Namibia hosts a debut meeting to mark #AccessToInfoDay
HE Stanley Samataa (right), Pansy Tlakula (centre) and Jean-Pierre Ilboudo (left) celebrate the world’s first #AccessToInfoDay in Windhoek, Namibia.
Windhoek, capital of Namibia, was the site last week for the world’s first-ever commemoration of the new International Day for Universal Access to Information (UDUAI) which falls on 28 September. A vibrant meeting convened in the build up to the Day brought together people from government, the African Union and diplomats, as well as media and civil society organizations.
Many at the Windhoek event noted that the IDUAI initiative arose out of momentum from the 1991 Windhoek Declaration on Promoting an Independent and Pluralistic African Press. That Declaration had inspired UNESCO to declare World Press Freedom Day more than 25 years ago.
Participants recalled that a follow-up conference in 2011 to mark “Windhoek+20” had called on UNESCO to recognize the new date as a step to help promote worldwide access to information.
Welcoming UNESCO’s responsiveness to that call, speakers underlined the relevance of the Day to the Sustainable Development Agenda. In this context, many also noted Namibia on its own progress towards an Access to Information Act that is in preparation.
Namibia’s deputy Minister of Communications and Information Technology, HE Stanley Mutumba Simataa, who is also Chair of the UNESCO General Conference, underlined to the audience that without a right to information, the scope of access was limited.
Points were also made by Pansy Tlakula, Chairperson of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, who is also the African Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression and Access to Information. She saluted the leading role of civil society in advancing access to information and persuading UNESCO Member States to adopt the Day in 2015.
The Commission which she chairs has adopted a Model Law on Access to Information for Africa, which has been a resource for the Namibian process.
Participants at the meeting included the organizers of the event: the Media Institute for Southern Africa, Media Rights Agenda, the Open Democracy Advisory Group, the Africa Freedom of Information Centre, and Media Rights Agenda. It was these groups which developed the African Platform on Access to Information at the Windhoek+20 conference in 1991.
The importance of implementation of right to information laws was highlighted by Gwen Lister of the Namibia Media Trust, as well as civil society leaders Edetaen Ojo, Gilbert Sendugwa and Zoe Titus. Gender aspects were emphasized by journalism educator Emily Brown.
The event last week was supported by FESmedia Africa, which had also backed the historic 2011 conference.
UNESCO supported the commemoration event, with the head of the Windhoek Office, Jean-Pierre Ilboudo observing that access to information could help foster science, research and innovation in a society.
Guy Berger, Director for Freedom of Expression and Media Development at UNESCO, highlighted the need for press freedom as well as Media and Information Literacy to be part of the pillars of effective access to information.
Two further events will be organized in Windhoek on UDUAI itself, the 28 September, including one hosted by UNESCO, and another by Action Access to Information Namibia.
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