Transparency and open information access in Africa are one step closer, following the adoption of a milestone declaration at the Africa Information and Media Summit (AIMS) in Cape Town on 19 September.

Set out in the AIMS declaration is a call for African governments to adopt a set of principles in promoting information access, including the need for them to pass and implement freedom of information laws. Less than a fifth of African countries currently have such legislation.

What makes the AIMS statement unique is its signing by the wide range of groups attending the summit – covering African media, governments, civil society and the African Union Commission.

Set out in the AIMS declaration is a call for African governments to adopt a set of principles in promoting information access, including the need for them to pass and implement freedom of information laws.  Less than a fifth of African countries currently have such legislation.

What makes the AIMS statement unique is its signing by the wide range of groups attending the summit – covering African media, governments, civil society and the African Union Commission.

This unprecedented convergence of interests at AIMS represented a fusion of prior parallel events that were convened by organisations of African journalists, editors, journalism educators and information activists.

Their show of unity also marked the 20^th anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration. That 1991 document was later endorsed by the United Nations and UNESCO and it led to World Press Freedom Day being recognized annually around the world every 3 May.

The AIMS declaration, called the “African Platform on Access to Information” (Apai), and online at www.pacaia.org, calls for 28 September to be adopted as “World Access to Information Day”.

The nine-organisation coalition behind the initiative are now planning to use the date in 2011 already to garner more support for their declaration.

Proposing that AIMS adopt the Apai in Cape Town was Pansy Tlakula, the African Union’s Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information. Deputy minister of information in Liberia, Norris Tweah, seconded the motion.

Joining them in then signing the declaration was the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, Frank la Rue, and Habiba Mejri-Cheikh the Director of Information and Publicity at the African Union Commission. Adding her name later was Patricia de Lille, the executive mayor of Cape Town.

Three months of consultations had generated six earlier versions of Apai, and account was also taken of contributions by the almost 700 people from 32 African countries who attended the AIMS events.

The Apai declaration’s principles are that:

·         Information is a fundamental right accessible to everyone;

·         There should be maximum disclosure, limited exemptions and whistleblower protection;

·         The right should be established in law, and it is applicable to public and private bodies;

·         There should be a clear and unambiguous process in accessing information, overseen by independent bodies;

·         Governments have an obligation to publish information;

 Information should be accessible in people’s languages.

The declaration also spells out the application of these principles to elections, women, children, the environment, health issues, international aid, the fight against corruption, natural resources exploitation, information literacy and internet access.

It calls for specific actions to promote information access by UNESCO, the African Union, National Governments, civil society the media, business and donors.  

Apai enjoys the momentum of the nine convening organisations, as well as 15 partners – including the African Union Commission, UNESCO, Google and two Open Society foundations, which signals the growing influence of the campaign for access to information in Africa.  

For more details, contact the following organisations:

Working Group:

1.      Media Institute of Southern Africa,

2.      Highway Africa,

3.      Media Foundation West Africa,

4.      African Freedom of Information Centre,

5.      Article 19 West and East Africa,

6.      Media Rights Agenda,

7.      The African Editors Forum,

8.      International Federation of Journalists – Federation of African Journalists,

9.      Open Democracy Advice Centre.

 

Partners:

1.      UNESCO,

2.      African Union Commission,

3.      UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression,

4.      Google,

5.      Fesmedia Africa,

6.      Free Press Unlimited,

7.      The Nation Media Group,

8.      World Association of Newspapers’ Declaration of Table Mountain campaign,

9.      African Media Initiative,

10.  Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa,

11.  Nepad,

12.  Open Society Foundation (SA),

13.  African Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information,

14.  Reporters without Borders (Swedish chapter),

15.  Freedom House.                                                                                                                 

 

       -24 September, 2011 by Guy Berger (received via email)

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A     Source: received via email (26.09.2011)