In observance of International Day for Universal Access to Information, two international access organizations are co-hosting a webinar from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EDT on September 29, 2020, to discuss best practices in access to information amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Register for the webinar here. The United National Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Conference of Information Commissioners (ICIC) are jointly sponsoring the event.
“The role of Information Commissioners is crucial in holding public authorities to account by ensuring good records keeping and management, sound information processing and adherence to information access, proactive disclosure and other statutory obligations, particularly in the situation of public emergency,” the ICIC said in a statement. OGIS is an accredited member of ICIC.
In 2015, UNESCO declared September 28th of each year International Day for Universal Access to Information. The slogan of this year’s commemoration is “Access of Information – Saving Lives, Building Trust, Bringing Hope!”
As OGIS noted earlier this year, the ICIC and colleagues have come together during this pandemic to reaffirm the importance of access to information laws in building greater public trust in government. Openness and transparency, as well as proactive sharing of information, are essential to allowing citizens to better understand public decision-making.
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