INTERNATIONAL ACCESS TO INFORMATION DAY CELEBRATED
| 26. September 2019
The International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) will be celebrated worldwide on the 28th of September. The day was officially recognised in its current form by a UNESCO resolution in 2012. Since then, African civil society organisations have pushed for greater transparency regarding public information. This year’s celebration is following the theme of “Leaving no one behind!”, which aims to combat new forms of inequality stemming from unprecedented digital transformation.
Although 130 countries have adopted Access to Information laws, there is still a lot of progress to be made, notably regarding the actual implementation of these laws. Moreover, there is a considerable lack of awareness among the public, as well as government bodies, regarding the use of the fundamental right of access to public information.
Between events and social media campaigns, a diverse range of actors have organised activities to shed the light on the right of Access to Information, which is crucial to holding governments accountable and guaranteeing good governance.
Below is a selection of activities taking place, including some organised by GFMD members:
- UNESCO: Global Event “Open Talks”, taking place in Peru on 27th of September;
- UNESCO with partners: National and Regional events;
- Centre for Law and Democracy: Panel on Democracy in Action: The Future of Your Right to Know, on 26th of September at 5:00 PM, as well as the launch of a social media campaign and the hosting of an event focusing on ATI in Islamabad, Pakistan, in collaboration with GIZ and CPDI.
- Pakistan Press Foundation: Seminar to commemorate the day;
- Balkan Investigative Reporting Network: social media campaign;
- Globe International Center: Open talks that will be held on 27th of September in Ulan Bator, which will be broadcast on social media.
Additionally, many more events and activities happening around the world can be found using this interactive map developed by the Freedom of Information Advocates Network.