Anti-Corruption
Japanese government should acquit environmentalists denied information proving they acted in public interest
Madrid, 3 September 2010 – Access Info Europe today criticised the Japanese government for using censorship in response to access to information requests, and called for the acquittal of two environmental activists who exposed government corruption linked to the black market in whale meat.
Greenpeace anti-whaling activists Toru Suzuki and Junichi Sato, known as the Tokyo Two, are on trial for trespass and theft linked to their work to expose how whale meat from the government-funded research programme ends up in Tokyo’s top restaurants and is given to senior public officials and parliamentarians. The verdict will be announced on Monday 6 September 2010.
Anti-corruption organisations call for reform of Access to Information Laws in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Montenegro
Sarajevo, 1 June 2010: Faced with a chronic lack of transparency in the region, leading anti-corruption organisations today called for urgent reform of the access to information laws of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Montenegro.
The call by Transparency International BiH, Transparency International Croatia, MANS and Access Info Europe, follows consultations with citizens, journalists and NGOs who confirmed that public authorities frequently do not respect the right to information, particularly in those cases where access to information would reveal corruption.
Tell Us What You've Done
New global initiative tests access to information on anti corruption efforts
Berlin/Madrid, 3 May 2010 - A new global access to information initiative launched today to mark World Press Freedom Day, will test how easy (or not) it is to obtain information from 30 governments on their anti-corruption efforts.
The Tell us what you’ve done! Initiative, initiated by Access Info Europe and Transparency International (TI) is an attempt to verify whether governments are complying with the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) and other anti-corruption conventions. Starting immediately, simultaneous information requests will be submitted in 30 countries by TI chapters and members of two coalitions, the Freedom of Information Advocates Network and the UNCAC Coalition.
“Access to information is at the heart of the anti-corruption agenda. The number of cases where power is abused for private gain uncovered by enterprising journalists, shows that access to public information is vital,” said Gillian Dell, coordinator for the initiative at TI.
Established by the UN in 1993, World Press Freedom Day 2010 is dedicated to the “Right to Know” – the right of all citizens to have access to information held by public entities. Although there has been a surge in freedom of information legislation, the UN notes that it is often complicated to use, prejudices minorities and not enforced.
“The right to know what the government knows is essential for journalists and civil society watchdogs to identify corruption and hold public officials accountable,” said Helen Darbishire, Executive Director of Access Info Europe
