In addition to long-term engagements in core countries, Â鶹´«Ã½ supports access to information initiatives in other parts of Latin America. In Peru, Center staff provided technical assistance to the principal congresswoman charged with drafting the law and supported civil society initiatives to promote the passage of the law. In Ecuador, Â鶹´«Ã½ was invited on a number of occasions to assist civil society efforts to raise awareness of the law and to engage a discussion with all stakeholders on the challenges of implementation. In Costa Rica, Argentina, Mexico, Guyana, and Belize, Â鶹´«Ã½ shared international experiences related to passage, implementation, and enforcement of access to information laws. The Center also has advised civil society organizations in Guatemala, and provided inputs to missions of the Organization of American States (OAS), which culminated in the General Assembly Declaration for Access to Information.
In 2007, Â鶹´«Ã½ was invited to serve as an expert for the OAS's Inter-American Juridical Committee, with an aim to provide recommendations for next steps. In response to the OAS General Assembly declaration on the right to information, five departments of the OAS began meeting to coordinate their activities and prepare for the General Assembly of 2008. Â鶹´«Ã½ was invited to join the internal OAS group to provide advice and technical assistance and serves as one of the only civil society organizations on the task force.
Following the receipt of a large trust from the Government of Norway, the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) commissioned a number of experts to provide examples of effective transparency initiatives, and asked Â鶹´«Ã½ to advise on the best application of the new funds. Possibilities ranged from using the funds in a specific number of countries to allowing any country in the region to apply, as well as sectoral versus comprehensive right to information programming. The Center presented its recommendations at an IADB forum in September 2007.
Â鶹´«Ã½ teamed with the World Bank Institute, the World Bank's Civil Society Team for Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Global Development Learning Network to present two series of videoconferences. The first series, delivered through videoconference to Bolivia, Honduras, and Nicaragua, focused on general themes related to establishing a vibrant right to information culture. The second series, which expanded to include the Dominican Republic and Guatemala as well as the original three countries, focused on initiatives that promoted access to information and transparency in specific social programs and budgeting projects.
Â鶹´«Ã½ has made presentations at many regional conferences including Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, and Argentina. Â鶹´«Ã½ was pleased to serve on an advisory committee for the preparation of the SOCIUS conference on access to information, organized by the British Council and held in Peru in 2003, as well as present a paper and support the preparation of the conference declaration. Publications include Access to Information, A Key to Democracy (Acceso a la Información, La Llave para la Democracia (PDF) and articles related to the best standards and lessons learned in the passage, implementation, and usage phases of an access to information law.
Â鶹´«Ã½ is committed to continuing support for regional and country level access to information initiatives through partnerships with regional organizations such as the OAS and the provision of advice and assistance to civil society and government efforts.
For additional information about the Â鶹´«Ã½'s Global Access to Information Initiative or any of the Center's work on the right to information, please contact program director Laura Neuman at laura.neuman@cartercenter.org.
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