KAMPALA, December 10, 2014 – The World Bank Country Manager for Uganda, Mr. Moustapha Ndiaye and the Civil Society Organization Coordinator & Head of Secretariat Africa Freedom of Information Centre, Mr. Gilbert Sendugwa, today signed a Global Partnership Social Accountability (GPSA) Grant of $650,000...
Africa Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC) welcomes United Nations Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review (UPR) draft recommendations No. 134. (40, 47, 56, 64 and 126) on the urgent need for the Government of Angola to amend and strengthen the country's freedom of information law...
Kampala, Uganda, 28 September 2014: As information activists around the world celebrate the right to information day on 28 September, Africa Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC) together with its members is pleased to launch the first issue of the State of the Right to Information...
The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) through the Ministry of Information and National Guidance launched on 14th August the Ask Your Government (AYG) online platform (www.askyourgov.ug) at the Imperial Royale Hotel, Kampala. AYG is an initiative of the OPM in partnership...
AFIC welcomes new Members Africa Freedom of Information Centre’s membership has grown from 27 to 34 following the approval of seven applicants by the Governing Council sitting on July 25, 2014 in Nairobi Kenya. The Governing Council considered eleven applications out which approved seven,...
Civil Society Demand: Human Rights must be at the Center of the Africa-European Union Relations The themes chosen for Africa-European Union April 2014 Summit reflect what a people-centred Partnership should be: a joint political commitment aimed at securing peace and prosperity for the people...
A two-day Africa Regional Conference on Freedom of Information Implementation bringing together over 100 state and non-state actors from Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe, was held in Abuja, Nigeria. The conference discussed and identified some emerging...
The Working Group of the African Platform on Access to Information (APAI) met in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Wednesday, March 5 and Thursday, March 6, 2014. At the end of its meeting, the Working Group unanimously adopted and issued this Statement: 1. The Working...
Madrid, Thursday 27 February 2014 - by Access Info Europe Today sees the launch of a new global campaign, Stop Secret Contracts, calling on world leaders to end secrecy in public contracting. The campaign is coordinated by the Open Knowledge Foundation, and signed by...
PRESS RELEASE AFIC Congratulates Côte d'Ivoire on Adoption of Access to Information Law Kampala: February 5, 2014 African Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC) congratulates the Government and people of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire upon the adoption of Access to Information (FOI) law.The adoption...
Last week, Africa Freedom of Information Centre hosted the first General Meeting of African Freedom of Expression Exchange (AFEX), a network of African freedom of expression organisations, which are members of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX). AFEX mission is to increase the effectiveness...
This facilitates networking, resource and experience sharing among its members and partners across the continent. Its website has become a major source of information for advocates, researchers and policy makers with more than 200,000 in the year 2013. Through our website and listserves, we disseminate...
AFIC invests resources to equip its staff with relevant skills to support members and effectively lead regional and continental advocacy and monitoring. In addition, the centre develops tools and methodologies to support itself and members in their work. AFIC organises training opportunities and study tours...
The objective of this programme area is to improve the legal and policy environment for African citizens' enjoyment of their fundamental right of access to information. Since 2010, five more African Union member states have adopted national access to information laws, bringing the number of...
Specialist right to information organisations Access Info Europe and Centre for Law and Democracy led on the drafting of a set of recommendations for progressive improvements to the right to information (RTI) which should be introduced by governments participating in the Open Government Partnership (OGP).
These recommendations form the right to information chapter of the Open Government Guide, which was released at the Open Government Partnership Summit in October 2013.
In addition to the key recommendation that States should adopt a law giving effect to the right to information which meets international standards, the chapter makes a number of recommendations for initial, more substantial, most robust and innovative steps to give effect to this fundamental right, including:
» Putting in place the required institutional structures for implementation of the law
» Expanding the scope of proactive publication
» Undertaking robust promotional measures, including by raising public awareness about the right to information
» Implementing ‘transparency by design’, including by using digital technologies to integrate RTI into all stages of information preparation and processing
AFIC and the Ghana Right to Information Coalition (GRIC) have issued a joint statement urging Ghana’s Parliament to adopt a law that reflects regional and International standards.
The statement came a week after the Parliament published the version the Bill that has been tabled for debate. The statement acknowledges the will of the Government of Ghana to “deepen transparency and good governance as a means of improving the living conditions of Ghanaians.”
African Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC) together with its membership of 27 civil society organizations from 18 African countries congratulates the Government, Parliament and people of Sierra Leone upon the adoption of Freedom of Information (FOI) law.
This adoption demonstrates Government’s commitment to transparency and confirms that a lot can be achieved if Governments constructively engages with citizens on such an important agenda as transparency. During the Open Government Partnership regional outreach meeting held in Mombasa in May 2013, the Minister while responding to contribution made by Mr. Emmanuel Abdulai of Society for Democratic Initiatives and member of Sierra Leone freedom of Information coalition, promised that his government would expedite tabling and consideration of the country’s draft freedom of information bill.
The adoption of an FOI law represents Government’s strong intention to implement Africa Union transparency agenda underpinned by six treats that recognize and protect the right to information. It also signifies seriousness with which Government takes recommendations of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights’ which through Resolution 222 of April 2012 which among others calls on member states to adopt access to information laws in line with regional instruments. Sierra Leone becomes the thirteenth African country to adopt an access to information law following South Africa, Uganda, Angola, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Nigeria, Niger, Guinea, Tunisia, Rwanda and South Sudan.
An Action Conference on Access to Information was opened this morning in Lusaka, Zambia by the Country’s Minister of Information and Broadcasting. He reaffirmed Zambia’s commitment to pass an FOI law. This conference- which brings together approximately 150 right to information stakeholders from government, civil society, media, private sector, academia, donor community, regional and international organisations- aims to reflect on the domestication of the African Platform on Access to Information (APAI), Open Government Partnership (OGP) and other initiatives on the African continent.
The Africa Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC), member of the APAI Working Group, has been actively involved in the campaign to promote the APAI Declaration in Africa and beyond. For example, AFIC participated in the drafting of the Carthage Declaration on World Press Freedom Day 2012 which calls on governments to endorse APAI and recognise September 28 as Right to Information Day. APAI sets out a number of principles that are key for the full realisation of the right of access to information.
The Open Government Partnership Africa Regional Meeting is currently underway at the Serena Beach Hotel, Mombasa, with representatives from 16 countries in attendance. This is the first OGP Africa Regional Meeting that has attracted a wide variety of Participants and Speakers who include OGP participating governments,Civil society activists, Academia, Multilateral institutions and other interested actors and the Media.
The Meeting was opened by Kenya’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Communications, Dr. Bitange Ndemo who welcomed participants to the first Africa Regional Meeting. Joseph Powell from the OGP Support Unit noted the growth of OGP participating governments from 8 member countries to 59 member countries. Powell also emphasized on OGP being a genuinely inclusive process for the government and civil society.
Gladwell Otieno, Executive Director, Africa Centre for Open Governance (AfriCOG) highlighted the importance of access to free information and concrete commitments by governments to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption, and harness new technologies to strengthen governance.
South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Public Service and Administration Ayando Dlodlo challenged Civil Society on transparency and accountability and called on Civil Societies to work hand in hand with their respective government for the betterment of citizens. Ayando highlighted on the use of ICT by governments to offer opportunities for information sharing and public participation and innovation, and invest in the feedback from the Citizens.
There has been an explosion in access to information legislation since the turn of the millennium with an unprecedented number of right to information laws being adopted. Worldwide there were just 12 laws in place at the beginning of 2000 but by the end of the decade there were over eighty, although only five were in Africa – Angola, Ethiopia, Uganda, South Africa and Zimbabwe. And the pace has only quickened since then. Now there are 94 laws in place around the world – and 11 in Africa.
During the Africa Regional Conference on Access to Information organised in 2010 by the Carter Centre, former US President Jimmy Carter said that providing people with the right to know was essential for a modern democracy built on an enduring relationship between the state and its people.
A participant representing the government of Ethiopia observed that his government and other governments in Africa were committed to advancing the right to information on the continent but needed guidance about what the legislation should look like. He noted that a model law would help not only countries contemplating the adoption of access to information laws but also those that already have such laws but were struggling with implementation.
This was the beginning of a demand-driven Model Law on Access to Information for Africa. Following this request, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) adopted Resolution 167 (XLVIII) 2010 authorising the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa to initiate the process of developing a model access to information law for Africa.
