South Asian and African experts call for strengthening RTI enforcement

Experts from South Asia and Africa meeting in Dhaka called for strengthening processes to ensure the right to information of all persons, and for ensuring integrity of Information Commissions and recognition of Governments as key stakeholders. Members and staff of Information Commissions, along with lawyers, journalists and civil society members from 6 countries - Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka in South Asia and Kenya and South Africa met in Dhaka on October 26-27, 2017. The Social Architects (TSA), Research Initiative Bangladesh (RIB) and Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) hosted the meeting.

Discussions during the conference sessions focused on procedures for seeking information and performance of governments and public authorities in bedding down the transparency regime, appeal and complaint procedures before Information Commissions, the role of the courts in relation to RTI proactive and routine information disclosure, including both low tech and high tech solutions. Panellists discussed the selection process of Information Commissions, ensuring transparency in the process and guaranteeing insulation from political interests. They highlighted the need for capacity building of RTI service providers/officers. Panellists urged governments and Information Commissions to put in place accessible and disabled friendly access to information, digitalization of public records and information management. Based on the urgency in matters relating to information about the life and liberty of an individual under threat, they called for a RTI Commissions in the region to prioritize the queries of information pursuers. Social media can be an ally in the promotion of people’s access to truthful and reliable information on the working of public authorities in the age of “post-truth” and “alternative facts”. Participants also urged government bodies and NGOS to collaborate in spreading awareness among the people about RTI laws.

In order to encourage public authorities and civil servants to implement the law effectively, a scheme to incentivise performance, should be instituted along the South African model. Panellists also addressed exemptions to RTI including privacy/data protection – and the role of Information Commissions, Governments, civil society and the media in promoting awareness of RTI. Participants shared best practices, with a particular focus on the provision of new remedies to protect fundamental rights, and on ensuring accountability of both public and private authorities. The regional meeting made an overall assessment of the status of implementation of the RTI legislation, examining the use of RTI in country specific contexts in the context of civil and political and economic and social rights, mapped out challenges and evaluating successes.