Legislation on Freedom of Information : Trends and Standards

Mendel, Toby

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: ACCESS TO INFORMATION;    CIVIL SOCIETY;    CORRUPTION;    COURTS;    DEMOCRACY;   

RP-ID  :  30207

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

Coined at the dawn of the scientificage, Bacon's aphorism has taken on new meaning today,when government agencies have at their disposal massiveamounts of information about nearly every aspect of modernlife. Striking an appropriate balance between the power ofgovernment and of citizens to control it demands widespreadaccess to government-held information. As a result there isgrowing consensus that the right to information is a crucialelement of democratic, accountable, responsive government.Recognition of this right has come swiftly. Just over adecade ago it was guaranteed in only a handful of countries.Now more than 50 countries have freedom of information laws,and 15-20 more are considering them. Moreover, a growingnumber of intergovernmental bodies-including the World Bank,European Union, and United Nations DevelopmentProgramme-have such policies.