Today, on 28 September, we celebrate the International Right to Know Day – the United Nations marks it as the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI).
Access to information (ATI) lets people see how public decisions are made and public money is spent – and helps prevent and expose the corruption that thrives in secrecy. About 142 countries have national laws governing access to information in place – yet pushing for effective access and real transparency of state entities remains an ongoing challenge in many places. In some countries where access to information has been a powerful tool for promoting accountability, those in power are trying to curtail this crucial right.
To mark the day, we asked our community what they are doing to help promote effective access to information – and received many interesting examples, showcasing through our new interactive dashboard ongoing ATI projects happening around the world and an overview of the advances and setbacks in each region. We are happy to collaborate with the global access to information community FOIAnet, who are providing a global map of ATI activities and events taking place around Right to Know Day. We encourage you to explore both, share them widely, and mark the day with us.
