Right to Information - International non-governmental organisations
Article 19 – The Global Campaign for Free Expression
Article 19 is a human rights organisation in London with a specific mandate and focus on the defence and promotion of freedom of expression and freedom of information worldwide. In this respect Article 19 undertakes regional access to information activities in Central and Eastern Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia. Article 19 has produced a series of international standard setting documents that are used by governments and civil society organisations worldwide, which can be accessed via their website.
Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative
The Delhi based Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative is a non-governmental organisation mandated to ensure the practical realisation of human rights in the countries of the Commonwealth. Its objectives are to promote awareness of and adherence to the Harare Commonwealth Declaration, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and other internationally recognised human rights instruments, as well as domestic instruments supporting human rights in Commonwealth member states. In the framework of the Access to Information Programme the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative provides for a right to information website designed to provide legislators, advocates and the public with resources on international and Commonwealth principles and standards on the right to information. This website contains a collection of national right to information resources for all 53 countries of the Commonwealth, including legislation, papers and links to other useful websites.
http://www.humanrightsinitiative.org/
Electronic Privacy Information Centre
Electronic Privacy Intormation Centre is a public interest research center in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1994 to focus public attention on emerging civil liberties issues and to protect privacy, the First Amendment, and constitutional values.
EPIC publishes an e-mail and online newsletter on civil liberties in the information age – the EPIC Alert as well as reports and books about privacy, open government, free speech, and other important topics related to civil liberties.
International Freedom of Expression eXchange
The International Freedom of Expression eXchange is a global network of 71 non-governmental organisations that promotes and defends the right to freedom of expression. IFEX exchanges information online and mobilises action on issues such as press freedom, Internet censorship, freedom of information legislation, criminal defamation and insult laws, media concentration and attacks on journalists, writers, human rights defenders and Internet users.
International Records Management Trust
The London based International Records Management Trust was set up in 1989 to help develop new strategies for managing public sector records to ensure efficiency, effectiveness, accountability, the protection of human rights services to citizens, poverty reduction strategies and the rule of law. In this regard the Trust offers consultancy services, education and development reseach on record management, which is a precondition for the realisation of the right to information in a number of countries.
Freedominfo.org – Online Network of Freedom of Information Advocates
The online network of freedom of information advocats offers an one-stop portal that describes best practices, consolidates lessons learned, explains campaign strategies and tactics in the field of right to information, and links the efforts of right to information advocates around the world - it contains crucial information on freedom of information laws and how they were drafted and how they are implemented and enforced.
Freedom of Information Advocates Network
The FOI Advocates Network was formed to meet the need to exchange information between NGOs working actively in the freedom of information area and to facilitate the development of common projects. The FOIA Network aims to help NGOs with campaigning, advocacy, and fundraising, through exchange of information, ideas, strategies and by providing a forum for collaboration. The FOIA Network also aims to facilitate the forming of coalitions of NGOs to address FOI issues at a regional or global level.
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization with headquarters in New York City that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Human Rights Watch produces research reports on violations of international human rights norms as set out by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other internationally-accepted human rights norms. This is intended to draw international attention to abuses and to put pressure on governments and international organizations to reform. Researchers conduct fact-finding missions to investigate suspect situations and generate coverage in local and international media. Issues raised by Human Rights Watch in its reports include social and gender discrimination, torture, military use of children, abuses in criminal justice systems and political corruption, including right to information. Human Rights Watch is a founding member of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange, a global network concerned with freedom of expression and right to information issues.
Open Society Justice Initiative
The Open Society Justice Initiative pursues law reform activities grounded in the protection of human rights, and contributes to the development of legal capacity for open societies worldwide. The Justice Initiative combines litigation, legal advocacy, technical assistance, and the dissemination of knowledge to secure advances in the following priority areas: national criminal justice, international justice, freedom of information and expression, and equality and citizenship.
http://www.justiceinitiative.org
Privacy International
Privacy International is a human rights organisation formed in 1990 as a watchdog on surveillance and privacy invasions by governments and corporations with its headquarters in London. Privacy International has conducted campaigns and research throughout the world on issues ranging from wiretapping and national security, to ID cards, video surveillance, data matching, medical privacy, and freedom of information and expression.
http://www.privacyinternational.org/
Public Affairs Centre
The Public Affairs Centre is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation based in Bangalore, which is dedicated to improving the quality of governance in India and other developing countries. The focus of the Public Affairs Foundation is primarily on areas in which citizens and civil society organisations can play a proactive role in improving governance. In this respect, the Public Affairs Centre undertakes and supports research, disseminates research findings, facilitates collective citizen’s action through awareness raising and capacity building activities and provides advisory services to state and non-state agencies in tandem with Public Affairs Foundation, its sister organisation.
In September 2006 the Public Affairs Centre established the 20 months “Right to Information Empowerment Programme” funded. This programme aims at improving the right to information legislation, the implementation and enforcement of such legislation and the utilisation of the right to information as a tool for democracy, good governance and the protection of human rights in a number of South Asian countries, including India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The Right to Information Empowerment Programme focuses on facilitating the effective engagement of active citizens, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations, human rights activists and development experts in the field of the right to information, through awareness raising, capacity building and research activities.
Statewatch
Statewatch is a London-based non-profit organisation founded in 1991 that monitors the state and civil liberties in the European Union. It is composed of lawyers, academics, journalists, researchers and community activists. Its European network of contributors is drawn from 14 countries. Statewatch encourages the publication of investigative journalism and critical research in Europe in the fields of the state, justice and home affairs, civil liberties, accountability and openness.
The Access Initiative
The Access Initiative is a global coalition of public interest groups collaborating to promote national-level implementation of commitments to access to information, participation, and justice in environmental decision-making. The Access Initiative is led by Corporación PARTICIPA (Chile), Thailand Environment Institute (Thailand), World Resources Institute (United States), Environmental Management and Law Association (Hungary), Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (Uganda), Iniciativa de Acceso-México (México).
http://www.accessinitiative.org/
The Carter Centre
The Carter Center is committed to advancing human rights and alleviating unnecessary human suffering. In the framework of the Access to Information Programme the Carter Center has supported the establishment of an access to information culture, beginning with a project in Jamaica that focused on ongoing legislative efforts to pass an access to information law. The Center's current project models itself on the success of its work in Jamaica, including promoting participatory lawmaking through informed debate and facilitating new partnerships between government and civil society. The project assists access to information initiatives throughout the Western Hemisphere with particular emphasis on Jamaica, Bolivia, and Nicaragua.
http://www.cartercenter.org/homepage.html
The Global Transparency Initiative
The Global Transparency Initiative is an informal network of civil society organizations that are working together to overcome the secrecy surrounding the operations of the International Financial Institutions. In this context the Global Transparency Initiative publishes reports and articles on International Financial Institutions transparency and related issues, initiates advocacy around ongoing International Financial Institutions disclosure policy reviews and co-ordinates freedom of information requests using domestic right to information legislation and International Financial Institutions disclosure policies.
http://ifitransparency.org/index.shtml
Transparency International
Transparency International is a leading international non-governmental organization addressing corruption and related issues. Transparency International is organised as a group of some 100 national chapters, with an international secretariat in Berlin, Germany. Transparency International is organised as a group of some 100 national chapters, with an international secretariat in Berlin, Germany. Transparency International publishes an annual Corruption Perceptions Index, an annual Global Corruption Report, a Global Corruption Barometer, Bribe Payers Index as well as reports and working papers on a number of corruption related issues such as right to information. Some Transparency International National Chapters are engaged in promoting the right to information in areas such as creating awareness, lobbying for legislation, training of media and public officials, as well as monitoring existing or newly enacted legislation.