UNESCO’s first global report on public access to information

UNESCO, Dec. 4, 2020:IPDC Council welcomes UNESCO’s first global report on public access to information

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The first Global Report on the Implementation of Access to Information Laws (based on monitoring of SDG Indicator 16.10.2) has been welcomed by a 39-member state committee at UNESCO.

The Intergovernmental Council of UNESCO’s International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) noted the utility in providing evidence-based analysis for the improvement of access to information as a factor for sustainable development.

The Council’s decision thanked “those Member States that provided information on their national progress on access to information through responding to UNESCO´s 2020 Survey on SDG indicator 16.10.2, noting the positive developments reported therein; and encouraging additional measures to address identified gaps.”

The 2020 report found that of 62 countries responding to a UNESCO survey, almost 70% at least have oversight institutions with the power to make binding decisions on releasing information.

However, only 65% of them could provide statistics about the number of requests for information.

The report points out that the discrepancy highlights that good record-keeping is vital for Access to Information oversight and appeals bodies.

As emphasized in the document, without adequate and reliable records of the requests and appeals received and how they are processed, it is difficult to produce evidence and measure progress. 

In the decision adopted at its 32nd session on 25 to 26 November 2020, the IPDC Council thanked Member States that provided information on their national progress on access to information through responding to UNESCO´s 2020 Survey on SDG indicator 16.10.2. 

In full: https://en.unesco.org/news/ipdc-council-welcomes-unescos-first-global-report-public-access-information

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From Promise to Practice: Access to Information for Sustainable Development

2020 UNESCO Report on the Monitoring and Reporting of SDG Indicator 16.10.2 (Public Access to Information)

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6. Conclusion

Reporting on SDG 16.10.2 serves as an incentive for countries to improve their legal regulatory frameworks, and/or their administration of ATI. In this regard, UNESCO’s survey on SDG 16.10.2, which provides a standardised approach to monitoring ATI performance, has proven useful for countries in measuring ATI progress at national level.

The survey findings in this report suggest that having a specialised ATI oversight and appeals body is fundamental to ensure ATI law enforcement. Experience around the world shows that these bodies play key roles in advocating for standards and best practices, as well as helping to address problems in ATI implementation.

The survey also points to good record-keeping as being is vital for ATI oversight and appeals bodies. Without adequate and reliable records of the requests and appeals received and how they are processed, it is difficult to produce evidence and measure progress. This is a challenge requiring political will, management and resources. Good evidence-based reporting can provide many advantages for improving ATI. It can also help ATI bodies in negotiating for financial and technical resources with policymakers and other stakeholders, which in turn would help address the problems related to management and limited resources. 

Emerging from the 2020 research process, it is evident that sustainable ATI monitoring and reporting requires ATI oversight bodies, when they are the data holder, to play a proactive role in collecting relevant SDG data and cooperating closely with national-level SDG monitoring bodies in this regard.

Civil society organizations and regional and international cooperation networks – such as the International Conference of Information Commissioners (ICIC), the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI); the Open Government Partnership (OGP), and the Regional Network of Access to Information Practitioners in Latin America and the Caribbean (Red de Transparencia y Acceso a la Informacion, RTA) – have proven to play a significant role in accelerating both the adoption and the implementation of ATI guarantees.

As 2020 has also shown, national and international celebrations can be used as platforms to exercise such multi-stakeholder collaboration on ATI, for example during the International Day for Universal Access to Information (28 September). The website for the day highlighted six webinars and a high level online event organised by UNESCO headquarters, and more than 20 national and regional events around the world. International Anti-Corruption Day (9 December) each year is another opportunity to flag the importance of ATI and the monitoring thereof.

To read full report: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000375022

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