Back to basics: Informed citizens – an active society!
Helen Darbishire2021-04-14T10:18:43+02:00Date: 13-14/11/2019 Place: Podgorica, Montenegro
The place of Archives: Access to Information, Transparency and Memory
Helen Darbishire2021-04-14T10:17:35+02:00Date: 11-12 /11/2019 Place: Madrid, Spain
Spain’s 10 November General Elections: Don’t Forget Transparency!
Helen Darbishire2020-01-29T10:35:26+01:00Madrid, 6 November 2019 – In advance of the 10 November general elections in Spain, Access Info has been in touch with the main political parties to urge them to strengthen the Transparency Law (which came into force on 10 December 2014), and to adopt laws on regulation of lobbying and on whistleblower protection. Access Info asked all the political parties for meetings. We were able to meet with Ciudadanos, Junts per Catalunya, Más País and Podemos. To the remaining parties – ERC, IU, PNV, PP, PSOE, VOX – we sent a document with the 10 Principles of the Coalición
Access Info: Government’s proposal undermines the right to freedom of expression
Helen Darbishire2019-12-02T13:33:20+01:00Vijesti | 05/11/2019 Montenegrin -Zajedno sa MANS-om, Access Info je predao crnogorskom Ministarstvu javne uprave pravnu analizu predloženih izmjena i dopuna Zakona o slobodnom pristupu informacijama. Read more... Helen Darbishire, Executive Director of Access Info Europe, interviewed at the international conference Back to basics: informed citizens -an active society!, held in Podgorica, Montenegro.
Right of access to information at risk in Montenegro
Helen Darbishire2020-01-29T10:35:11+01:00Madrid, 31 October 2019 - The Montenegrin government has proposed amendments to its Law on Free Access to Information that directly contradict international standards and undermine the fundamental right of freedom of expression. Access Info today voiced its serious concern and urged the Government to reconsider. Together with MANS, an anti-corruption NGO in Montenegro, Access Info has submitted a legal analysis of the proposed amendments to Montenegro’s Ministry of Public Administration on Law on Free Access to Information. The proposed changes would take Montenegro further away from international standards on transparency. Specifically, they would result in a law that is
Ma Dada: a new online service for access information request in France
Helen Darbishire2019-10-28T16:18:29+01:00Paris/Madrid, Friday 25 October 2019 - Open Knowledge France, with the support of Access Info Europe and Ouvre-boîte, launches madada.fr, an online service aiming to simplify requests for access to information in France. The main objective of Ma Dada platform is to help researchers, companies, journalists, associations or citizens who wish to exercise their right of access to public information, in a free, open-access service. Ma Dada aims to make citizen's requestes easier by providing a list of public organizations -more than 50,000 authorities are already available on the site!-, a form for sending the request for access to public
Access Info welcomes proactive publication of sanctions of old people’s homes in Madrid region
Helen Darbishire2019-12-02T13:02:32+01:00Madrid, 21 October 2019 – The Community of Madrid has announced that it will henceforth publish proactively sanctions imposed on the nearly 500 old people’s homes in the Madrid region – sanctions for offences such as breaching food, hygiene, or care standards – but only after an investigation by journalists from El País newspaper, who had to win a case before Spain’s Transparency Council in order to obtain the information. Access Info Europe welcomed the proactive publication of the data on the quality of care and standards in old people’s homes, noting that such information is absolutely essential for families
United Nations Proclaims 28 September as the International Day of Universal Access to Information
Helen Darbishire2020-01-29T10:35:51+01:00Madrid, 16 October 2019 – In an historic moment for the right of access to information, the United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed 28 September of each year as the International Day of the Universal Right of Access to Information. Access Info’s founder and director, Helen Darbishire, one of the experts who founded and promoted the day, commented “The importance of the right of access to information for defending other human rights, for restoring trust, and for advancing inclusive, democratic societies, has today been recognised.” “This is a huge achievement for the civil society movement which first named 28 September
Citizen participation: a pending task in Europe
Helen Darbishire2019-10-10T16:55:24+02:00Madrid, 10 October 2019 – National governments, the European Union and elected officials across Europe are failing to respond to communications from citizens. A study published today by Access Info and partner organisations reveals, something that must be addressed with urgency if trust in the political system is to be restored. The report "50 Questions from YOU to the EU" sets out how more than 200 citizens from five countries suggested over 300 questions about the future of Europe, which were then sent to public authorities, MEPs and parliamentarians. The questions related to topics of concern, ranging from the 2019
Citizen participation: a pending task in Europe
Helen Darbishire2020-01-29T10:36:15+01:00Madrid, 10 October 2019 – National governments, the European Union and elected officials across Europe are failing to respond to communications from citizens. A study published today by Access Info and partner organisations reveals, something that must be addressed with urgency if trust in the political system is to be restored. The report “50 Questions from YOU to the EU” sets out how more than 200 citizens from five countries suggested over 300 questions about the future of Europe, which were then sent to public authorities, MEPs and parliamentarians. The questions related to topics of concern, ranging from the 2019