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10 Jun 2020

EU urged to end SLAPPs: Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation

2020-06-10T19:01:09+02:00

Madrid, 9 June 2020 – Access Info Europe today joined 119 NGOs from across Europe in calling on the European Union to protect freedom of expression and information by acting to end the use of gag lawsuits to harass and silence investigative journalists and public interest defenders. In an open letter, the organisations expressed their concern about SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation), which are brought by powerful actors intending to intimidate and prevent watchdogs such as journalists, activists, trades unions, media, and civil society organisations, from holding them accountable. The organisations warned about the harmful effects of this type

EU urged to end SLAPPs: Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation2020-06-10T19:01:09+02:00
16 Apr 2020

EU urged to protect rule of law during coronavirus states of emergency

2020-04-27T18:01:18+02:00

Madrid, 16 April 2020 – Access Info Europe today joined 80 MEPs and civil society organisations in calling on the European Union to address restrictions on the rule of law and human rights, including freedom of expression and information, being introduced via coronavirus pandemic emergency measures. In an open letter sent to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President Charles Michel, the signatories warn of the misuse of the coronavirus crisis to silence dissent, limit freedom of expression, marginalise civil society, and erode democratic values. The letter also calls on the EU to ensure that the

EU urged to protect rule of law during coronavirus states of emergency2020-04-27T18:01:18+02:00
30 Mar 2020

EU urged to condemn Hungary’s limits on freedom of expression and information as part of Coronavirus crisis emergency measures

2020-04-27T18:01:52+02:00

Madrid, 30 March 2020 – Access Info has expressed serious concerns about the sweeping powers granted to Hungary’s Prime Minister Victor Orbán in a parliamentary vote approving indefinite rule by decree and jail terms for spreading misinformation. Access Info’s Director Helen Darbishire is one of the first signatories of a petition developed with MEPs, which is now open for all to sign. “The Coronavirus pandemic is being used as a pretext or another step towards undermining democracy and human rights in Hungary. This is something that the European Union and other Member States can neither ignore nor tolerate,” commented Helen

EU urged to condemn Hungary’s limits on freedom of expression and information as part of Coronavirus crisis emergency measures2020-04-27T18:01:52+02:00
27 Mar 2020

Opening Up SDG 5: What do we know about Gender Equality?

2022-10-26T12:37:27+02:00

This article was originally published on 27 March 2020 and later uptaded on 23 September 2020. Madrid, 27 March 2020- In several European countries there is poor availability of data on Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality, research by Access Info Europe has found. This makes it impossible for citizens to know how well their country is progressing towards reducing discrimination and violence against women, and securing genuine equality in areas such as education, the workplace, and political participation. The report "Opening Up SDG 5: What do we know about Gender Equality?" can be downloaded here Research conducted

Opening Up SDG 5: What do we know about Gender Equality?2022-10-26T12:37:27+02:00
16 Oct 2019

United Nations Proclaims 28 September as the International Day of Universal Access to Information

2020-01-29T10:35:51+01:00

Madrid, 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

United Nations Proclaims 28 September as the International Day of Universal Access to Information2020-01-29T10:35:51+01:00
1 Aug 2019

Spain: Access Info presents report to UN Human Rights Council on violations of right of access to information

2020-01-29T10:36:45+01:00

Madrid, 01 August 2019 –  Access Info has submitted to the UN Human Rights Council a report on the ways in which the right of access to information is violated in Spain and has called on the Spanish government to bring the legal framework into line with international standards. Specifically Access Info has called for recognition by the Spanish government of access to information as a fundamental right, which would end discrimination against requesters: currently the identity requirements mean that only those who are Spanish citizens  or residents can submit requests. Furthermore, a failure to educate the wider public about

Spain: Access Info presents report to UN Human Rights Council on violations of right of access to information2020-01-29T10:36:45+01:00
21 Dec 2016

UNESCO urged to be transparent about its transparency policy!

2018-11-13T10:03:44+01:00

Madrid, 21 December 2016 - Over 50 of the world’s leading civil society organisations, along with key experts, have called on UNESCO to share a draft access to information policy, which it is currently being discussed inside the organisation. In a letter to UNESCO Secretary General Irina Bokova, the civil society access to information groups stress “the cardinal importance of engaging in genuine consultations with external stakeholders as part of the process of developing a policy in this area,” to ensure that the final policy reflects the concerns of those it is designed to benefit. Helen Darbishire, Executive Director of

UNESCO urged to be transparent about its transparency policy!2018-11-13T10:03:44+01:00
7 Jun 2016

Access Info condemns slashing of World Bank’s Access to Information Unit

2018-11-13T10:04:10+01:00

Calls for Transparency to be core part of future governance agenda Madrid, 7 June 2016 - Access Info Europe has criticised the decision by the World Bank to axe its department working on access to information and called on it to keep promotion of transparency as a core part of promoting good, open government. Access Info also expressed concern that the Bank is likely to stop work on developing indicators that can be used to measure Sustainable Development Goal 16.10.2 on the right of access to information, something that other bodies such as UNESCO had been planning to rely on

Access Info condemns slashing of World Bank’s Access to Information Unit2018-11-13T10:04:10+01:00
17 Dec 2015

The Uncounted: Lack Of Migrant Detention Data Denounced

2018-11-13T10:04:24+01:00

Madrid/Geneva, 17 November 2015 - A serious lack of information about the number of migrants and asylum seekers in detention across Europe is impeding informed public debate, report Access Info Europe and the Global Detention Project following submission of access to information requests in 33 countries. The report comes as EU heads of government meet in Brussels for their last summit of the year, with migration a key topic. This lack of publicly available information on the scale and nature of detention is of particular concern now as Europe seeks to restrict the arrival of refugees. In the report issued

The Uncounted: Lack Of Migrant Detention Data Denounced2018-11-13T10:04:24+01:00
3 Dec 2015

Excessive exceptions impede access to draft transparency policy of UN environmental body

2018-11-13T10:04:26+01:00

Madrid, 3 December 2015 - Access Info Europe has raised concerns about unnecessary exceptions to access that have been included in the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) draft transparency policy which, if adopted in its current form, would severely restrict transparency inside the world’s highest environmental-protection authority. As part of a submission to UNEP’s public consultation on the policy, the pro-transparency organisation urged scrapping extra exceptions such as “documents created by the United Nations, received from or sent to third parties, under an expectation of confidentiality”, which fall outside international standards on access to information. “Whilst it is bad enough

Excessive exceptions impede access to draft transparency policy of UN environmental body2018-11-13T10:04:26+01:00
Original content developed by Access Info Europe and is made public under a Creative Commons Attribution, Share Alike licence.