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Freedom
of Information - also known as access to information (ATI), the
public's right to know or administrative transparency - gives citizens
access to official information hold by government and other public
authorities. In 1766 a Freedom
of
Information Law (Tryckfrihetsförordningen) was introduced in Sweden-Finland,
thanks to a Finn
named Anders
Chydenius,
who fought for democracy, equality, and respect for the human rights.
Since then more
than 110 countries (2004,
2005, 2006,
2008,
2009,
2010,
2011) adopted
such laws with approx. 5.5
billion (2012) inhabitants. Approx. 50 countries guarantee FOI
in constitutions. More then approx. 450 million inhabitants live in
countries with access to information in constitution only. ATI is now
firmly recognised as an internationally guaranteed human right, with
decisions at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and European Court
of Human Rights, and global recognition by the UN Human Rights Committee.
RTI-Rating.org rates laws according to
international standards.
Here is a list of countries with access to information laws in effect and eventual constitutional right in addition:
1766 Sweden, constitutional right
1888 Columbia, constitutional right
1919 constitutional right only in Finland ? (Finnish Constitution 94/1919, 17 July 1919)
1951 Finland, constitutional right
1967 United States of America
1970 Denmark
1970 Norway, constitutional right
1978 France
1980 The Netherlands, constitutional right
1982 Australia
1983 New Zealand
1983 Canada, constitutional right
1986 Greece
1987 Austria
1990 Italy
1992 Hungary, constitutional right
1992 Spain, constitutional right
1992 Ukraine
1993 Portugal, constitutional right
1994 Belgium, constitutional right
1994 Belize
1997 Iceland
1997 Thailand, constitutional right
1997 Uzbekistan
1998 Hong Kong ?
1998 Ireland
1998 Latvia
1998 South Korea
1999 Albania, constitutional right
1999 Aruba
1999 Dutch Antilles
1999 Israel
2000 Georgia
2000 Georgia
2000 Liechtenstein
2000 Bulgaria, constitutional right
2000 Czech Republic, constitutional right
2000 Lithuania, constitutional right
2000 Moldova
2001 Estonia, constitutional right
2001 Slovakia, constitutional right
2001 South Africa, constitutional right
2001 Japan
2001 Estonia, constitutional right
2001 Romania, constitutional right
2001 Trinidad & Tobago
2002 Bosnia & Herzegovina
2002 Angola
2002 Pakistan
2002 Panama, constitutional right
2002 Poland, constitutional right
2002 Jamaica
2002 Tajikistan, constitutional right
2002 Zimbabwe
2003 Armenia
2003 Croatia, constitutional right (for journalists)
2003 Kosovo
2003 Mexico
2003 Peru, constitutional right
2003 Slovenia, constitutional right
2004 Antigua/Barbuda
2004 Dominican Republic
2004 Ecuador
2004 Jamaica
2004 Serbia
2004 Turkey
2005 Azerbaijan
2005 India
2005 Montenegro
2005 Taiwan
2005 United Kingdom
2006 Germany in federation and 11 of 16 federal states (lander)
2006 Honduras
2006 Switzerland
2006 Macedonia, constitutional right
2006 Uganda, Constitution Art. 41
2007 Cayman Islands, constitutional right
2007 Jordan
2007 Kyrgyzstan
2007 Nepal, Constitution right Art. 16
2007 Nicaragua
2008 China
2009 Bangladesh
2009 Chile
2009 Cook Islands
2009 Guatemala
2009 Uruguay
2010 Ethiopia, Constitution Art. 29
2009 Guinea [Conakry]
2010 Indonesia
2010 Liberia
2010 Russia, Constitution Art. 29
2011 El Salvador
2011 Niger
2011 Nigeria
2011 Tunisia
2011 Mongolia, Constitution Art. 16 (17)
2012 Brazil, constitutional right
2012 Malta
2012 Yemen
Here is a list of countries with access to information in constitution
only with more then approx. 450 million inhabitants.
In some of these countries citizens have practically no access to public
documents. Some others offer access as countries with laws.
| Year | Country (article in constitution) | Inhabitants in million 2010 |
| 1949 |
Costa
Rica (Art. 39) |
4.5 |
| 1975 | Papua New Guinea (Article 51) | 6.9 |
| 1987 | Philippines (Art. III, Sec. 7) | 93 |
| 1990 | Mozambique (Art.74) | 23 |
| 1992 | Cape Verde (Art. 256) | 0.5 |
| 1992 | Madagascar | 2 |
| 1992 | Turkmenistan (Art.26) | 0.5 |
| 1992 | Ghana Article 21(1)(f) | 24 |
| 1992 | Paraguay, (Art. 28) | 6.5 |
| 1994 | Belarus (Art. 34) | 9.5 |
| 1994 | Malawi (Art. 37) | 15 |
| 1995 | Kazakhstan (Art. 18(3)9 | 16 |
| 1997 | Fiji (Art. 147) | 0.9 |
| 1998 | Tanzania (Art. 18(2)) | 45 |
| 1999 | Venezuela (Art. 28) | 29 |
| 2003 | Afghanistan (Article 50) | 34 |
| 2010 | Kenya (Art. 35) | 40 |
| 2006 |
Democratic
Republic of Congo (26) |
71.7 |
| 2011 | Morocco (Art. 27) | 31 |
| Sum: |
458.8 |
In addition 24
Commonwealth's
member states support the Right to information as part of speech
and expression.
Warning: I do not accept any liability that the information on these pages is correct, accurate or up to date!
Please feel free to link this site!
Thanks to Roger Vleugels "Overview of FOIA Countries Worldwide – February 1 2006", Overview of all 86 FOIA Countries, September 22 2008 (update 2009: 90 States, update 2010) and others who provided this information. Please do not hesitate to mail me if you have additional information. The site http://right2info.org/ publishes both laws and constitutional provisions.
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