28th September is the ‘Right to Know Day’ in 90 countries around the world. The idea was born on 28 September, 2002, on an international meeting of Freedom of Information organizations in Sofia, Bulgaria. On that day, Freedom of Information Advocates (FOIA) Network was also founded with the aim of promoting the individual right of access to information and open, transparent governance.
The ‘Right to Know Day’ itself symbolizes the global movement for promotion and also raising awarness of the right to information.
HCLU celebrates the ‘Right to Know Day’ with five access to public interest data cases on court this week.
Freedom of Information Advocates Network
Last fall, the Open Government Partnership (OGP) adopted a new policy to help re-establish an environment for government and civil society collaboration, safeguarding the Open Government Declaration and to mitigate reputational risks to OGP. Today, members of Hungarian civil society, including representatives of the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, Transparency International Hungary and K-Monitor, as well as Sunlight’s international policy manager, a former employee of K-Monitor, called on the OGP Steering Committee to take action under the new policy and launch a thorough investigation into the situation in Hungary, with a special attention to the deterioration of the space for civil society.
The goal of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) initiated by American President Barack Obama is the establishment of a transparent, efficient and accountable government/administration. The HCLU and K-Monitor have prepared proposals on commitments to be undertaken by Hungary.
Read the abridged English version of a new book written by two prominent Hungarian investigative journalists on how the Hungarian criminal justice system worked or rather failed in the most prominent white collar crime cases since 1990, the year when – following the fall of communism - democracy, democratic police, prosecution and courts were reestablished in the country.