"This study carried out between May and June 2013, seeks to establish levels of transparency in public institution in Southern Africa. The study in currently in its fourth year, and findings highlight the difficulties faced by Southern African when trying to seek, access and receive information from
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public bodies. The research, conducted by seven different MISA chapters in the region, again revealed the lack of openness, transparency and accessibility on the part of public institutions, as well as their reluctance to disclose information proactively or respond to specific requests for public information,although there has been a significant improvement with respect to the use of information communication technologies (ICTs) across the region." (Fesmedia website)
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"Out of the twelve countries surveyed, only four have specific access to information laws. These countries are: Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe. However, a significant indication of the shifting tide on the continent is that six of the countries surveyed have some form of specific access to
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information in a Bill or parliamentary process. These countries are: Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Senegal, Tanzania, Zambia." (Page 5)
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"Informationsfreiheit ist in Verfassungen, Gesetzen und internationalen Konventionen verankert. Die Ausübung dieses Rechts stößt jedoch in Subsahara-Afrika vielerorts an enge Grenzen – der Trend zu mehr Offenheit auf dem Papier setzt sich im politischen Alltag zumeist nicht fort. Als politische
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s Menschenrecht ist Informationsfreiheit elementarer Bestandteil einer Demokratie. Sie ermöglicht politische Teilhabe und fördert transparentes Regierungshandeln. Darüber hinaus ist Informationsfreiheit eine Voraussetzung für die Verwirklichung zahlreicher sozialer und wirtschaftlicher Rechte. Eine politische Kultur, die den wiederkehrenden, friedlichen und demokratischen Machtwechsel als Selbstverständlichkeit begreift, ist Voraussetzung dafür, dass Umsetzungsmechanismen greifen und Informationsfreiheit eine Realität wird." (Seite 1)
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"The right to privacy and the right to information are both essential human rights in the modern information society. For the most part, these two rights complement each other in holding governments accountable to individuals. But there is a potential conflict between these rights when there is a de
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mand for access to personal information held by government bodies. Where the two rights overlap, states need to develop mechanisms for identifying core issues to limit conflicts and for balancing the rights. This paper examines legislative and structural means to better define and balance the rights to privacy and information." (Executive summary)
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"El documento identifica las diferentes maneras a través de las cuales los actores del campo periodístico—ya sean periodistas, editores o propietarios de medios de comunicación—se han comprometido en la promoción, implementación y monitoreo de la legislación de acceso a la información pú
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blica. La metodología de la investigación ha sido cualitativa; el relevamiento bibliográfico se complementó con opiniones de actores clave consultados para el estudio. Esta investigación permitió constatar que acceso a la información y prensa se relacionan, realimentan y confluyen de diversas maneras. Esas distintas formas de relacionarse han podido verificarse como fuertes o muy fuertes al comienzo (al definir la agenda, por ejemplo) pero esa relación es más débil en la fase de monitoreo de la legislación." (Resumen ejecutivo)
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"This paper identifies four primary drivers of proactive disclosure throughout history. The first is the need to inform the public about laws and decisions and the public’s right to be informed, to know their rights and obligations. The second is the public’s demand for the information needed to
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hold governments accountable both at and between elections. The third is the demand for information in order to participate actively in decision-making. The fourth is the provision to the public of information needed to access government services, which has expanded significantly in the past decade with growth of electronic access to services or “egovernment.” [...] The recently adopted legal frameworks which include proactive disclosure regimes (Section 3) point to an emerging standard on the classes of information which should be made available at the core of any national proactive disclosure regime. The national standards are reiterated and complemented by provisions by international international bodies (Section 4). These international provisions make clear that, in addition to having numerous benefits for public bodies and for members of the public, proactive disclosure is an obligation that is part of the right of access to information. From comparing the national and international provisions it is possible to identify a set of 14 core-minimum of classes of information for proactive disclosure." (Executive summary, page 1)
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"Access to knowledge (A2K) is the umbrella term for a movement that aims to create more equitable public access to the products of human culture and learning. Fields of advocacy that it subsumes include most centrally copyright and patent law reform, open access, open data and open standards, but al
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so access to public information, broader communications rights such as freedom of expression, and issues around ownership of and participation in public media." (Page 2)
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"Las prácticas y experiencias sobre acceso a la información y participación ciudadana que se reseñan en este documento reflejan ciertos avances hacia un fortalecimiento del sistema de control, lo que resulta imprescindible para una gobernabilidad incluyente. Sin embargo, el relevamiento indica t
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ambién que los estados no han dado pasos incontestables, sino que se trata de medidas aisladas que sólo logran conformar –aunque de manera incompleta– un cuadro cuando se las combina con las que han tomado los demás. La experiencia también demuestra que los poderes políticos no tienen incentivos para producir reformas integrales." (Observaciones finales, página 31)
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