Access to Information Day
| Access To Information Day | |
|---|---|
 Flag of UNESCO | |
| Official name | International Day for the Universal Access to Information |
| Observed by | UNESCO |
| Celebrations | UNESCO |
| Begins | 2015 |
| Date | 28 September |
| Next time | 28 September 2019 |
| Frequency | annual |
The International Day for the Universal Access to Information (commonly called the Access to Information Day) is an international day of recognition designated by the UNESCO General Conference to be held on September 28. The day was inaugurated in November 2015 and was first held on September 28, 2016. On International Right to Information Day 101 RTI Applications to different public authorities sent by Mr. Naveen Agrawal to creats awareness about RTI Act, 2005
The day had been recognised as International Right to Know Day since 2002 and was developed by international civil society advocates into its current form beginning in 2012. The UNESCO resolution creating the day was pushed by African civil society groups seeking greater information transparency.[1]
Currently only 17 African Union member states have adopted national right to information laws, and groups like Open Government Partnership hope that the recognition of the right to information will "provide an important platform for all stakeholders at national level to discuss the adoption and effective implementation of national right to information laws in line with continental and international standards and obligations."[2]
However, African civil society groups like MISA Zimbabwe have noted that states like Zimbabwe which do have Right to Information laws still have a long way to go to ensure they improve governance. In 2016, MISA Zimbabwe used Access to Information Day to criticise Zimbabwe's poor information transparency provisions, noting that, "While Zimbabwe was one of the first African countries to adopt an access to information law in the form of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), the law in question is a far cry from its purported import and impact."[3]
INDIA Maharashtra Nagpur
On International Right to Information Day 101 RTI Applications to different public authorities Naveen Agrawal creats awareness about RTI Act, 2005
28 September is observed as International Right to Information Day across the world. This right to information was used for the first time in the year 1766 in Sweden under the title Freedom of Press Act. The same was launched in 13 more countries in 1990 and today more than 100 countries have passed the Right to Information Act. India is one of such countries. India introduced this act in 2005 with a view to bringing about transparency in government offices to check corrupt practices. However due to the lack of awareness there prevails a lot of confusion and doubts about the applicability and practicability of this act. Many public institutions were not aware about various aspects of the RTI Act introduced by Government of India. Thus to increase the awareness Mr. Naveen Agrawal has taken the initiation in this direction. With a view to creating awareness among various sections of society the Registrar of Dada Ramchand Bakhru Sindhu Mahavidyalaya, Nagpur Mr. Naveen Maheshkumar Agrawal sent 101 applications under RTI Act 2005 to different institutions which by itself is a record. This is the first instance of sending 101 RTI applications to different public authorities in a single day by one single individual.
References
- ↑ "UNESCO Names Sept. 28 Access to Information Day". freedominfo.org. 17 November 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
- ↑ Sendugwa, Gilbert (25 November 2015). "INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO INFORMATION: A NEW OPPORTUNITY TO ADVANCE OPEN GOVERNMENTS!". Open Government Partnership. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
- ↑ MISA (28 September 2016). "MISA-Zimbabwe commemorates International Day for Universal Access to Information". thezimbabwean.co. The Zimbabwean. Retrieved 28 September 2016.