Last Updated On: 23 May, 2024

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The success and development depends upon the access to resources of information. This fundamental root of success is the need of the hour for which we are now compiling various information on our website.

Now-a-days the policy on disclosure of information has enabled every citizen to access information. This transparency has made a ground breaking change in how the information is now being available to the public. Now the public has access to more information than ever before—information about projects under preparation, projects under implementation, analytic and advisory activities, and Board proceedings, etc.

The right to access information was first written in the Swedish constitution in 1766. The Freedom of Press Act was then introduced to fight against political censorship of public documents; it explicitly listed the right to access public documents. Since then many countries followed suit, and by now it is protected by most national constitutions, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Access to information is therefore considered a fundamental right.

On 17 November 2015, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared 28 September as International Day for Universal Access to Information. Considering that several civil society organizations and government bodies in the world have adopted and currently celebrate this observance, the UN General Assembly also adopted 28 September 2019 as the International Day for Universal Access to Information.

UNESCO and its intergovernmental programs - the International Programme for Development of Communication and the Information for All Programme - provide a platform and frame for all the stakeholders to participate in international discussions on policy and guidelines in the area of access to information. Both programs also enable positive environment for ATI to flourish through the development of projects aimed to strengthen open science, multilingualism, ICTs for disabled and marginalized, and media and information literacy.

Underlying this policy is the principle that even the World Bank (namely the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Development Association) will disclose any information in its possession that is not on its list of exceptions.

The policy also outlines a clear process for making information publicly available and provides a right to appeal if information-seekers believe they were improperly or unreasonably denied access to information or there is a public interest case to override an exception that restricts access to certain information.

The right to access information, or freedom of information, is defined as the right of any individual to ask any public body for information regarding public services, public money etc. to consult or obtain this information, which can be of any form (document, audio, video, etc.). Freedom of information entails two main elements: the obligation to inform, and the right to be informed. Therefore, people have a right to request and receive information, and governments have an obligation to publish information proactively. It can concern companies if public money is spent, or in some countries, if a certain percentage of the company is owned by the state. This right is not an absolute one: there are certain situations where public interest requires that information cannot be released publicly. For instance, some documents are classified and cannot be consulted by third-parties because of the risk they pose to national security.

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