Access to information: from the right to know to real transparency
Access to information lets people see how public decisions are made, how public money is spent and who shapes those decisions. It also helps prevent and expose the corruption that thrives in secrecy. Some 142 countries now have access to information laws, but a law on paper doesn’t guarantee access in practice. In many places, requests go unanswered and little is published proactively. In some countries where access to information has been a powerful tool for accountability, those in power are now trying to curtail it.
Every year on 28 September, the International Right to Know Day is a moment to take stock. The United Nations marks it as the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI).
The UNCAC calls for openness through Article 10 on public reporting and Article 13 on the participation of society. As the UNCAC Implementation Review Mechanism (IRM) enters its next phase, CoSP resolution 11/2 raises the bar on transparency and on the inclusion of civil society in country reviews. States parties can lead by example by publishing their own review documents. Our Access to Information Campaign has so far secured the release of 29 of these documents.
What civil society is doing
For this year’s Right to Know Day, we asked our members and partners how they are working to make access to information effective. The dashboard below brings together their projects from every region.
Select a country or region to explore the projects and the advances and setbacks there, and follow the links to learn more about each initiative.
We have worked in collaboration with FOIAnet this year who have put together a global map of events happening around the day.