International Right to Know Day

News 28 June 2010

Inetrnational Right to Know Day is celebrated on September 28th. There are conferences about the challenges of freedom of information. Civil society organizations are going to release reports about the different apsects of government openness, including the politics of mystifying information and transparency of political expenditures and findings of monitorings and research. Simultaneously, there will be award ceremony for transparent civil organizations and civil society groups, which stand for providing transparency in their countries.

In 2009 there were some improvements in accessing public information:

- At least 90 countries and teriritory promulgated the laws, which gives citizen right to request and get information from public officials

- Six new law about access to information came into force in Bangladesh, Cayman Islands, Chile, Kuki Islands, Guatemala and Uruguay.

- On April 14th, 2009 European Court of Human rights approved that right to release information from government officials is the fundamental part of the right of freedom of expression and this information is necessary for media, non-governmental sector and others to observe government activities;

- Obama administration tried to change the direction of the policy to openness of information and on January 2009 put emphasis on the responsibility of public officials to publish information, requesting public information and dates of releasing information, which is increasing step-by-step in the world. 

For additional information see the link below: www.foiadvocates.net 

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