Strengthening Transparency and Accountability through Access to Information

Strengthening Transparency and Accountability through Access to Information

Providing citizens with open access to information is a cornerstone of good governance. Transparency is essential to allow citizens and markets to hold institutions accountable for their policies and performance, to foster trust in government and m...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Bellver, Ana, Mendiburu, Marcos, Poli, Maria
Format: Brief
Language:English
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2012
Subjects:
ACCESS TO INFORMATION
ACCOUNTABILITY
ACCOUNTABILITY RELATIONSHIPS
ADVOCACY
ANTI-CORRUPTION
ANTICORRUPTION
CIVIL SERVICE
CIVIL SOCIETY
CIVIL SOCIETY ACTORS
CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS
COLLABORATION
CONSULTATIONS
CORRUPTION
DRAFT LEGISLATION
ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT
ELECTIONS
ELECTRONIC INFORMATION
ENTRY POINT
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION LAWS
GOOD GOVERNANCE
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT
JOURNALISTS
LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP ROLE
LOAN
LOBBYING
MEDIA
MOBILIZATION
MONOPOLY
NEGOTIATIONS
POLITICAL AGENDA
POLITICIANS
POVERTY REDUCTION
PRIVATE SECTOR
PUBLIC INFORMATION
PUBLIC SECTOR
RIGHT TO INFORMATION
SENIOR
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS
STAKEHOLDER
STAKEHOLDERS
TRANSPARENCY
TRUST IN GOVERNMENT
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2008/07/10133639/strengthening-transparency-accountability-through-access-information
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/10277
Description
Summary:Providing citizens with open access to information is a cornerstone of good governance. Transparency is essential to allow citizens and markets to hold institutions accountable for their policies and performance, to foster trust in government and minimize corruption. In the Latin America and the Caribbean region several countries have adopted Freedom of Information laws and a few more are currently considering them. This movement provides a unique opportunity to strengthen accountability relationships in the region. The World Bank is providing ongoing support to Access to Information (ATI) implementation through different instruments. In the Dominican Republic legislation was adopted and draft legislation to establish a regulatory body has been submitted to Congress. Finally, with Bank support for institutional development, the Honduran Congress adopted ATI legislation in late 2006 and appointed Access to Information Commissioners in 2007. As new oversight institutions are created and ATI legislation gets passed in America and Caribbean (LAC) it will be crucial for the Bank to provide assistance and build the capacity of the new Commissions. The importance of the Commissions and of ATI to the larger goals of the governance and anti-corruption agenda reinforce the need for the Bank to remain actively engaged with this community and continue its convening and knowledge brokering role.

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