Access to Information: Bolivia

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Access to Information Bolivia

Access to Information Inter-American Juridical
Committee March 2, 2007 Laura Neuman The Carter
Center

• Main Headline Goes Here

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• Presentation Outline
• Value of access to information (ATI)
• ATI vs. Habeas Data and Data Protection
• International and OAS framework
• Status of ATI in the OAS
• What is new in the Americas?
• What are other international bodies doing?
• What role could the Inter-American Juridical
  Committee play?

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Value of Access to Information

Fundamental human right, and critical to the
exercise of other rights

Tool in the fight against corruption

Increases accountability

Promotes citizen participation

Fosters more efficient public administration

Improves use of scarce resources

Encourages foreign investment

Enhances confidence of citizens in their
governments

Social Inclusion
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• ATI vs. Habeas Data and Data Protection Laws
• Different rights, with different objectives and
• processes that must be considered separately
• Access to Public Information
• Allows any person to request public documents
• Not based on any personal interest
• Purpose is to increase openness
• Habeas Data
• Allows a specific individual to access their own
  records or documents related to them
• Allows persons to request changes to personal
  documents
• Purpose is to ensure accuracy in public records
  with relation to specified individuals
• Data Protection Laws
• Allows individuals to ensure that their
  information remains private
• Limits the collection of personal data and limits
  its use
• Purpose is to protect private data of third
  parties, with disclosure based on consent

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• International and OAS Framework for the Right to
  Information
• Article 19, Universal Declaration of Human
  Rights
• Article 19, International Covenant on Civil and
  Political Rights
• Article 13, Inter-American Human Rights
  Convention
• Articles 4 and 6, Inter-American Democratic
  Charter
• Declaration at the Special Summit of the
  Americas, Nuevo Leon (2004)
• General Assembly Res 2252 Access to Public
  Information Strengthening Democracy, Santo
  Domingo (2006)
• General Assembly Res 2121 Access to Public
  Information Strengthening Democracy, Ft.
  Lauderdale (2005)
• Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of
  Expression

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Status of ATI in the Americas
COUNTRY ATI Constitutional provision ATI Law ATI Decree Considering ATI legislation
Argentina yes no yes Did not pass both chambers of Congress
Antigua Barbuda no yes - -
Bahamas no no no Yes -- media promoting
Barbados no no no Yes
Belize no yes - -
Bolivia no no yes Draft law with cabinet Voluntary Strategy pilot
Brazil yes no no Civil society groups promoting
Chile yes no no Civil society promoting, legislation drafting law
Colombia yes partial - -
Costa Rica yes no no Civil society promoting, law project drafted
Cuba no no no no
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COUNTRY ATI Constitutional Provision ATI law ATI Decree Considering ATI legislation
Dominica no no N/A N/A
Dominican Republic yes yes - -
Ecuador yes yes - -
El Salvador no no no Civil society promoting
Grenada no no no N/A
Guatemala yes no yes Legislation in Congress
Guyana no no no Legislation in Parliament
Haiti no no no no
Honduras no yes - -
Jamaica no yes - -
Netherlands Antilles N/A N/A N/A N/A
Mexico yes yes - -
Nicaragua yes no no Legislation in Congress Voluntary Strategy pilots

• Bullet
• Bullet

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COUNTRY ATI Constitutional Provision ATI Law ATI Decree Considering ATI legislation
Panama no yes - -
Paraguay yes no no Have been working on legislation since repealing law in 2001
Peru yes yes - -
Saint Kitts and Nevis no no no Legislation in Parliament
Saint Lucia no no no N/A
Saint Vincent and Grenadines no yes - -
Suriname no no N/A N/A
Trinidad and Tobago no yes - -
Venezuela yes no no Civil society promoting
Uruguay no no partial  
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• What is new in the Americas?
• Work of the Committee on Juridical and Political
  Affairs
• Work of the Inter-American Juridical Committee
• Work of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of
  Expression
• Claude vs. Chile
• New legislation ex. Honduras
• Guatemala Declaration of Central American
  Presidents
• Social Charter

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What are other International
Bodies Doing?
United Nations
Convention Against Corruption includes call for
access to information for all signatory states
UN Resolutions since 1997
UNDP supports adoption of ATI in member states
Special Rapporteur
Internal UN information policies

European Union
Mention of ATI included in Treaty on Europea
Union and Fundamental Rights
Research on ATI legislation in member countries
European Transparency Initiative

OECD
Internal Disclosure Policy
Supporting member states through Department of
Government-Citizen Relations
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Council of Europe
Recommendation Rec (2002)2 Access to Official
Documents
Ad hoc advisory group, Group of Specialists on
Access to Official Documents
Working on Convention for Access to Information
(legally binding for member states)
Internal rules on access to documents

African Union
Included in Charter on Human and Peoples Rights
Part of African Union Convention on Preventing
and Combating Corruption
Part of African Youth Charter

Development Banks
Internal policies
Encourage states that receive funding
Provide funding specifically for ATI

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What can the Inter-American Juridical Committee
do?

Create ad hoc group of experts

Establish standards document (Recommendations)
Precursor to a Convention

Further studies on specific topics related to
drafting ATI legislation, ex. scope,
exceptions,enforcement etc.

Support implementation of the Chile v. Claude
ruling

Monitoring mechanism, similar to MESICIC

Promote ATI as part of Social Charter

Study of domestic legislation that is contrary
to the right to information and other necessary
laws for effectiveness

Establish internal transparency policy for the
OAS

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Thank You Laura Neuman The Carter
Center Lneuman_at_emory.edu [phone]