18 Oct 2011

International Right to Know Day Celebrated Today

Freedom of Information activists around the world celebrate today the International Right to Know Day (logo pictured here). The date was first established in 2003 by the Freedom of Information Advocates Network, as a way to promote and raise awareness about citizens’ right to information.

An article by Andrea Figari posted on Transparency International’s blog makes use of this occasion to discuss the topic. According to the article, seven countries have passed freedom of information laws in the last year, and in other 18 countries bills on the subject are currently under consideration.

The author also refers to a number of successful initiatives that have been implemented by governments and civil society organizations in several countries. More recent projects are also mentioned, for instance regarding efforts to increase transparency about allocation of development aid and the recently launched Open Government Partnership also adds to the list.

For the full article on blog.transparency.org, please click here.