Publications
We invite readers to send us additional materials, updates, and suggestions regarding additional topics and ways to make the publications list more useful. We are also interested in materials in languages other than English.
General
- Access Info Europe, Access Information: A Fundamental Right, A Universal Standard (2006).
- Ackerman, John M and Sandoval-Ballesteros, Irma E, The Global Explosion of Freedom of Information Laws, Administrative Law Review (2006).
- 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 (Callamard), Towards a Third Generation of Activism for the Right to FOI, (2008).
- Banisar, David, World Map of RTI Laws, Regulations and Bills (2011).
- Calland, Richard, The Future of the Right of Access to Information (2010).
- 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 Initiaitve (CHRI), Our Rights, Our Information: Empowering People to Demand Rights through Knowledge (2007).
- Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), Open Sesame: Looking for the Right to Information in the Commonwealth (2003).
- Danish Institute for Human Rights (Krabbe Boserup), An Introduction to Openness and Access to Information, (2005).
- Dublin Institute of Technology (Hogan, Chri, Murphy), Walking in Sunshine, or Away From It? Creating a Unified Transparency Index (2012).
- 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.
- Mendel, Toby, The Right to Information and Citizenship (Background Paper for a Conference on Freedom of Information in Zambia) (2011).
- Open Society Justice Initiative, Justice Initiative 10 Principles on the Right to Know (in Spanish).
- Open Society Justice Initiative (Coliver), The Right to Information and the Increasing Scope of Bodies Covered by National Laws Since 1989, (2014).
- Peled, Roy and Rabin, Yoram, The Constitutional Right to Information, Columbia Human Rights Law Review, Volume 42(2) (2010). The authors review the justifications underlying the global recognition of the right to access information, and urge that these same justifications support constitutional, rather than merely legal, recognition of the right.
- Tromp, Stanley, World FOI Chart and Index of World FOI rulings (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.
- 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).
- World Bank Institute (Darbishire), Proactive Transparency: The Future of the Right to Information? Working Paper Series. The Paper reviews the development of, and the emerging standards for proactive disclosure.
Comparative Surveys
- Centre for Law and Democracy, Election Commissions and the Provision of Information: A Comparative Study of Better Practices Globally (2012).
- Freedominfo.org, How to Measure Openness? Towards an International Index (2005).
- Lidberg, Johan, ”Keeping the Bastard Honest” – The Promise and Practice of Freedom of Information Legislation (2006). PhD thesis for Murdoch University, Australia.
- McDonagh, Maeve, The public interest test in FOI legislation (2012).
- Open Society Foundations - Right to Information Fund (Coronel), Measuring Openness: A survey of transparency ratings and the prospects for a global index (2012). This report examines two dozen multi-country comparisons of information access, and seeks to identify the possibilities and potential usefulness of a global RTI index.
- 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.
- Open Society Justice Initiative, Transparency and Silence: A Survey of Access to Information Laws and Practices in Fourteen Countries (2006).
- Privacy International (Banisar), Legal Protections and Barriers on the Right to Information, State Secrets and Protection of Sources in OSCE Participating States, (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.
- Privacy International (Banisar), Freedom of Information Around the World. A Global Survey of Access to Government Information Laws, (2006).
- UNDP Bureau for Development Policy Democratic Governance Group, A Guide to Measuring the Impact of Right to Information Programmes (2006).
- UNESCO (Mendel), Freedom of Information: A Comparative Legal Survey, (2008).
- World Bank Institute (Puddephatt), 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, Access to Information, Working Paper Series (2009). This paper analyzes civil society’s contribution to the adoption of access to information laws in five countries.
Africa and Middle East
- Access to Information In Africa Project (Brobbey, Excell, Kakuru, Tilley), Active and Passive Resistance to Openness: The Transparency Model for Freedom of Information Acts in Africa - Three Case Studies (2013).
- Access to Information Network, Shadow Report 2016. From August 1, 2015 to July 31, 2016, the 13 South African civil society organizations that make up the network submitted 369 PAIA requests to government and private bodies. Key findings: 46% of requests submitted to government were refused, i.e., no information was provided; in 58% of these refusals requests were ignored entirely; only 34% of requests submitted to government were granted in full; 64% of the appeals submitted to government were deemed to have been dismissed or ignored; 67% of requests submitted to private companies were refused; only 13% of requests submitted to private companies were granted in full.
- Adams, Samuel, Transparency, Regulation and Economic Performance in Africa (2012).
- Africa Freedom of Information Centre, State of Right to Information in Africa Report (2014).
- African Network of Constitutional Lawyers, National Study on Access to Information in Zimbabwe (2012).
- African Network of Constitutional Lawyers, Towards Promoting Access to Information in Kenya (2011).
- African Platform on Access to Information, Access to Information in Africa. Examining Progress since the APAI Declaration (2013).
- African Platform on Access to Information, Government Secrecy in an Information Age. A Report on Open and & Secretive Public Institutions in Southern Africa (2010).
- African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET) (Hambuba and Kagoiya), Freedom of Information (FOI) & Women’s Rights in Africa, (2009). The publication collects case studies from five African countries: Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Zambia. It 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.
- Almadhoun, Said, Status of Freedom of Information Legislation in the Arab World.
- 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.
- Centre for Media Freedom, Middle East and North Africa (Essoulami), Secrets d’état: Administration et Journaliste au Maroc, le Defi du Droit a l’information, (2007). (in French)
- Dimba, Mukelani, Africa: The Right to Information in the Continent (2008).
- Freedom of Expression Institute (Memeza), Analysis of Weaknesses in Access to Information Laws in SADC and Developing Countries, (2006).
- Freedom of Expression Institute (Memeza), Baseline Report on the State of Access to Information in SADC, (2005).
- 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.
- HURINET, East Africa FOI Conference Report (2008).
- Innovations for Successful Societies (Majeed), Disseminating the Power of Information: Kenya Open Data Initiative 2011-2012 (2012). A case study on the Kenyan Ministry of Information and Communications' efforts to create a public website to share government information.
- Klaaren, Jonathan, PAIA Through the Courts: Case Law and Important Developments in PAIA Litigation(2010). The paper identifies the best practices of the implementation of access to information principles and considers the efficacy of an Open Democracy Charter, envisioned as a declaration of intent on implementation of such principles.
- 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 as of 2010.
- Open Democracy Advice Centre (ODAC) (Makhalemele), Summary of Case Law Regarding the Promotion of Access to Information Act – The South African Experience, (2005).
- Said Geha, Carmen, Freedom of Information: Bridging the Gap Between the Citizen and State, thesis (2008).
Americas and Caribbean
- Asociación por los Derechos Civiles, (Herrero), Full Effect of the Right to Know in Latin America: a process of cultural transformation, (in Spanish).
- Canada Information Commissioner, 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.
- Due Process of Law Foundation (DPLF), Disclosing Justice. A Study on Access to Judicial Information in Latin America (2007).
- Fox, Jonathan, Mexico's Right-to-Know Reforms
- Fox, Jonathan, Jimenez, Carlos Garcia, Haight, Libby, Rural Democratisation in Mexico's Deep South: Grassroots Right-to-Know Campaigns in Guerrero, The Journal of Peasant Studies (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’.
- Fundar, Center for Analysis and Research, Budget Transparency Portals in Latin America. (documentary video, 6:45)
- Fundar, Center for Analysis and Research, Building the legal framework to support transparency and access to information in Latin America.
- Fundar, Center for Analysis and Research, Citizen Assessment of Budget Transparency: The Latin American Budget Transparency Index.
- Fundar, Center for Analysis and Research, Civil Society´s Regional Network for Advancing Freedom of Expression and Access to Information.
- Fundar, Center for Analysis and Research, Fighting corruption by improving transparency and access to information.
- Fundar, Center for Analysis and Research, From the law to practice: The Creation of the Mexican Federal Institute for Access to Public Information and Data Protection. (documentary video, 10:16)
- Fundar, Center for Analysis and Research, The Latin American Approach to Transparency and Access to Information.
- Fundar, Center for Analysis and Research, Opportunities and Challenges in Access to Public Information: Experiences in Latin America. (documentary video, 9:33)
- Fundar, Center for Analysis and Research, The Process of Approval of the Freedom of Information Act in Brazil. (podcast, 8:10)
- Fundar, Center for Analysis and Research, The Process of Approving the Freedom of Information Act in El Salvador. (documentary video, 7:21)
- Fundar, Center for Analysis and Research, The Role of the Inter-American Human Rights System in the Promotion of the Right to Information.
- Fundar, Center for Analysis and Research, Using information for Accountability and Justice: Lessons from Latin American Civil Society.
- Fundar, Center for Analysis and Research, Using Strategic Litigation to Enforce the Right to Information in Latin America: a case from Argentina. (documentary video, 7:56)
- Guerrero Amparan, Juan Pablo, Right to Information in Mexico: the First 8 Years (2010). Delivered at the Conference Public Sector and Governance Courses, PREM-WB.
- Guerrero Amparan, Juan Puablo, Sepulveda Toledo, Mayli, The Right to Information for Marginalized Groups, the Experience of Proyecto Comunicades in Mexico (2005-2007).
- Michener, Gregogry, The Surrender of Secrecy: Explaining the Emergence of Strong Access to Information Laws in Latin America, PhD dissertation (2010).
- National Security Archive, 40 Years of FOIA, 20 Years of Delay, Knight Open Government Survey (2007).
- National Security Archive, The Ashcroft Memo: "Drastic" Change or "More Thunder Than Lightning"? (2003).
- National Security Archive, File Not Found: Agencies Violate Law on Online Information, The Knight Open Government Survey (2007).
- National Security Archive, Pseudo-Secrets: A Freedom of Information Audit of the U.S. Government's Policies on Sensitive Unclassified Information (2006).
- National Security Archive, A Report on Federal Agency FOIA Backlog: Oldest Unanswered Freedom of Information Act Requests Were Filed in 1989 (2006).
- Open Society Justice Initiative, Written Comments of The Open Society Justice Initiative (in Spanish) (2009). Justice Initiative's submission to the Transparency Council of Chile providing comparative law and practice concerning proactive disclosure by government agencies and public companies. 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.
- World Bank Institute (Hernandez-Valdez), Budgeting Implications for ATI legislation: The Mexican Case, Access to Information, Working Paper Series (2009). The paper analyzes the budgeting implications of implementation of access to information legislation in Mexico.
- World Bank Institute (Thomas), Advancing Access to Information Principles through Performance Management Mechanisms: The Case of Canada, Access to Information, Working Paper Series (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.
- UNESCO (Mendel), The Right to Information in Latin America: A Comparative Legal Survey, (2009).
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).
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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 (Cronin), The Right to Information and Human Rights in the Pacific, (2008).
- Citizens' Campaign for Right to Information (Aryal), Right to information: The Concern in South Asia, (2011).
- 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.
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CUTS International (T.B., Sudan Sharma, and Cheriyan), Analysing the Right to Information Act In India, (2010).
- Freedom Forum, Empowering Citizens through Right to Information. Success Stories from Nepal (2013).
- Freedom Forum, Towards Open Government in Nepal. Experiences with the Right to Information (2013).
- Leos, Raymond, Access to Information in Southeast Asia and Cambodia, Pannasastra, University of Cambodia.
- Manex, Chronox, Freedom of Information - Challenges, And the Way Forward, (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.
- National Campaign for RTI in India with support from GOOGLE, People's RTI Assessment (2008).
- 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).
- Paterson, Don, Legal Challenges for Small Pacific Jurisdictions in Relation to Privacy, Freedom of Information and Access to Justice, Journal of South Pacific Law (2000).
- Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism and SEAPA, Development of Dialogue: Access to Information in Southeast Asia and Beyond (2002).
- Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (Coronel), Access to Information in Southeast Asia, (2001).
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Piotrowski, Suzanne, Key Issues for Implementation of Chinese Open Government Information Regulations, (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.
- 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.
- Roberts, Alasdair, A Great and Revolutionary Law? The First Four Years of India's Right to Information Act, (2010).
- UNDP, Freedom of Information for Pacific Policy Makers, (2008). Regional Workshop Report, Honiara, Solomon Islands.
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).
- GONG, Implementation of the Freedom of Information Act (2012). Annual report on the implementation of the Croatian FOI Act.
- House of Commons Justice Committee, Post-Legislative Scrutiny of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (2012).
- 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 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 (Savino), The Right to Open Public Administrations In Europe: Emerging Legal Standards, (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 Representative 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 Representative on Freedom of the Media, Access to Information by the Media in the OSCE Region: Trends and Recommendations (2007).
- UCL Constitution Unit, United Kingdom (Worthy), More Open but Not More Trusted? The Effect of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 on the United Kingdom Central Government, (Oct, 2010).
Asset Declarations and Tax Information
- ABA Section of State and Local Government Law, Ethical Standards in the Public Sector (ed 2003).
- ADB/OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia and the Pacific (Messick), Regulating Conflict of Interest: International Experience with Asset Declaration and Disclosure, in ADB/OECD (2007). Managing Conflict of Interest: Frameworks, Tools, and Instruments for Preventing, Detecting, and Managing Conflict of Interest, page 36 of the publication.
- CHRI (Nayak), 10 Basic Components of a Law Requiring Financial Disclosures to Be Made by Judges and Other Public Officers (2008).
- Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, Transparency in the Disclosure of Assets by Judges - Basic components of a disclosure law and what we can learn from other countries (2009). Geographical coverage of the research: Argentina, the United States, South Korea, South Africa, Latvia, Mongolia, Philippines, Russia, Ghana, Cameroon, Kenya and Thailand.
- Coronel, Sheila. What kind of reporting makes an impact? Some answers from Pakistan (2014). This blog article addresses the publication of tax records in Pakistan, and describes the investigative reporting and public outrage that led to the new policies. Pakistan is one of only four countries in the world to make tax records public.
- Global Integrity, Global Integrity Report 2011, Executive Summary (2012). The report assesses the existence, effectiveness, and citizen access to key national-level anti-corruption mechanisms, including asset declarations.
- 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.
- Larbi, George, Between spin and reality: Disclosure of assets and interests by public officials in developing countries (2005). Drawing on evidence from three African countries - Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda - this paper addresses the following questions concerning the disclosure of assets and interests: (a) Who must disclose? (b) What must be disclosed? (c) What is the frequency of disclosure? (d) Where to disclose? (e) Who has access to the information?
- Latin American Network for Legislative Transparency, Financial Statements and Declarations of Conflicts of Interest in the Congresses of the Latin American Network for Legislative Transparency. Geographical coverage of the research: Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru.
- National Bureau of Economic Research (Djankov, La Port, Lopez-de-Silanes, adn Shleifer), Disclosure by Politicians(2009).
- OECD, Asset Declarations for Public Officials: A Tool to Prevent Corruption (2011). The report provides a systematic analysis of existing practices in the area of asset declarations in Eastern Europe and Central Asia and in some OECD countries in Western Europe and North America, and presents policy recommendations on the key elements of asset declaration systems.
- Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI), Secretariat for South Eastern Europe, Rules and experiences on integrity issues (2012). Chapter 3 - 5 of the study analyses the declaration system of assets and private interests: the scope of the subjects obliged to declare their assets/private interests, obligations covering persons related to public officials, the categories of information that are required to be disclosed, the types of declarations already in place, etc.
- Rossi, Ivana Maria et al., Using Asset Disclosure for Identifying Politically Exposed Persons (2012). The paper analyzes how the information on asset disclosure can help in identifying politically exposed persons, as required under the Recommendations of the Financial Action Task, and provides a series of recommendations that can help support this use.
- U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre (Messick), Income and Assets Declarations: Issues to Consider in Developing a Disclosure Regime (2009). Drawing on his own experience and studies underway by several Bank units, this U4 issue paper describes the issues policymakers should weigh in deciding whether to adopt a financial disclosure law, and if so, what provisions it should contain.
- U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre, African Experience of Asset Declarations (2008).
- U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre, International Experience with Asset Declarations (2008). An overview of international norms and practice on the asset declaration of public officials. Examples of Albania, Liberia, Papua New Guinea, Taiwan, Tanzania, United Kingdom and United States of America included.
- World Bank (Messick), Income and Asset Disclosure Requirements for Heads of State and Governments(2006).
- World Bank, Financial Disclosure Law Library. The Law Library is a collection of laws and regulations on financial and business interest disclosure for public officials (income and asset disclosure). It offers access to over 1,000 laws and regulations across 176 jurisdictions worldwide. The Library also provides information on closely-related topics such as restrictions on public officials’ activities.
- World Bank, Public Accountability Mechanisms. Country profile pages that provide the following information: (i) Description of economic conditions and government structure; (ii) Links to country-specific institutions that are responsible for the enforcement of accountability mechanisms; (iii) Historical timeline that identifies relevant legislation, political events, and notable incidents of corruption; (iv) Summaries of specific indicators related to the accountability mechanisms of income and asset disclosure, freedom of information, conflict of interest, immunity protections, and ethics training.
- World Bank and UNODC, Public Office, Private Interests: Accountability through income and asset disclosure (2012). This guide by the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative focuses on income and asset disclosure (IAD) requirements for the executive and legislative branches of government. It draws on detailed case studies that were conducted of the IAD systems in Argentina, Croatia, Guatemala, Hong Kong SAR, China, Indonesia, Jordan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Rwanda, Slovenia, and the United States.
ATI from the European Union
- Bradley, Caroline M., Transparency and Financial Regulation in the European Union: Crisis and Complexity (2012).
- Heremans, Tinne, ‘Optimal’ Versus ‘Maximal’ Public Access to Documents: A Brief Note on EU Case Law (2011).
- Heremans, Tinne, Public Access to Documents: Jurisprudence Between Principles and Practice (Between Jurisprudence and Recast) (2011).
- Karageorgou, Vasiliki, Transparency principle as an evolving principle of EU law: Regulative contours and implications (year unknown).
Corruption, Transparency, Good Governance and RTI
- Access Info Europe, Not Available! Not Accessible! Aid Transparency Monitoring Report (2009).
- African Development Bank Group, Whistle Blowing and Complaints Handling Policy (2007).
- Alianza Regional, Saber Mas V. Informe Regional Sobre Acceso a la Informacion Publica y los Procesos Electorales (2013).
- CHRI (Rodrigues), Promoting Public Accountability in Overseas Development Assistance, (2006).
- 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.
- FUNDAR, Fighting Corruption by Improving Transparency and Access to Information (2012).
- Fung, Archon; Gilman, Hollie Russon; and Shkabatur, Jennifer, Technologies of Transparency for Accountability: An Examination of Several Experiences From Middle Income & Developing Countries, Analytic Report, (2010). The research examines cases of technology interventions that attempt to increase accountability of public and private organizations through transparency strategies.
- Gozzo, Gaia, El Caso Provida: Cuentas pendientes en la transparencia y la justicia, (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 (Chugoshvili), 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 (2007).
- Kaufmann, Daniel and Bellver, Ana, Transparenting Transparency. Initial Empirics and Policy Applications, (2005).
- 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).
- Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (Coronel), Investigative Reporting for Southeast Asia (ed 2006).
- Publish What You Fund, Aid Transparency Assessment (2010).
- Russian Union of Journalists (Azhgikhina), Transparency, Accountability and the Fight against Corruption.
- Technology for Transparency Network, Technology for Transparency, The role of technology and citizen media in promoting transparency, accountability and civic participation. This report examines 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.
- Transparency International, Global Corruption Reports 2001-2010
- Transparency International, Global Corruption Report 2003: Freedom of Information
- Transparency International (Kocaoglu), Using the Right to Information as an Anti-Corruption Tool (2006).
- Transparency International and the World Wide Web Foundation, Connecting the Dots: Building the Case for Open Data to Fight Corruption, February 2017
- UNICORN (a global trade unions project) (Drew), Whistleblowing and Corruption: An International and Comparative Review (2003). New research about the state of the G20's open data commitments made in 2015 to fight corruption, examining Brazil, France, Germany, South Africa, and Indonesia. Findings: no country released all key anti-corruption datasets; access is a problem in all countries, with datasets hard to find and not available in one place; only France published the majority of its datasets in line with open data standards; most staff working on anti-corruption have never been trained on how to use the open data sets to fight corruption.
- University of Chile (Zolaquett and Munoz), Transparencia y Probidad Pública Estudios de Caso de América Latina (2008). The study 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).
- World Bank Institute, Journalistic Legwork That Tumbled a President: A Case Study and Guide for Investigative Journalists. A detailed explanation of how journalists gathered information about corruption, including asset declarations and land registries, that toppled President Estrada.
- World Bank Institute (Shkabatur), Check My School: A Case Study on Citizens' Monitoring of the Education Sector in the Philippines (2012).
Environmental Information
- Article 19, Access to Environmental Information in China: Evaluation of Local Compliance (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 Research (Welstead, Aitchison, Savage), Effective Provision of Environmental Information and Advice: A Scoping Study (2006).
Extractive Industries and RTI
- Government websites that publicly disclose
- OpenOil, Map with Countries That Have Made Model and Signed Exploitation Contracts Available
- OpenOil, Oil Contracts - How to Read and Understand Them (2012). A first-draft guide for non-experts on how to interpret extractive industry contracts, written by ten experts from around the world in straightforward terms. The book is published under a Creative Commons license and available in its entirety at the website.
- Revenue Watch Institute (Rosenblum, Maples), Contracts Confidential: Ending Secret Deals in the Extractive Industries (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.
- Revenue Watch Institute, Contract Disclosure through EITI. Background Paper for the EITI Strategy Working Group (2012).
- World Bank, University of Dundee, Extractive Industries Source Book. A free online, interactive resource that is built upon a coherent and incisive narrative analysis of the sector as a whole, supplemented by hundreds of downloads and other web resources, including specially commissioned reports, summaries and briefs.
FOI Litigation
- Access to Information Programme, Access to Information Litigation in Bulgaria (2002-2008). Four publications about FOI litigation in Bulgaria.
- Statewatch (Peers), Case Law Summary: EU access to documents Regulation, (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.
- Open Society Justice Initiative, litigation summaries, including several related to FOI and Access to Information.
Guides on Advocacy
- 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).
- Open Society Justice Initiative (Filippinyi), presentation on the Role of the Civil Society in Formulation and Adoption of Access to Information Laws (2008).
- UNESCO (Uhlir), Policy Guidelines for the Development and Promotion of Governmental Public Domain Information, (2004).
Health and RTI
- Article 19 (Coliver), Human Rights and Access to Reproductive Health Information: Global Overview.
- Article 19 (Coliver), Human Rights and Access to Reproductive Health Information: International Instruments.
- Article 19 (Coliver), Human Rights and Access to Reproductive Health Information: Brazil.
- Article 19, A Healthy Knowledge: Right to Information and the Right to Health (2012). (in French and Russian)
- Transparency International Public Health Program (Lucas Amin), Making the Case for Open Contracting in Healthcare Procurement, January 2017. Explores how data on pharmaceutical procurements and the construction of health centers obtained under FOIA in Honduras and Nigeria revealed poor value for money and paved the way for public policy reform.
Implementation and Enforcement
- Access Info Europe, Question to Brussels: How Should Citizens Request EU Documents? (2009).
- Access to Information Program (Mendel), Amending Access to Information Legislation: Legal and Political Issues (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.
- Bobbey, Victor; Excelle, Carole; Kakuru, Kenneth; and Tilley, Alison, Active and Passive Resistance to Openness: The Transparency Model for Freedom of Information Acts in Africa -Three Case Studies, (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).
- Carter Center, Enforcement: Process and Practice, Neuman (2003). Socius Conference, Lima, Peru.
- Center for Law and Democracy, Guide for Implementing Law 14/2008 on Public Information Openness (2012).
- 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.
- Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission (Pearlman), FOI Enforcement Regimes, excerpt from presentation to the Provincial Government of Hunan, PRC.
- Eötvös Károly Institute, Publicity in the Administration of Justice and the Disclosure of Court Decisions (2009).
- 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.
- 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).
- New South Wales Law Reform Commission, Report on the Offices of the Information and Privacy Commissioners (2009).
- Office of the Berlin Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (Gardain), How do We Design an Effective Oversight Body?, (2007). Paper delivered at the 5th International Conference of Information Commissioners.
- Open Society Justice Initiative (Delage), Access to Administrative Documents in France, (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.
- 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.
- World Bank (Trebicka and Shella), Implementing Right to Information. A Case Study of Albania (2012).
- World Bank, Implementing Right to Information. A Case Study of India (2012).
- World Bank (Pereira Chumbe), Implementing Right to Information. A Case Study of Peru (2012).
- World Bank (Ionita and Stefan), Implementing Right to Information. A Case Study of Romania (2012).
- World Bank, Implementing Right to Information. A Case Study of United Kingdom (2012).
- World Bank (Mizrahi and Mendiburu), Implementing Right to Information. A Case Study of Mexico (2012).
- World Bank (Dokeniya), Implementing Right to Information. Lessons From Experience (2013).
- World Bank, Strengthening Implementation of Legislation on Access to Information across Latin America (2013).
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 (Musuva), Behind Closed Doors. Secrecy in International Financial Institutions, (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.
Judiciary and RTI
- Association for Civil Rights (ADC, Argentina) and the World Bank (Herrero, Lopez), Access to Information and Transparency in the Judiciary (2010). This is a guide to good practices from Latin America.
- Centre for Law & Democracy and Institute for Development of Freedom of Information, The Gulf Between Civil and Common Law Countries on Openness of Court Decisions. Highlights the apparent contradiction between the strongly established principle of open justice and the idea of excluding names from cases, while recognizing that special considerations may be needed with regard to online distribution. At a minimum, public interest should guide whether names remain on cases as they are distributed publicly.
- County Court of Victoria, Access to Court Records: Discussion Paper (2005).
- 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).
- Eötvös Károly Institute, Publicity in the Administration of Justice and the Disclosure of Court Decisions(2009).
- 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.
- Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Access to Court Decisions: A legal Analysis of relevant international and national provisions (2008).
- Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Final Conclusions: Access to Court Decisions (2009).
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 (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.
- Center for Studies on Freedom of Expression (CELE) (Bertoni), Freedom of Information: Three Harmless Words? The Role of Media and Access to Information Laws (2011). (in Spanish)
- CELE (Bertoni, Sanchez), Comments and Recommendations on the Draft Model Law for African Union States on Access to Information.
- Centre for Law and Democracy has analyzed over a dozen laws and draft laws since 2010; see a complete list here.
- Centre for Law and Democracy and Access Info Europe, RTI Rating. The RTI Rating is a methodology which provides a numerical assessment or rating for the overall legal framework for the right to information in a country, based on how well that framework gives effect to the right to access information held by public authorities.
- Centre for Law and Democracy, RTI Rating Data Analysis Series: Overview of the Results and Trends (2013) is a series of reports which provide detailed assessments of the RTI Rating results. This report provides an overview of the key general results and trends regarding RTI legislation.
- OSCE (Bertoni), Comments on the Draft Law on Transparency, Access to Information and Good Governance of Spain (2012).
- 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
- 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 (Mendel), Parliament and Access to Information: Working for Transparent Governance (2005).
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 (2010).
- Diritto Di Sapere and Access-Info Europe, The Silent State. Access to Information in Italy. Results and Recommendations from First National Monitoring (2013).
- 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 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.
- 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.
- 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).
National Security and RTI
- Please refer to the list of numerous studies, intergovernmental and governmental reports, court judgments, and expert papers used to draft the Global Principles on National Security and Access to Information.
- 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 (1995).
- Campbell Public Affairs Institute, National Security and Open Government: Striking the Right Balance (2003). Commentaries from a Symposium co-organized with the Open Society Justice Initiative.
- Council of Europe (Banisar), 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.
- Dimba, Mukelani and Fugier, Juliette, Anti-Terror Laws or Freedom of Information?, Pimbazuka News (Sept. 2008).
- Geneva Cente for Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) (Banisar), Freedom of Information: International Trends and National Security (2002).
- Larsen, Katharine and Atcherley, Julia, Freedom of Expression-Based Restrictions on the Prosecution of Journalists Under State Secrets Laws: A Comparative Analysis, 50 J. Int’l Media & Entertainment Law 49-109.
- OSCE (Banisar), Comments on the Croatian Draft Bill on Data Secrecy (2007).
- Open Society Justice Initiative, Archives of State Security Service Records (2013).
- Pozen, David, The Leaky Leviathan: Why the Government Condemns and Condones Unlawful Disclosures of Information. 127 Harv.L.Rev. 512 (2013), cites the Tshwane Principles at fns 515, 517 and 522.
- Privacy International (Banisar), Legal Protections and Barriers on the Right to Information, State Secrets and Protection of Sources in OSCE Participating States (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.
- 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).
- Transparency International, Security Classification in 15 countries (2014).
- Tshwane Principles on National Security and the Right to Information (2013). The Principles were drafted by 22 civil society organisations and academic centres and issued 12 June 2013. The Principles address in detail the balance between secrecy and the public’s right to know. In addition to addressing what government-held information may legitimately be kept secret and what information should be disclosed, they outline standards for the treatment of whistleblowers who act in the public interest, as well as issues related to classification and declassification, and other questions.
- UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms While Countering Terrorism (Scheinin), Compilation of Good Practices on Legal and Institutional Frameworks and Measures that Ensure Respect for Human Rights by Intelligence Agencies While countering Terrorism, Including on their Oversight (2010).
Policing and RTI
- Access Info Europe, The Right to Know: Europe and the Police (2009).
- Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces (Greenwood, Huisman), Transparency and Accountability of Police Forces, Security Services, and Intelligence Services (2003).
- Open Society Justice Initiative, Police and Public Security Sample Commitments (2011).
- UNODC (Osse, Dossett), Handbook on Police Accountability, Oversight, and Integrity (2011).
- University of Dundee School of Law (Long), Access in Europe by a bereaved family to information gathered during an investigation into a fatal road collision (2012).
Privacy and RTI
- Access to Information Program, The World Bank Institute (Banisar), The Right to Information and Privacy: Balancing Rights and Managing Conflicts (2011). The paper examines legislative and structural means to better define and balance the rights to privacy and information.
- Commission of Access to Information, Presentation by Mtre Christiane Constant at the conference "Attention! Personal information in circulation" (2008) (in French).
- Commission of Access to Information, Presentation by Mtre Christiane Constant at the conference "Privacy at the Border" (2008) (in English).
Private Entities and RTI
- CHRI (Lewis), The Need and Value of Access to Information from Non-State Agencies (2003).
- Open Society Justice Initiative (Coliver), The Right to Information and the Increasing Scope of Bodies Covered by National Laws Since 1989 (2014).
Training Materials for Information Officers and Civil Servants
- Access to Information Programme, 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.
- Access to Information Programme, 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.
- 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 (Rodrigues), Dealing with Third Parties: Applications and Appeals (2006). A guide on when and how to consult interested 3rdparties.
- CHRI (Rodrigues), Information Commissions: Roles & Responsibilities (2006).
- 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).
Treaty Negotiations
- CHRI, India’s Engagement with Free Trade Agreements (FTAs): Challenges and Opportunities. Measures for Improving Transparency and Accountability in Relation to FTAs (2013)
- Centre for Law and Democracy, Analysis of the Draft Intellectual Property Chapter of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (2013)
- McIntosh, Toby, Spotlight on Trade Talks After WikiLeaks Disclosure (2013)
Whistleblowing and Handling Complaints
- African Development Bank Group, Whistle Blowing and Complaints Handling Policy (2007).
- Coliver, Sandra, National Security Whistleblowers: The Radical Dissenters of the 21st Century, World Politics Review (2011).
- Coliver, Sandra, Sentencing Private Manning, Open Society Foundations (2013).
- OAS, Model Law To Facilitate and Encourage the Reporting of Acts of Corruption and to Protect Whistleblowers and Witnesses, OEA/Ser.L,SG/MESICIC/doc.345/12 rev. 2, 22 March 2013.
- Open Society Justice Initiative (Coliver), Only in America? The Kiriakou Affair and the Public's Right to Know (2013).
- Pozen, David, The Leaky Leviathan: Why the Government Condemns and Condones Unlawful Disclosures of Information. 127 Harv.L.Rev. 512 (2013), cites the Tshwane Principles at fns 515, 517 and 522.
- Privacy International (Banisar), Whistleblowing: International Standards and Developments (2006). Delivered at a World Bank sponsored event in Mexico.
- Public Concern at Work, Policy papers on Human Rights, Freedom of Information, and Data Protection.
- 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).
- Tshwane Principles on National Security and the Right to Information (2013). The Principles were drafted by 22 civil society organisations and academic centres and issued 12 June 2013. The Principles address in detail the balance between secrecy and the public’s right to know. In addition to addressing what government-held information may legitimately be kept secret and what information should be disclosed, they outline standards for the treatment of whistleblowers who act in the public interest, as well as issues related to classification and declassification, and other questions.
- UNICORN (a global trade unions project) (Drew), Whistleblowing and Corruption: An Initial and Comparative Review (2003).
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).
- Campaign for Freedom of Information, 1000 FOI Stories from 2006 and 2007 (2000).
- Periodismo por el acceso a la información pública - articles from the Latin American press that were written with the use of ATI laws.
Conference Presentations
- 5th International Conference of Information Commissioners (2007), Conference Papers and Presentations.
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 [email protected]
- Open Government: A Journal on Freedom of Information