Publications
On this page we list relevant publications, organized by topic, with weblinks where available.
On this page we list relevant publications, organized by topic, with weblinks where available. If a publication does not have a web link, we would be pleased to post a pdf version of the document if the author or originating NGO would like to send us the document.
We have only just begun to compile and organize these publications, but decided to post this preliminary draft in order to give a sense of what we are trying to do. We intend to include several more topic areas, and are also in the process of compiling a list of publications on specific countries.
We invite our readers to send us comments, additional references, and suggestions regarding additional topics and ways to make the list more useful. Please send your comments in the contact box at the upper right corner of the page. If you send a publication to be added, please tell us the topic heading under which it should be listed, and if you like, please provide a short summary.
We are especially interested in materials in languages other than English.
General
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Open Society Justice Initiative, Justice Initiative 10 Principles on the Right to Know (February 2010)
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Access Info Europe, Access Information: A Fundamental Right, A Universal Standard
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The Global Explosion of Freedom of Information Laws, Administrative Law Review (Ackerman and Sandoval-Ballesteros, 2006)
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Article 19, Towards a Third Generation of Activism for the Right to FOI (Callamard, 2008)
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Article 19, ADC, Access to Information: An Instrumental Right for Empowerment (2007). Report on access to information as an instrumental right for empowerment including an overview of the right, how it can be used to campaign for social, cultural and economic rights, and 15 case studies spanning 12 countries.
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Article 19, Background Paper 3 on Freedom of Information (2007)
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Article 19, The Public's Right to Know. Principles of Freedom of Information Legislation (1999)
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Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), Our Rights, Our Information: Empowering People to Demand Rights through Knowledge (Burgman, Gage, Cronin, Mitra and ed. Daruwala, Nayak, 2007)
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Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), Open Sesame: Looking for the Right to Information in the Commonwealth (2003)
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Danish Institute for Human Rights, An Introduction to Openness and Access to Information (Louise Krabbe Boserup, 2005)
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Keim, Walter, Freedom of Information. This site, in English and German, has extensive information and links to other sites under the following headings: Letters and petitions, FOI Laws in English Speaking and European Countries, FOI in Europe with map, Country index with map worldwide; Global trends; FOI in constitutions; Links to other sites; and Support FOI in German states without FOI laws.
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UNDP, UNDP and the Right to Information - Seminar Report , (2006)
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World FOI Chart and Index of World FOI rulings, by Stanley Tromp (2008). This site cross-references by topic key primary documents on freedom of information law, including texts of 68 national FOI laws, 29 draft FOI bills, 12 Canadian provincial and territorial FOI laws, the commentaries of 14 global and 17 Canadian non-governmental organizations, and the FOI codes of 12 intergovernmental entities.
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Carter Center hosts an International Access to Information and Transparency Events Calendar . The calendar posts information on a wide range of conferences and workshops being held around the world, and serves as a central point to share your activities and learn of other organizations' events
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World Bank Institute, Andrew Puddephatt, Access to Information Working Paper Series. Exploring the Role of Civil Society in the Formulation and Adoption of Access to Information Laws. The Cases of Bulgaria, India, Mexico, South Africa and the United Kingdom.
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Roger Vleugels, Overview of all 90 FOIA countries & territories, September 2009
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Open Society Justice Initiative, The Right to Information and the Increasing Scope of Bodies Covered by National Laws (Coliver, 2009)
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The Constitutional Right to Information (Peled, Rabin, 2010) - working paper, full article will be published in volume 42(2) of the Columbia Human Rights Law Review. In this article, the authors review the justifications underlying the global recognition of the right to access information, and go on to argue that these same justifications support constitutional, rather than mere legal, recognition of the right.
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University College London, Freedom of Information Literature. Selective biography of academic literature, overviews and comparative analysis regarding freedom of information law and practice compiled by the Constitution Unit of the Department of Political Science at University College London. The document is also available on the website of Freedom of Information Advocates Network (FOIAnet), here.
Comparative Surveys
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OSCE, Privacy International, Legal Protections and Barriers on the Right to Information, State Secrets and Protection of Sources in OSCE Participating States (Banisar, 2007). The study, which reviews freedom of information, state secrets and protection of journalists sources laws in the 56 OSCE participating states, shows that while most OSCE countries have adopted freedom of information laws, there has been an increasing abuse of state secrets laws and illegal searches and wiretapping to limit journalists' and the public's right to know crucial information about the activities of their governments. A 400-page compendium of responses from questionnaires is also available.
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Council of Europe, Speaking of Terror: A Survey of the Effects of Counter-Terrorism Legislation on Freedom of the Media in Europe (2008). The report examines how the “war on terror” has affected access to information, the growth of incitement, glorification and “extremism” restrictions on speech, blocking of internet sites, increased surveillance of journalists and limits on protection of journalists’ sources. The report finds that the laws have already seriously affected freedom of expression while providing little benefit in fighting terrorism. The report also examines the roles of the United Nations Security Council, European Union and Council of Europe in promoting new laws while paying little attention to human rights.
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Privacy International, Freedom of Information Around the World. A Global Survey of Access to Government Information Laws (2006)
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Freedominfo.org, How to Measure Openness? Towards an International Index (Blanton, 2005)
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Justice Initiative, Transparency and Silence: A Survey of Access to Information Laws and Practices in Fourteen Countries (2006)
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Lidberg, ”Keeping the Bastard Honest” – The Promise and Practice of Freedom of Information Legislation (PhD thesis for Murdoch University, Australia)
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Privacy International, Silencing Sources: An International Survey of Protections and Threats to Journalists’ Sources 2007. A global survey on the protection of journalists' sources.
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UNDP Bureau for Development Policy Democratic Governance Group, A Guide to Measuring the Impact of Right to Information Programmes (2006)
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UNESCO, Freedom of Information: A Comparative Legal Survey (Mendel, 2008)
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Information Commissioner of Republic of Slovenia, Third European Conference of Information Commissioners, Answers to the Questionnaire (2008)
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Access Info Europe, The Right to Know: Europe and the Police (2009)
Africa and Middle East
- Freedom of Expression Institute, Analysis of Weaknesses in Access to Information Laws in SADC and Developing Countries (Memeza, 2006)
- Africa: The Right to Information in the Continent, (Dimba, 2008)
- Freedom of Expression Institute, Baseline Report on the State of Access to Information in SADC (Memeza, 2005)
- Open Democracy Advice Centre (ODAC), Summary of Case Law Regarding the Promotion of Access to Information Act – The South African Experience (Makhalemele, 2005)
- World Bank Institute, Videoconference on Access to Information (ATI) and the Role of Civil Society: Drawing lessons from international experience. February 3, 2009. Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) Distance Learning Center
- Centre for Media Freedom, Middle East and North Africa, Secrets d’état: Administration et Journaliste au Maroc, le Defi du Droit a l’information (2007) (in French)
- The African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET) supported by UNESCO, Freedom of Information (FOI) & Women’s Rights in Africa, (Hambuba, 2009) The publication, compiled by Carlyn Hambuba and edited by Rachel Kagoiya, collects case studies from five African countries: Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Zambia. It thus documents insights from the experiences of women’s participation in the processes that have led to the formulation, enactment and implementation of laws and policies enabling citizens to enjoy freedom of information.
- Freedom of Information: Bridging the Gap Between the Citizen and State (Said Geha, 2008) -The main problem this thesis tackles is the absence of Freedom of Information in Lebanon creating a gap between citizens and their public officials. Chapter two provides an overview of the principles and practice of Freedom of Information worldwide. Chapter three addresses the issue of how does Freedom of Information influence democratic governance within the framework of the roles that Freedom of Information can play in government and in society. Chapter four explores the case of Lebanon and identifies existing problems in the Lebanese system of governance. The final chapter builds upon all the rest in order to draw conclusions, implications and present recommendations from the case of Lebanon.
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Status of Freedom of Information Legislation in the Arab World (Almadhoun, 2010)
Americas and Caribbean
- Due Process of Law Foundation (DPLF), Disclosing Justice. A Study on Access to Judicial Information in Latin America (2007)
- Inter-American Juridical Committee, Principles on the Right of Access to Information (2008)
- UNESCO, The Right to Information in Latin America: A Comparative Legal Survey (Mendel, 2009)
- Open Society Justice Initiative, Written Comments of The Open Society Justice Initiative; Comentarios De The Open Society Justice Initiative (2009) Justice Initiative's submission to the Transparency Council of Chile about proactive disclosure by governmet agencies and public companies to support the Council's draft guidelines. The submission contains comparative information on how this is regulated in various countries of the world. The submission was made with the expert legal assistance of the law firm of Ropes & Gray and in consultation with Fundación Pro Acceso, Participa, Acción AG and Universidad Alberto Hurtado.
- Information Commission of Canada, Out of Time (2010). The report discusses the problem of delayed replies to freedom of information requests in Canada and its influence on the right to access public information
- The National Security Archive, Mixed Signals, Mixed Results: How President Bush's Executive Order on FOIA Failed to Deliver - The Knight Open Government Survey(2008)
- The National Security Archive 40 Years of FOIA, 20 Years of Delay, Knight Open Government Survey (2007)
- The National Security Archive File Not Found: Agencies Violate Law on Online Information, The Knight Open Government Survey (2007)
- The National Security Archive Pseudo-Secrets, A Freedom of Information Audit of the U.S. Government's Policies on Sensitive Unclassified Information (2006)
- The National Security Archive, A FOIA Request Celebrates Its 17th Birthday,
A Report on Federal Agency FOIA Backlog: Oldest Unanswered Freedom of Information Act Requests Were Filed in 1989 (2006) - The National Security Archive, Justice Delayed is Justice Denied (2003)
The National Security Archive Freedom of Information Act Audit, Part II: The Ten Oldest Pending FOIA Requests - The National Security Archive, The Freedom of Information Act on Its 37th Birthday (2003)
- The National Security Archive The Ashcroft Memo: "Drastic" Change or "More Thunder Than Lightning"? (2003)
- The Right to Information for Marginalized Groups, the experience of Proyecto Comunicades in Mexico (Guerrero Amparan, Sepulveda Toledo, 2005-2007)
Asia and Pacific
- Article 19, Centre for Policy Alternatives, CHRI, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Global Trends on the Right to Information: A Survey of South Asia (2001)
- CHRI, Freedom of Information in the Pacific. Report of a CPA/CHRI Regional Workshop ( 2005)
- CHRI, The Right to Information and Human Rights in the Pacific (Cronin, 2008),
- Pacific Media and Communications Facility, Information Disclosure Policy: A Toolkit for Pacific Governments (2006)
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Pacific Media and Communications Facility, Informing Citizens: Opportunities for Media and Communications in the Pacific ( 2005)
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Legal Challenges for Small Pacific Jurisdictions in Relation to Privacy, Freedom of Information and Access to Justice (Paterson, Journal of South Pacific Law, 2000)
- Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism., Access to Information in Southeast Asia, (Coronel, ed 2001)
- Freedom of Information for Pacific Policy Makers, 2008 Regional Workshop Report. Honiara, Solomon Islands, 30 June – 2 July 2008
- Public Interest Law Institute (PILI), Informed Citizens Participating in the Constitutional Process:Transparency and Access to Information in Nepal, 2009. This report contains a comparative analysis of the approaches taken to freedom of information laws in 12 constitutional democracies, namely: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States of America (these are referred to throughout this report as the 'surveyed' jurisdictions, countries or regimes). That analysis is then used as the basis for an assessment of the effectiveness (in theory and practice) of Nepal's new freedom of information regime.
- Key Issues for Implementation of Chinese Open Government Information Regulations (Piotrowski, 2009).The authors identify the primary issues surrounding implementation of China’s new Open Government Information (OGI) regulations and compare the key concerns with those that have emerged in other contexts. The research included a survey of mid- and upper-level Chinese government bureaucrats. The authors compare their findings to an established international framework of freedom of information implementation. The essay concludes that while the Chinese context is unique, the key issues surrounding implementation of the OGI regulations mirror in many ways what is found in other countries.
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PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in association with IMRB (market research partner). Understanding the "Key Issues and Constraints" in Implementing the RTI Act (2009). The study is commissioned by the Department of Personnel & Training of India
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The National Campaign for RTI in India, with support from GOOGLE People's RTI Assessment (2008)
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Access to Information in Southeast Asia and Cambodia (Leos, Pannasastra University of Cambodia)
Europe and Central Asia
- Article 19, Promoting Practical Access to Democracy: A Survey of Freedom of Information in Central and Eastern Europe (2002)
- Article 19, Under Lock and Key. Freedom of Information and the Media in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia (2005)
- OSCE Special Respresentative on Freedom of the Media, Access to Information by the Media in the OSCE Region, Country Reports (2007, updated 2008), including information on constitutional protection of the right to information, limitations on the right, availability of public interest override, and protection of journalists’ sources.
- OSCE Special Respresentative on Freedom of the Media, Access to Information by the Media in the OSCE Region: Trends and Recommendations (2007)
- Mediacentar Sarajevo, Monitoring Democratic Development in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Accessibility Index of Public Institutions, Organisations and Agencies (2006)
- Open Society Institute, Assistance Foundation Azerbaijan, Assessment of the Monitoring on the Situation of Dissemination and access to Public Information (2008), English version beings on page 32
- Open Society Institute, Assistance Foundation Azerbaijan and Revenue Watch Institute, Monitoring of the Disclosures of and Access to Public Information in the Republic of Azerbaijan (2009)
- Freedom of Information Center of Armenia, Access to Information Rights of Journalists (2008). The purpose of this study was to promote the Armenian media’s access to information. For this purpose 105 journalists have been interviewed (60 journalists representing Yerevan-based media, 40 journalists representing media operating in the marzes and four journalists representing foreign media working in Armenia). This study was compiled by a working group on the basis of the qualitative and quantitative data collected during the interviews. The group also developed special recommendations on how to improve the journalists’ knowledge of FOI and the mechanisms used for implementing the FOI law, as well as to provide a wider protection for the journalists’ right to obtain information
- Access to Information Programme, National Representative Public Opinion Poll on Public Attitudes Towards the Right of Access to Information (2008)
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Access to Information Programme, Annual Reports Access to Information in Bulgaria 2002-2009 - contain recommendations for improving the freedom of information legislation, the connected legislation and the practices within the Bulgarian public institutions
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Access to Information Programme, The Year of the Rational Ignorance (results from a sociological survey) (2002)
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Access to Information Programme, Public Registers Situation, Survey research project (2000)
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Access to Information Programme, Fulfillment of the Obligations Under APIA by the Bodies of the Executive Power - Report on sociological survey (2001)
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Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, Freedom of Information and Interests of Investigation (2006)
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Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, Analysis of Court Practice. Freedom of Information (2005)
Corruption, Transparency, Good Governance and RTI
- African Development Bank Group, Whistle Blowing and Complaints Handling Policy (2007)
- CHRI, Promoting Public Accountability in Overseas Development Assistance (Rodrigues, 2006)
- International Budget Partnership, Impact of Civil Society Budget Work - Case Studies on Brazil, Croatia, India, Mexico, South Africa, and Uganda
- Local Governance Initiative, Whose money is it anyway? Fiscal transparency and the Open Society Agenda (2006)
- Open Budget Initiative, Open Budget Survey 2008, including Budget Transparency Country Ranking, of 85 countries on how open are their books, in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish
- Parliamentary Centre Canada, Controlling Corruption: A Parliamentarian’s Handbook (2000)
- Transparency International, Global Corruption Reports 2001-2010
- Transparency International, Global Corruption Report 2003: Freedom of Information
- Transparency International, Using the Right to Information as an Anti-Corruption Tool (editors: Kocaoglu, Figari, Darbishire (2006)
- UNICORN (a global trade unions project), Whistleblowing and Corruption: An International and Comparative Review (Drew, 2003)
- World Bank, Strengthening Bank Group Engagement on Governance and Anti-Corruption (2009)
- Transparenting Transparency. Initial Empirics and Policy Applications (Bellver and Kaufmann, 2005)
- EDHEC Risk and Asset Management Research Centre, Transparency and Accountability (2008). The paper analyzes the rules and the practices of disclosure by parliamentarians in 126 countries.The analysis is based on a multi-year study of the laws governing financial and business disclosure of parliamentarians, including implementation and compliance.
- ADB/OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia and the Pacific, Regulating Conflict of Interest: International Experience with Asset Declaration and Disclosure, in ADB/OECD (Messick, 2007), Managing Conflict of Interest: Frameworks, Tools, and Instruments for Preventing, Detecting, and Managing Conflict of Interest, page 36 of the publication.
- Disclosure by Politicians (Djankov, La Porta, Lopez-de-Silanes, Shleifer, 2009)
- Access Info Europe, Not Available! Not Accessible! Aid Transparency Monitoring Report (2009)
- Anti-Corruption Resource Centre, Income and Assets Declarations: Issues to Consider in Developing a Disclosure Regime (Messick, 2009)
- Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, Monitoring of the fulfillment of the Georgian National and International Anticorruption Obligations (2008)
Environmental Information
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Scottish Executive Social Reseaarch, Effective Provision of Environmental Information and Advice: A Scoping Study (Welstead, Aitchison, Enviros Consulting Ltd, 2006)
- Article 19, Changing the Climate for Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Information (2009) - In this paper, ARTICLE 19 sets forth its position that the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of information are crucial to the understanding of climate change and the formulation and implementation of climate change policy responses. ARTICLE 19 argues that government action against climate change is enhanced by maximising public availability of information to ensure public participation and facilitate full public debate.
- Report on Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice on Environmental Matters (2004) - The report was prepared using the methodology of The Access Initiative of the World Resources Institute
FOI Litigation
- Access to Information Programme, Access to Information Litigation in Bulgaria, four publications about FOI litigation in Bulgaria from 2002-2008
Guides on Advocacy
- Centre for Good Governance, India, Right to Information Act, 2005. A Guide for Civil Society Organisations, and A Guide for Media (2006)
- Advocating for the Right to Information - The Swedish "Oddity"? (Goldberg, Campaign for Freedom of Information in Scotland Advocating for the Right to Information, 2002)
- UNESCO, Policy Guidelines for the Development and Promotion of Governmental Public Domain Information (Uhlir, 2004)
- Article 19, Guide for a Campaign on Access to Information in Latin-America (2007) (in English, Spanish, Portuguese)
Implementation and Enforcement
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Article 19, A Model Freedom of Information Law (2001)
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CHRI, Commonwealth Model Law (2002)
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Implementing Access to Information: A Practical Guide for Operationalising Freedom of Information Laws (Rodrigues, contributed by Daruwala, Mogilishetty, Dutta and Mistry, 2006)
- UNDP, Right to Information Practical Guidance Note (2004),
- IPYS, Un intento de implementar REGLAS DE TRANSPARENCIA (2008) (in Spanish)
- CHRI, Right to Information: Officials Guide. Focuses on implementation of India’s national RTI Act 2005, provides an excellent model for other countries. Designed not only for Public Information Officers, Appellate Authorities and Information Commission staff, but also for ordinary civil servants as a guide to interpreting and understanding the right to information and related laws.
- World Bank Institute, Access to Information Working Paper Series. Enforcement Models. Content and Context (Neuman, 2009) defines three distinct models for enforcing ATI legislation, the considerations applied in designing and selecting the models, and some of the key factors related to the proper functioning of the system, through the use of illustrative case examples.
- Designing An Effective Oversight Body (Dunion, Scottish Information Commissioner, 2007) paper delivered at the 5th International Conference of Information Commissioners
- How do We Design an Effective Oversight Body? (Gardain, Office of the Berlin Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, 2007), paper delivered at the 5th International Conference of Information Commissioners
- The Carter Center, Enforcement: Process and Practice (Neuman, 2003), Socius Conference,Lima, Peru
- Access Info Europe, Question to Brussels: How Should Citizens Request EU Documents? (2009)
- Eötvös Károly Institute, Publicity in the Administration of Justice and the Disclosure of Court Decisions (2009)
- Instituto Prensa y Sociedad (IPYS), Habeas Data and Access to Information Report: An Examination Based on the Revision of Files, Rulings and Interviews with Litigants and Judges (2009)
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The New South Wales Law Reform Commission, Report on the Offices of the Information and Privacy Commissioners (2009)
- Australian Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee, Report on the Freedom of Information Amendment (Reform) Bill 2009 [Provisions] and the Information Commissioner Bill 2009 [Provisions] (2010);
- FOI Enforcement Regimes, excerpt from presentation to the Provincial Government of Hunan, PRC (Pearlman)
Monitoring
- Access to Information Programme, Fulfillment of the obligations under APIA by the Bodies of the Executive Power - Report on sociological survey (2001)
- Foundation Open Society Institute - Macedonia, Wall of Silence. A Year Later: A Report on the Implementation of the Law on Free Access to Public Information (2007) - contains the results of the monitoring of the first year of implementation of the FOI law in Macedonia
- Access Info Europe, Cuando lo Público no es Publico (2008) (in Spanish) This report reveals that of over forty requests filed with more than twenty public bodies in Spain during the past year, a full 78% did not receive the requested information
- Fundación Pro Acceso, Results of Monitoring on Aspects of Personal Data (in Spanish)
- Pro Media, Application of The Law On Free Access To Public Information, Monitoring Report (2009)
International Financial Institutions
- Bretton Woods Project , European CSO Open Statement on Governance Reform of the IMF (2006) (in English, French, Italian, German)
- CHRI, Recommendations for Strengthening the EBRD’s Public Information Policy Implementing Procedures (2006)
- Global Transparency Initiative, Briefing Note on the EBRD Public Information Policy: Implementing Procedural Provisions for Information Requests and Appeals (2006)
- Global Transparency Initiative, Transparency Charter for International Financial Institutions: Claiming Our Right to Know (2006)
- Global Transparency Initiative, Behind Closed Doors. Secrecy in International Financial Institutions (C. Musuva, 2006) - A study aimed at monitoring transparency in the International Financial Institutions done in 2005 in Argentina, Bulgaria, Mexico, Slovakia, and South Africa.
- Global Transparency Initiative, Comments on Toward Greater Transparency Through Access to Information: The World Bank's Disclosure Policy: Revised Draft (2009). The analysis, provided in advance of an anticipated 17 November 2009 meeting of the Bank’s Executive Board to consider the draft policy, recognises a number of important advances in the Bank’s proposals. The Bank is poised to take a major conceptual step by accepting the principle that all Bank information should be available to the public unless it falls within the scope of the regime of exceptions.
International Organizations
Legal Analyses of RTI Laws
- Article 19, Analyses of RTI Laws
- OSCE Special Representative on Freedom of the Media, Analyses of Access to Information and Other Laws that Affect the Media in the OSCE Region
Legislative Bodies and RTI
- World Bank Institute, Parliament and Access to Information: Working for Transparent Governance (Mendel, 2005)
National Security and FOI
- Anti-Terror Laws or Freedom of Information? (Dimba, Fugier, 2008)
- Article 19, Memorandum on Moldova's Draft Law on State Secrets (2008)
- OSCE, Comments on the Croatian Draft Bill on Data Secrecy (Banisar, 2007)
- Article 19, The Johannesburg Principles on National Security, Freedom of Expression and Access to Information (1996)
- National Security and Open Government: Striking the Right Balance (2003), Commentaries edited by the Campbell Public Affairs Institute from a Symposium co-organized with the Open Society Justice Initiative
- The Thought of Death, National Security Values and Polarization of Attitudes Toward Freedom of Information, Open Government Journal, Volume 5 Issue (Cuillier, Duell, Joireman, 2009)
- Privacy Internationl, Legal Protections and Barriers on the Right to Information, State Secrets and Protection of Sources in OSCE Participating States (Banisar, 2007)
- The Siracusa Principles, 1984 on the Limitation and Derogation Provisions in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, UN Commission on Human Rights. For national security see par. 29-32
- Freedom of Information: International Trends and National Security (Banisar, 2002)
- UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms While Countering Terrorism, Martin Scheinin. Compilation of Good Practices on Legal and Institutional Frameworks and Measures that Ensure Respect for Human Rights by Intelligence Agencies While countering Rerrorism, Including on their Oversight. (2010)
Private Entities and RTI
- CHRI, The Need and Value of Access to Information from Non-State Agencies (Lewis, 2003)
Training Materials for Information Officers
- Access to Information Programme (Bulgaria), How to Apply the Access to Public Information Act - Handbook for the administration (2005), Contains basic international standards and principles of access to information legislation, as well as the procedures for providing access stipulated by the Bulgarian law. Practical recommendations and examples of accumulated good practices are addressed to the responsible information officials.
- How to apply the Access to Public Information Act - Local Administration Handbook (2001). Describes the obligations of local authorities to provide information, the procedures they have to follow, and possible cases in which access can be denied. Includes a model decision for providing partial access to information.
- Article 19, Freedom of Information Training Manual for Public Officials
- CHRI, Information Commissions: Roles & Responsibilities (Rodrigues, edited by Daruwala, 2006)
- CHRI, Dealing with Third Parties: Applications and Appeals, a guide on when and how to consult interested 3rd parties (Rodrigues, edited by Daruwala and Nayak, 2006)
- Florida Office of Open Government, Training Materials
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Centre for Good Governance, India, A Manual for Public Authorities, Information Officers & Appellate Authorities (2006)
- Centre for Good Governance, India, Trainer's Handbook (2006)
- Scottish Government, Training Materials for Scottish Public Authorities on the Implementation of the Freedom of Information Act - Materials are in three parts: (a) a leaflet template to provide general information; (b) an open learning workbook; and (c) a Trainer's Pack including a series of powerpoint presentations and speaking notes. Prepared by law firm of Pinsent Masons
- Texas Attorney General, Open Government, Public Information Handbook (2010)
Whistleblowing and Handling Complaints
- African Development Bank Group, Whistle Blowing and Complaints Handling Policy (2007),
- Privacy International, Whistleblowing: International Standards and Developments (Banisar, 2006), delivered at a World Bank sponsored event in Mexico
- UNICORN (a global trade unions project), Whistleblowing and Corruption: An Initial and Comparative Review (Drew, 2003)
Other Topics
- Article 19, Who Wants to Forget? Truth and Access to Information about Past Human Rights Violations (2000)
- Article 19, Humanitarian Disasters and Information Rights. Legal and Ethical Standards on Freedom of Expression in the Context of Disaster Response (2005)
- The Campaign for Freedom of Information, 1000 FOI Stories from 2006 and 2007
- Periodismo por el acceso a la información pública - articles from the Latin American press that were written with the use of ATI laws
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Revenue Watch Institute, Contracts Confidential: Ending Secret Deals in the Extractive Industries (Rosenblum, Maples, 2009) -This report, based on legal research, in-person interviews and a comprehensive review of more than 150 extractive industry contracts, concludes that most government and private sector objections to contract disclosure are unwarranted, and counsels civil society institutions on how to better confront the challenge of secret deals.
Academic Work
The Surrender of Secrecy: Explaining the Emergence of Strong Access to Information Laws in Latin America, (Michener, 2010). The dissertation can also be found on Greg Michener's homepage.
Conference Presentations
- Presentation by Mtre Christiane Constant (Commission of Access to Information, Quebec) at the conference "Attention! Personal information in circulation" 2008 (in French)
- Presentation by Mtre Christiane Constant (Commission of Access to Information, Quebec) at the conference "Privacy at the Border" 2008 (in English)
- HURINET, East Africa FOI Conference Report (2008)
- Open Society Justice Initiative, presentation on the Role of the Civil Society in Formulation and Adoption of Access to Information Laws (Filippiny, 2009), delivered at the World Bank organized Video Conference with Tanzanian Civil Society Organizations
- 5th International Conference of Information Commissioners (2007), Conference Papers and Presentations
- Right to Information in Mexico: the First 8 Years (Guerrero, 2010), delivered at the Conference Public Sector and Governance Courses, PREM-WB
Journals
- www.Freedominfo.org, the on-line network of freedom of information advocates.
- Fringe Spitting, a bi-weekly newsletter with tips and tools for investigative journalism and lots of FOI news. 1200+ subscribers of whom 45% are intelligence watchers and analysts, 35% press, 10% FOI specialists. Of all subscribers 45% are non-Dutch, living in 50 countries; 10% of the subscribers are employees of government bodies and 10% are employed in universities. Compiled by Roger Vleugels, a Dutch independent forensic intelligence analyst and freedom of information specialist. To subscribe send email to roger.vleugels@planet.nl
- Open Government: A Journal on Freedom of Information
Videos and Powerpoint Presentations
- Video-interviews on access to information legislation with Roumeen Islam (Sector Manager at the World Bank Institute) about the importance of transparency and information for policy making; Toby Mendel (Law Programme Director for Article XIX) about the formulation of Access to Information Laws; Laura Neuman (Associate Director of the Americas Program and Director of the Access to Information Project at The Carter Center) about the implementation of ATI legislation; Juan Pablo Guerrero Amparán (Access to Information Commissioner of Mexico) about the role of an ATI oversight bodies; Alasdair Roberts (Rappaport Professor of Law and Public Policy at Suffolk University Law School) about the challenges posed by bureaucracies that exhibit resistance to the implementation of ATI laws and Roby Senderowitsch (World Bank Country Manager for the Dominican Republic) about World Bank engagement in the adoption and implementation of ATI laws
- Recordings of a discussion on New Zealand Television about the operation of the Official Information Act with respected investigative journalist, a reporter on a daily newspaper, and the general secretary of the Civil Servants' Trade Union. The recording starts with a creative short video to raise the awareness about the Act among the public.
- “It’s Our Money. Where’s It Gone?”— International Budget Partnerhip's documentary film on the work one of its partners, MUHURI (Muslims for Human Rights), is doing in Mombasa, Kenya to involve communities directly in monitoring government spending and empowering them to impement their right ti know through the process of social audit.


