomotive with a mere gesture.” Summarizing the situation, Institute for Information Freedom Development Board Chairman Ivan Pavlov, wrote: Unfortunately, as it is often the case in our country, […]
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18 April 2011
Rousseff Praise Brightens Outlook for Brazilian FOI Bill
By Greg Michener Greg Michener is a Canadian, a professor of political science, and lives with his wife Carolina in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is currently writing a book for Cambridge University Press on Freedom of Information in Latin America. More of his work can be accessed at http://gregmichener.com Heartening events and significant setbacks […]
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18 April 2011
Chile Plans to Create Transparency Web Portal
By Emilene Martínez On April 15, the Council for Transparency (Consejo para la Transparencia) and the General Secretariat of the Presidency signed an agreement to develop a Transparency Web Portal. The signing ceremony took place at Palacio de La Moneda and was attended by Chilean government officials, members of the Council and representatives from civil […]
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15 April 2011
Passage of FOI Bill in Sierra Leone May Be Problematical
By Sulakshana Gupta The author works for the BBC World Service Trust in Sierra Leone and is also a freelance journalist Since October 2010, the Freedom of Information Bill in Sierra Leone has been pending in Parliament and now there’s a good chance it might not pass until much later. Sources at the Ministry of […]
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15 April 2011
ANC Holding Firm on Secrecy Legislation in South Africa
The ruling African National Congress in South Africa this week indicated it will not make significant changes to its controversial Protection of Information Bill. “Reading the position paper, it’s clear that the ANC’s position has hardly shifted since the massive public outcry last October,” said Alison Tilley of the Right2Know campaign. Little progress was made […]
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15 April 2011
Multifaceted Strategy Urged to Build Demand for Information
Identifying government information that citizens can use is key to building public support for access to information, according to four leading activists from Africa who spoke April 14 at an Open Society Foundations forum in Washington. Providing an example, Agnes Edo’o, executive director of the Citizens Governance Initiatives in Cameroon, described a recent effort to […]
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15 April 2011
Bangladesh RTI ACT, 2009: Present Status and Scope
By Sanjida Sobhan Coordinator, Manusher Jonno Foundation Perhaps the Right to Information Act, 2009 is one of the much talked about issues in Bangladesh after Nari o Sishu Nirjatan Domon Ain 2003 (songshodito) [Act for Suppression of Violence against Women and Children]. Demand for such Act came from every corner of the society like human […]
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15 April 2011
FOI Notes: History, Media Role, WikiLeaks, Whistleblowing
History: An article in Journal of Democracy by Brazil-based Greg Michener explores the origins of FOI laws (or not) in Mexico, Argentina, Bulgaria and India. He concludes that it takes “extraordinary conditions” to pass FOI laws. “The presence of absence of basic political preconditions, such as propitious legislative dynamics and a pubic-spirited news media, can help […]
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12 April 2011
CELE, FreedomInfo.org Form Cooperative Venture
Articles on freedom of information in Latin America, written by the Center for Studies on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Argentina, will be a regular feature in FreedomInfo.org, the two organizations announced April 12. The articles will be published both in English and Spanish and will periodically present the main debates on access to information […]
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8 April 2011
UN Panel Revises Draft Comment on Article 19
The United Nations Human Rights Committee endorsed the proactive disclosure of information recently as it made a few changes to the freedom of information section of its proposed General Comment 34 on the Article 19. Detailed notes on the three committee sessions, held in New York City March 18-24, were prepared by the Tashmin Ali […]
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8 April 2011
India CIC Sets Targets for Handling Appeals
The Indian Central Information Commission has taken a step to fight a backlog of cases and has decided that commissioners should disclose their assets. The six commissioners are being asked to dispose of around 3,200 appeals and complaints every year, an increase from the 2010 average of 2,741, according to articles in The Times of […]
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8 April 2011
Bar Group Urges Passage of FOI Legislation in Nigeria
The Human Rights Institute of The Nigerian Bar Association this week advocated for passage of freedom of information legislation. A letter signed by Festus Okoye, the secretary of the Institute, highlighted the nine major differences between the version passed by the Senate and that passed by the House. A joint committee has been named to […]
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8 April 2011
Canadian Political Parties Criticized for Silence on FOI
Three Canadian groups have asked the political parties to say what they will do to fix an access to information system that the groups say is “in chaos.” “In the campaign so far, politicians have used words like open government, transparency and democracy,” said Troy Lanigan of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, “but they say almost […]
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8 April 2011
Environmentalists Begin Effort to Seek Information in Africa
A U.S. environmental group and partners in Africa have begun an effort to request environmental-related information from the governments of Ghana, Uganda and South Africa, and hope to find new strategies to promote freedom of information reform. The project was announced by the World Resources Institute in Washington, the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) in […]
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7 April 2011
Zoellick Says Work Bank Promoting Transparency
World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick April 6 lauded the Bank’s work on making itself more transparent and helping national governments become more transparent, and noted the revival of interest in freedom of information in Egypt and Tunisia. His comments came in a speech to the Peterson Institute for International Economics about the Middle East and […]
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7 April 2011
Mexican Network Sets Strategy, Discusses Successes
By Gabriela Ruiz Visiting researcher at The National Security Archive and FOIA Officer at the Chiapas Access to Information Institute The México Infórmate FOI advocates network celebrated its second annual meeting in Cancún March 17-18, trading success stories and planning strategy. The Mexico Infórmate network integrates members of the media, civil society, and local government ministries. […]