Publications

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

• Access Info Europe, Access Information: A Fundamental Right, A Universal Standard.
• Article 19, Towards a Third Generation of Activism for the Right to FOI, Callamard (2008).
• 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.
• Article 19, Background Paper 3 on Freedom of Information (2007).
• Article 19, The Public's Right to Know. Principles of Freedom of Information Legislation (1999).
• Article 19, World Map of RTI Laws, Regulations and Bills, David Banisar (2011).
• 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.
• 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)
• Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), Open Sesame: Looking for the Right to Information in the Commonwealth (2003).
• Danish Institute for Human Rights, An Introduction to Openness and Access to Information, Louise Krabbe Boserup (2005).
• Freedom of Information, Keim Walter. 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.
• Open Society Justice Initiative, Justice Initiative 10 Principles on the Right to Know (in Spanish).
• Open Society Justice Initiative, The Right to Information and the Increasing Scope of  Bodies Covered by National Laws Since 1989, Sandra Coliver (2009).
• Overview of all 90 FOIA countries & territories, Roger Vleugels, October 2011.
• The Constitutional Right to Information, Peled, Rabin (2010) - Columbia Human Rights Law Review,  Volume 42(2). 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.
• The Global Explosion of Freedom of Information Laws, Administrative Law Review, Ackerman and Sandoval-Ballesteros (2006).
• The Future of the Right of Access to Information, Richard Calland (2010).
• The Right to Information and Citizenship (Background Paper for a Conference on Freedom of Information in Zambia), Toby Mendel (2011).
• UNDP, UNDP and the Right to Information - Seminar Report (2006).
• 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.
• World FOI Chart and Index of World FOI rulings, 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.
• World Bank Institute, Access to Information, Working Paper Series, Proactive Transparency: The future of the right to information? Helen Darbishire. The Paper reviews the development of, and the emerging standards for proactive disclosure.

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Comparative Surveys

• Access Info Europe, The Right to Know: Europe and the Police (2009).
• 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.
• Freedominfo.org, How to Measure Openness? Towards an International Index, Blanton (2005).
• Information Commissioner of Republic of Slovenia, Third European Conference of Information Commissioners, Answers to the Questionnaire (2008).
• Justice Initiative, Transparency and Silence: A Survey of Access to Information Laws and Practices in Fourteen Countries (2006).
• ”Keeping the Bastard Honest” – The Promise and Practice of Freedom of Information Legislation, Lidberg, PhD thesis for Murdoch University, Australia.
• 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.
• Open Society Institute-Assistance Foundation, Azerbaijan, Joint Regional Report on Access to Public Finance information. The report is a survey of practice on access to public finance information in four countries: Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine.
• Privacy International, Silencing Sources: An International Survey of Protections and Threats to Journalists’ Sources 2007. A global survey on the protection of journalists' sources.
• Privacy International, Freedom of Information Around the World. A Global Survey of Access to Government Information Laws (2006).
• 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.
• UNDP Bureau for Development Policy Democratic Governance Group, A Guide to Measuring the Impact of Right to Information Programmes (2006).
• UNESCO, Freedom of Information: A Comparative Legal Survey, Mendel (2008).
• World Bank Institute, 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, Andrew Puddephatt (2009). This paper analyzes civil society’s contribution to the adoption of access to information laws in five countries.

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Africa and Middle East

• Africa: The Right to Information in the Continent, Dimba (2008)
• 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).
• CIPE, Freedom of Information and Transparency in Egypt. The paper examines the information and its critical role in combating corruption; legal status of freedom of information in Egypt and the road towards legislating freedom of information.
• Freedom of Expression Institute, Analysis of Weaknesses in Access to Information Laws in SADC and Developing Countries, Memeza (2006).
• Freedom of Expression Institute, Baseline Report on the State of Access to Information in SADC, Memeza (2005).
• 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.
• Human Rights Network, An Analysis of Laws Inconsistent with the Right of Access to Information (2010).The analysis provided in this report subjects the Acts of Uganda contradicting with the ATIA to closer scrutiny, pointing out existing gaps and challenges. Specifically emphasis was put on the Official secrets Act, the Parliamentary (Powers and privileges) Act, and the Evidence Act.
• Media Rights Agenda, Windows for Transparency - Ghana, Windows for Transparency Liberia, Windows for Transparency - Nigeria (2010). These three reports aim to establish the scope of access to public information granted to citizens and other members of the public under Ghanaian Law, Liberian Law and Nigerian Law.
• Open Democracy Advice Centre (ODAC), Summary of Case Law Regarding the Promotion of Access to Information Act – The South African Experience, Makhalemele (2005).
• Status of Freedom of Information Legislation in the Arab World, Said Almadhoun (2010).
• The African Platform on Access to Information, Government Secrecy in an Information Age. A Report on Open and & Secretive Public Institutions in Southern Africa (2010).
• 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.
• World Bank Institute, Videoconference on Access to Information (ATI) and the Role of Civil Society: Drawing lessons from international experience, Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Distance Learning Cente, February 3, 2009.

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Americas and Caribbean

• Due Process of Law Foundation (DPLF), Disclosing Justice. A Study on Access to Judicial Information in Latin America (2007).
• Full Effect of the Right to Know in Latin America: a process of cultural transformation, Alvaro Herrero. (in Spanish).
• Information Commissioner 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 informaiton.
• Inter-American Juridical Committee, Principles on the Right of Access to Information (2008).
• Mexico's Right-to-Know Reforms, Jonathan Fox (2008).
• 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.
• The Journal of Peasant Studies, Rural democratisation in Mexico's deep south: grassroots right-to-know campaigns in Guerrero, Jonathan Fox, Carlos Garcıa Jimenez and Libby Haight (2009). This study reviews the historical, social and political landscape that grounds campaigns for rural democratisation in Guerrero, including Mexico’s recent information access reforms and then compares two different regional social movements that have claimed the ‘right to know’.
• The National Security Archive, 40 Years of FOIA, 20 Years of Delay, Knight Open Government Survey (2007).
• The National Security Archive, A FOIA Request Celebrates Its 17th Birthday
• The National Security Archive, File Not Found: Agencies Violate Law on Online Information, The Knight Open Government Survey (2007).
• The National Security Archive, Justice Delayed is Justice Denied (2003).
• 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, A Report on Federal Agency FOIA Backlog: Oldest Unanswered Freedom of Information Act Requests Were Filed in 1989 (2006).
• 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,  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).
• UNESCO, The Right to Information in Latin America: A Comparative Legal Survey, Mendel (2009).
• World Bank Institute, Access to Information, Working Paper Series, Budgeting Implications for ATI legislation: The Mexican Case, Alfonso Hernandez-Valdez (2009). The paper analyzes the budgeting implications of implementation of access to information legislation in Mexico.
• World Bank Institute, Access to Information, Working Paper Series, Advancing Access to Information Principles through Performance Managment Mechanisms: The Case of Canada, Paul G. Thomas (2010). On the basis of a detailed case study of the government of Canada, this report examines how management accountability processes operating within public services may contribute to the promotion and enforcement of access laws.

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Asia and Pacific

• A Great and Revolutionary Law? The First Four Years of India's Right to Information Act, Alasdair Robert (2010).
• Access to Information in Southeast Asia and Cambodia, Leos, Pannasastra, University of Cambodia.
• 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).
• Article 19 and TIFA Foundation, Fulfilling the Right to Information: Baseline Assessment on Access to Information in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia (2010). The aim of this research is to investigate and map challenges for the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act by looking at the experiences of public bodies in NTT Provincial Government, Kupang Municipal Government and South Timor Tengah District Government.
• 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).
• Citizens' Campaign for Right to Information, Right to information: The Concern in South Asia, Tanka Raj Aryal, 2011
• CUTS International, Analaysing the Right to Information Act In India, Simi T.B., Madhu Sudan Sharma & George Cheriyan, 2010.
• CUTS International, Model Framework for Replication: Usages of RTI in Rural Rajasthan, India:  Enhancing Transparency and Reforming the Processes (2010).  The main aim of the Toolkit is to enhance the capability of the citizens to use the RTI Act constructively, which would contribute to reducing the systemic forms of corruption visà-vis reforms.
• Freedom of Information - Challenges, And the Way Forward, Chronox Manek (2010). The paper focuses on "freedom of Information" – drawing from the current status of this practise with avid approach to challenges and implications on the news media.
• Freedom of Information for Pacific Policy Makers, 2008 Regional Workshop Report, Honiara, Solomon Islands, 30 June – 2 July 2008.
• 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.
• Legal Challenges for Small Pacific Jurisdictions in Relation to Privacy, Freedom of Information and Access to Justice, Paterson, Journal of South Pacific Law (2000).
• Nepal: Freedom of Information as a Tool for Empowerment, Enabling Protection and Achievement of Other Rights, Taranath Dahal.
• Pacific Media and Communications Facility, Information Disclosure Policy: A Toolkit for Pacific Governments (2006).
• Pacific Media and Communications Facility, Informing Citizens: Opportunities for Media and Communications in the Pacific (2005).
• PCIJ and SEAPA, Development of Dialogue: Access to Information in Southeast Asia and Beyond (2002).
• Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism., Access to Information in Southeast Asia, Coronel (ed 2001).
• 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.
• 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.
• The National Campaign for RTI in India with support from GOOGLE, People's RTI Assessment (2008).

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Europe and Central Asia

• 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.
• Access to Information Programme,  Fulfillment of the Obligations Under APIA by the Bodies of the Executive Power - Report on sociological survey (2001).
• Access to Information Programme, National Representative Public Opinion Poll on Public Attitudes Towards the Right of Access to Information (2008).
• Access to Information Programme, Public Registers Situation, Survey research project (2000).
• Access to Information Programme, The Year of the Rational Ignorance (results from a sociological survey) (2002).
• 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).
• 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.
• Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, Analysis of Court Practice. Freedom of Information (2005).
• Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, Freedom of Information and Interests of Investigation (2006).
• Open Society Institute, Assistance Foundation  Azerbaijan, Assessment of the Monitoring on the Situation of Dissemination and access to Public Information (2008), English version begins 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).
• Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, The Right to Open Public Administrations In Europe: Emerging Legal Standards, Mario Savino (2010). The paper examines the regulations on access to information where they exist and how transparency policies are implemented in 14 European Union member states.
• OSCE Special Respresentative on Freedom of the Media, Access to Information by the Media in the OSCE Region, Country Reports (2007, updated 2008). Includes 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).
• UCL Constitution Unit, United Kingdom, More Open but Not More Trusted? The Effect of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 on the United Kingdom Central Government, Ben Worthy (October, 2010).

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Corruption, Transparency, Good Governance and RTI

• Access Info Europe, Not Available! Not Accessible! Aid Transparency Monitoring Report (2009).
• 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.
• African Development Bank Group, Whistle Blowing and Complaints Handling Policy (2007).
• Anti-Corruption Resource Centre, Income and Assets Declarations: Issues to Consider in Developing a Disclosure Regime, Messick (2009).
• CHRI, Promoting Public Accountability in Overseas Development Assistance, Rodrigues (2006).
• Disclosure by Politicians, Djankov, La Porta, Lopez-de-Silanes, and Shleifer (2009).
• 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.
• El Caso Provida: Cuentas pendientes en la transparencia y la justicia, Gaia Gozzo (in Spanish, 2006). This publication is the result of three years of work of six civil society organizations on a case concerning transfer of 30 million pesos allocated for combat of HIV-AIDS from government budget to Provida National Committee.
• Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, Monitoring of the fulfillment of the Georgian National and International Anticorruption Obligations (2008).
• International Budget Partnership, Impact of Civil Society Budget Work - Case Studies on Brazil, Croatia, India, Mexico, South Africa, and Uganda.
• Instituto Prensa y Sociedad (IPYS), Transparency of Ministers' Income and Property, Final Report (2011). This report is an account of the activities carried out regarding the access to public information during the period ranging from October 2010 to May 2011, in the following countries: Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Venezuela.
• 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, and Spanish.
• Parliamentary Centre Canada, Controlling Corruption: A Parliamentarian’s Handbook (2000).
• Publish What You Fund, Aid Transparency Assessment (2010).
• Russian Union of Journalists, Transparency, Accountability and the Fight against Corruption, Nadezhda Azhgikhina.
• Technology for Transparency Network, Technology for Transparency, The role of technology and citizen media in promoting transparency, accountability and civic participation. This report examins the objectives, challenges, successes and effects of online technology projects that aim to promote transparency, political accountability and civic engagement in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, South Asia, China and Central & Eastern Europe.
• Technologies of Transparency for Accountability: An Examination of Several Experiences From Middle Income & Developing Countries, Analytic Report, Archon Fung, Hollie Russon Gilman, Jennifer Shkabatur (2010). The research examines cases of technology interventions that attempt to increase accountability of public and private organizations through transparency strategies.
• 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).
• Transparenting Transparency. Initial Empirics and Policy Applications, Bellver and Kaufmann (2005).
• UNICORN (a global trade unions project), Whistleblowing and Corruption: An International and Comparative Review, Drew (2003).
• University of Chile, Transparencia y Probidad Pública Estudios de Caso de América Latina,  Jose Zalaquett, Alex Munoz (2008). The strudy focuses on the management of state budget allocated to the treatment and prevention of HIV-AIDS in Mexico.
• World Bank, Strengthening Bank Group Engagement on Governance and Anti-Corruption (2009).

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Environmental Information

• Article 19, Access to Environmental Information in China: Evaluation of Local Compliance (December,     2010). The aim of the study is to evaluate the extent to which local environmental protection bureaus are meeting the legal requirement to provide environmental information.
• 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.
• Scottish Executive Social Reseaarch, Effective Provision of Environmental Information and Advice: A Scoping Study, Welstead, Aitchison, Enviros Consulting Ltd. (2006).

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FOI Litigation

• Access to Information Programme, Access to Information Litigation in Bulgaria, 2002-2008. Four publications about FOI litigation in Bulgaria.
• Statewatch, Case Law Summary: EU access to documents Regulation, Steve Peers (December 2010). The summary concerns the case law of the EU courts on the EU's access to documents regulation (1049/2001). It contains excerpts from all of the important case law.

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Guides on Advocacy

• Advocating for the Right to Information - The Swedish "Oddity"?, Goldberg, Campaign for Freedom of Information in Scotland Advocating for the Right to Information (2002).
• Article 19, Guide for a Campaign on Access to Information in Latin-America (2007) (in English, Spanish, Portuguese).
• Centre for Good Governance, India, Right to Information Act, A Guide for Civil Society Organisations (2005), and A Guide for Media (2006).
• UNESCO, Policy Guidelines for the Development and Promotion of Governmental Public Domain Information, Uhlir (2004).

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Health and RTI

• Article 19, Human Rights and Access to Reproductive Health Information: Global Overview, Sandra Coliver.
• Article 19, Human Rights and Access to Reproductive Health Information: International Instruments, Sandra Coliver.
• Article 19, Human Rights and Access to Reproductive Health Information: Brazil, Sandra Coliver.

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Implementation and Enforcement

• Access Info Europe, Question to Brussels: How Should Citizens Request EU Documents? (2009).
• Access to Information Program, Amending Access to Information Legislation: Legal and Political Issues, Toby Mendel (2011). The working paper looks at the main substantive issues ATI reform attempts have targeted and what legal forms they may take. It also examines the role different actors—civil society, the media, oversight bodies, parliaments, and political leaders—can play in helping support the adoption of reforms that promote openness and defeat those that erect barriers.
• Active and Passive Resistance to Openness: The Transparency Model for Freedom of Information Acts in Africa -Three Case Studies, Victor Brobbey, Carole Excell, Kenneth Kakuru and Alison Tilley (2011).
• Article 19, A Model Freedom of Information Law (2001).
• 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).
• Center for Philanthropy and Civil Society, National Institute of Development Administration, Assessment on the Implementation of the Access to Information Law in Thailand (2011)
• CHRI, Commonwealth Model Law (2002).
• 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.
• Designing An Effective Oversight Body, Dunion, Scottish Information Commissioner (2007). Paper delivered at the 5th International Conference of Information Commissioners.
• Eötvös Károly Institute, Publicity in the Administration of Justice and the Disclosure of Court Decisions(2009).
• FOI Enforcement Regimes, excerpt from presentation to the Provincial Government of Hunan, PRC, Pearlman.
• Fundación Pro Acceso, Barreras de Acceso a la Información Pública. The study reveals the formal barriers that people have to face in Chile when submitting access to information requests electronically.
• Implementing Access to Information: A Practical Guide for Operationalising Freedom of Information Laws, Rodrigues, contributed by Daruwala, Mogilishetty, Dutta and Mistry (2006).
• 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).
• IPYS, Un intento de implementar REGLAS DE TRANSPARENCIA (2008) (in Spanish).
• Office of the Berlin Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, How do We Design an Effective Oversight Body?, Gardain (2007). Paper delivered at the 5th International Conference of Information Commissioners.
• Open Society Justice Initiative, Access to Administrative Documents in France, Laurie Delage (2011). Paper discusses different issues related with the access to administrative documents in France such as what administrative document is; how the request should be filed; what can be done if the administration rejects access to document and judicial appeal.
• The Carter Center, Enforcement: Process and Practice, Neuman (2003). Socius Conference, Lima, Peru.
• The New South Wales Law Reform Commission,  Report on the Offices of the Information and Privacy Commissioners (2009).
• UNDP, Right to Information Practical Guidance Note (2004).
• 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.
• World Bank Institute, The Power of Using the Right to Information Act in Bangladesh: Experiences from the Ground (2011) - 15 cases from Bangladesh to showcase how an abstract law can become relevant and useful for everyday citizens, while building the capacity of NGOs to document their experiences for further dissemination.

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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.

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International Organizations

• CHRI, Letter Urging the UNDP to Adhere to its Information Disclosure Policy (2006).

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Judiciary and RTI

• Association for Civil Rights (ADC, Argentina) and the World Bank, Access to Information and Transparency in   the Judiciary, Alvaro Herrero, Gaspar Lopez (2010). This is a guide to good practices from Latin America.
• Due Process of Law Foundation (DPLF), Disclosing Justice: A Study on Access to Judicial Information in Latin  America, (2007).
• Due Process of Law Foundation (DPLF), Comparando Transparencia: Un estudio sobre acceso a la informacion en el Poder Judicial (Spanish, 2007).
• Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI), Report on Access to Judicial Information (2009). The report reviews the laws and practices of more than 15 countries on access to judicial records and information about the judiciary.

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Legal Analyses of RTI Laws

• Article 19, Analyses of RTI Laws (and other laws)
• Centre for Law and Democracy, Spain: Comments on the Draft Law on Transparency and Citizen Access to Public Information (January 2011). The analysis by the CLD of the Draft Law aim to provide interested persons with the assessment of the extent to which the Draft Law corresponds to international standards and better comparative practice regarding the right to information.
• OSCE Special Representative on Freedom of the Media, Analyses of Access to Information and Other Laws that Affect the Media in the OSCE Region

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Legislative Bodies and RTI

• 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.
• World Bank Institute, Parliament and Access to Information: Working for Transparent Governance, Mendel (2005).

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Monitoring

• 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.
• Access to Information Programme, Results from AIP audit on institutional web sites 2011. AIP conducted a monitoring of web sites of executive bodies at central, regional and local level in order to assess the implementation of obligations under Access to Public Information Act (APIA) for online publication of certain categories of information.
• Access to Information Programme,  Fulfillment of the Obligations under APIA by the Bodies of the Executive Power - Report on sociological survey (2001).
• Center for media Studies & Peace Building CEMESP, Access to Information Research and Monitoring in Liberia (August, 2010).
• 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.
• Fundación Pro Acceso, Results of Monitoring on Aspects of Personal Data (in Spanish).
• Institute for Information Development Freedom (IIFD), Methodology for the Monitoring of Government Bodies' Official Websites (2011) - provides a methodology for evaluating the state of the official web portals of government bodies in order to assess the openness of governmental agencies and the state in general, evaluate their inclination to corruption and to assess the scope of ATI about their activities. The method is authored by IIFD experts and can be easily applied in other contexts.
• Pro Media, Application of The Law On Free Access To Public Information, Monitoring Report (2009).
• The Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI), Access to Public Information in Georgia, 2011. The present work was published in the framework of the project “Public Information Database- www.opendata.ge “ and describes the statistical data of the requested and received public information from state authorities in Georgia.
• The Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI), “Electronic Transparency in Georgia”, 2011. The research was provided in the framework of the project “Monitoring of Governmental Agencies’ Informational (Internet) Resource”. The work analyzes the information posted to the official websites of the Public Authorities of Georgia, determines the e-Transparency rate of the Public Authorities and the tendencies associated with the current state and offers structural and legal analysis of the websites.

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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).
• Article 19, The Johannesburg Principles on National Security, Freedom of Expression and Access to Information (1996).
• Freedom of Information: International Trends and National Security, Banisar (2002).
• 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.
• OSCE, Comments on the Croatian Draft Bill on Data Secrecy, Banisar (2007).
• Principles on National Security and the Right to Information (draft), draft as of Januaty 2012
• 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
• 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).
• UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms While Countering Terrorism, 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, Martin Scheinin (2010).

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Privacy and RTI

• Access to Information Program, The World Bank Institute, The Right to Information and Privacy: Balancing Rights and Managing Conflicts, David Banisar (2011). The paper examines legislative and structural means to better define and balance the rights to privacy and information.

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Private Entities and RTI

• CHRI, The Need and Value of Access to Information from Non-State Agencies, Lewis (2003).

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Training Materials for Information Officers and Civil Servants

• 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.
• Article 19, Freedom of Information Training Manual for Public Officials
• Centre for Good Governance, India,  A Manual for Public Authorities, Information Officers & Appellate Authorities, (2006).
• Centre for Good Governance, India, Trainer's Handbook, (2006).
• CHRI, Dealing with Third Parties: Applications and Appeals, a guide on when and how to consult interested 3^rdparties, Rodrigues, edited by Daruwala and Nayak (2006).
• CHRI, Information Commissions: Roles & Responsibilities, Rodrigues, edited by Daruwala (2006).
• 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.
• Information Freedom, FOI Sensitisation Briefing, Introduction to FOI for Civil Servants, Information Manager Basic Training.
• 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).

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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).
• Transparency International, Alternative to Silence whistleblower Protection in 10 European Countries (2009). This report, which is part of a European Commission co-funded project, assesses current policies and practice in 10 European countries. It builds on comparative in-depth research carried out between March and August 2009 in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia. In addition, the report draws on research and evidence from academics and practitioners around the world.
• Transparency International, Recommended Draft Principles for Whisteblowing Legislation (2009).
• Transparency International, Avenues for TI to Advocate for Whistleblower Protection at EU-Level - Initial EU research (2010).
• Transparency International, Agents of Change, part 1; part 2; part 3 (documentary).

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Other Topics

• Article 19, Who Wants to Forget? Truth and Access to Information about Past Human Rights Violations
• Article 19, Humanitarian Disasters and Information Rights. Legal and Ethical Standards on Freedom of Expression in the Context of Disaster Response (2005).
• Periodismo por el acceso a la información pública - articles from the Latin American press that were written with the use of ATI laws.
• 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.
• The Campaign for Freedom of Information, 1000 FOI Stories from 2006 and 2007 (2000).

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Conference Presentations

• 5th International Conference of Information Commissioners (2007), Conference Papers and Presentations.
• Access to Information Laws, Filippiny (2009). Delivered at the World Bank organized Video Conference with Tanzanian Civil Society Organizations.
• 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 (November, 2008).
• Right to Information in Mexico: the First 8 Years, Guerrero (2010). Delivered at the Conference Public Sector and Governance Courses, PREM-WB.
• 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).

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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

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Videos and Powerpoint Presentations

• Africa Freedom of Information Centre, Way Forward: Towards Right to Know Day 2011, Gilbert Sendugwa.
• Centre for Civil Education, FOI Cartoons from Pakistan.
• International Budget Partnership,  “It’s Our Money. Where’s It Gone?” 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.
• New Zealand Television, Recordings of a discussion 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.

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