News
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16 March 2012
Controversial Witness List Set by South African Committee
After initially having been excluded from the witness list, the South African Right2Know Coalition has been invited to testify before a legislative committee considering the Protection of State Information bill. The committee relented following objections by opposition party representatives on the panel and added the coalition to the list of 18 witnesses who will give […]
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13 March 2012
U.S. Judge Orders Release of FTAA Trade Talks Document
A U.S. district court judge has ordered the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to release a “classified” one-page document concerning a U.S. position on an issue in the failed negotiations aimed at creating a Free Trade Area of the Americas. The judge rejected a third round of government arguments that disclosure would damage relations […]
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12 March 2012
OGP Releases Names of Subcommittee Members
The Open Government Partnership has disclosed the members of its four Steering Committee subcommittees and indicated that its governance plan will be out before the April 17-18 OGP general meeting in Brazil. While the names of the four subcommittees could be derived from the minutes released of the governance working group, their membership had not […]
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12 March 2012
Kenyan Court Limits Access Right to Citizens
The High Court in Kenya court has ruled that the right to information as provided for under section 35 of the Constitution is reserved only for Kenyan “citizens,” not for corporations or other entities. The court March 2 denied a request by an Indian company for documents from two Kenyan government agencies concerning a contract […]
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12 March 2012
Reports Critically Assess RTI Performance in Indonesia
Two years after implementation of the Indonesian right to information law, several new reports look closely at how exemptions in the law are being handled and how three agencies are implementing the law. Government officials are still taking the same approach to disclosure as they did before the law, according to one report (English) (Indonesian), […]
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12 March 2012
Reform Eases RTI Use by Indians Living Abroad
India has made it easier for Indian citizens living abroad to seek online information from the government under the Right to Information Act. The banking regulator, the Reserve Bank of India, has allowed sale of electronic postal orders to Indian citizens living abroad through their credit and debit cards. “The facility will be used only […]
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9 March 2012
Work on African Model Laws Still Under Way
Two efforts to draft model freedom of information laws in Africa remain active, with consultations continuing and the end in sight. The ongoing deliberations over model statute on freedom of expression and access to information for West Africa continued March 5 in Abuju, Nigeria, at a meeting of legal experts. The African Union process to […]
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9 March 2012
RTI Exemption Included in Indian Biotech Bill
A controversial bill in India to ease regulation on biotechnology products includes an exemption from the right to information law. Debate over the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India Bill (BRAI) primarily concerns issues such as the safety of genetically modified food crops, the proposed RTI exemption also is drawing opposition, including from the National Campaign […]
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9 March 2012
U.S. Group Builds OGP Website, Plans Teams
A civil society group in the United States, OpenTheGovernment.org, has established a website to coordinate U.S. CSO activities in the context of the Open Government Partnership and is offering to help CSOs in other nations create websites, too. The new website unveils plans for creation of 19 “teams” that will work with the government on […]
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9 March 2012
Groups Detail Concerns With EU Access Stalemate
More than 30 groups have signed a March 8 letter initiated by Access Info Europe to influence the outcome of behind-the-scenes discussions about access to documents in the European Union. The Danish Presidency of the European Union has circulated a “non-paper” in an effort to break a stalemate between the European Commission and the European […]
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9 March 2012
Zimbabwe Issues Proposals on Media, Information Access
A draft constitution in Zimbabwe guarantees media freedom and access to information, and protects journalists and their sources of information. “This is a vast improvement compared with the current constitution which does not explicitly provide for freedom of the media and access to information,” according to a statement by Misa-Zimbabwe. Drafting the constitution could be completed soon, […]
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9 March 2012
Action on SA Secrecy Bill Delayed Until May
South Africa’s National Council of Provinces on March 6 agreed to a resolution extending until May 17 the reporting deadline of the ad hoc committee dealing with the Protection of State Information Bill. The ad hoc committee’s initial reporting deadline was April 8. The delay would put off potential adoption, widely expedted, until after the meeting of […]
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9 March 2012
FOI NOTES: Kelsey, Kroes, FOIA Game, More
Essay: “The Future is Open: Why transparency will be the organizing principle of 21st century public services,” an by Tim Kelsey, has been published Speech: Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda, delivers a speech on “Digital Agenda and Open Data: From Crisis of Trust to Open Governing,” in Bratislava. […]
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9 March 2012
Bhutanese Parliamentarian Calls for Passage of RTI Law
A member of the Bhutan parliament has called for enactment of a right to information law and a pro-RTI Facebook page has been established. Sangay Khandu, a Member of Parliament of Bhutan representing the people of Gasa Dzongkhag to the National Council, expressed his views in an article published on his blog. Khandu wrote: A largely […]
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8 March 2012
Submission of FOI Bill Delayed on Isle of Man
Isle of Man Chief Minister Allan Bell on Feb. 22 pushed back the date for introduction of a bill on freedom of information, indicating that further study is necessary. Last November, Bell promised a bill by the start of the recently begun parliamentary session, but now he said introduction won’t occur until the end of the […]
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5 March 2012
Research Questions Obama Administration FOIA Policy
Research by The FOIA Project questions whether an early Obama administration policy shift has made any difference in the handling of freedom of information cases. In March 2009 the new administration issued a directive which set forth new “defensive standards” memo that reversed a Bush administration interpretation. Under the new standard, the Department of Justice […]
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5 March 2012
Trinidad and Tobago Join OGP as 53rd Member
Trinidad and Tobago is the 53rd country to join the Open Government Partnership. A Feb. 22 letter from Minister of Foreign Affairs and Communication Surujrattan Rambachan indicating a desire to join was added to the OGP website March 3. With the latest addition, almost two-thirds of all 79 eligible countries have joined the multilateral effort […]
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2 March 2012
Egypt Indicates Plans to Offer Draft FOI Legislation Soon
A top Egyptian government minister on Feb. 27 said a draft freedom of information bill will be submitted to Parliament soon, according to a report in Egypt.com. Assistant Minister of Justice of Legislative Affairs, Omar al-Sherif, said the Justice Ministry has prepared a draft bill in coordination with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. […]
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2 March 2012
OGP Issues Conference Agenda, Suppliers List
The Open Government Partnership has released the draft agenda for its April meeting in Brazil and there are indications that other countries are interested in joining. The OGP also posted a searchable list of about 60 “suppliers” – organizations available to work with governments on developing and implementing their OGP commitments, and invited participation in an […]
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2 March 2012
FOI Notes: Vatican, Research, Ham Sandwich
Vatican: “Does the Vatican Need a FOIA Act,” an article in the British publication Catholic Herald by Fr. Alexander Lucie-Smith. Job Postings: The Open Society Foundation’s Washington Office seeks a Senior Policy Analyst to work on transparency, media and election issues, including the Open Government Initiative, whistleblower protections, government secrecy, internet policy, media diversity, campaign […]