Twenty years after the Windhoek Declaration on press freedom
Twenty years after the Windhoek Declaration on press freedom
Twenty years after the Windhoek Declaration on press freedom
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si<strong>on</strong> and access to informati<strong>on</strong> in<br />
Africa promises to be bright. The<br />
Arab revoluti<strong>on</strong> has caused immediate<br />
discussi<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> guarantees for<br />
both rights, in law and practice. In<br />
countries where <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> discussi<strong>on</strong> was<br />
l<strong>on</strong>g forgotten, like Ghana, Kenya,<br />
Sierra Le<strong>on</strong>e and Niger, a positive<br />
wind of change is blowing.<br />
Ano<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r positive is <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> formati<strong>on</strong> of<br />
“The Arab revoluti<strong>on</strong><br />
has caused immediate<br />
discussi<strong>on</strong>s <strong>on</strong><br />
guarantees for both<br />
rights, in law and<br />
practice.”<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Africa Freedom of Informati<strong>on</strong><br />
Centre (AFIC), a pan-African civil<br />
society body with membership<br />
drawn from human rights and<br />
media organisati<strong>on</strong>s from around<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>tinent. The centre works with<br />
nati<strong>on</strong>al civil society coaliti<strong>on</strong>s and<br />
stakeholders to promote <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> right of<br />
access to informati<strong>on</strong> by building a<br />
knowledge base through research,<br />
technical assistance <strong>on</strong> draft bills<br />
and advocacy for legislati<strong>on</strong> and<br />
implementati<strong>on</strong>.<br />
In <strong>on</strong>e case of AFIC acti<strong>on</strong>, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
organisati<strong>on</strong> made an informati<strong>on</strong><br />
request to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Ugandan parliament<br />
in November 2010. This was to find<br />
out how different ministers were<br />
reporting in compliance with article<br />
43 of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Access to Informati<strong>on</strong><br />
Act. The background is that <str<strong>on</strong>g>after</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
being passed, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Ugandan law<br />
was not implemented for six <str<strong>on</strong>g>years</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
because government had not issued<br />
regulati<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
In February 2011, having received no<br />
resp<strong>on</strong>se we sent an email reminder<br />
to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> parliament, receiving <strong>on</strong>ly a<br />
teleph<strong>on</strong>ic resp<strong>on</strong>se that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re had<br />
been no compliance and parliament<br />
was now going to start enforcing<br />
162 | Media in Africa - 2011<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> article. AFIC <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>n filed a similar<br />
informati<strong>on</strong> request to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> prime<br />
minister of Uganda.<br />
In March 2011, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> New Visi<strong>on</strong><br />
newspaper carried a story, “Nsibambi<br />
warns lazy ministers” in which<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> prime minister was quoted<br />
as directing ministers to comply<br />
with reporting requirements. In a<br />
letter to AFIC <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> following m<strong>on</strong>th,<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Minister for Informati<strong>on</strong> and<br />
Nati<strong>on</strong>al Guidance said <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> lack of<br />
compliance to date had been due to<br />
a delay in gazetting <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> regulati<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
The letter promised that gazetting<br />
would be d<strong>on</strong>e within two m<strong>on</strong>ths<br />
and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re<str<strong>on</strong>g>after</str<strong>on</strong>g> ministers would<br />
comply with reporting requirements.<br />
Subsequently, <strong>on</strong> World Press Freedom<br />
Day, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> government’s Director<br />
for Informati<strong>on</strong> and Nati<strong>on</strong>al Guidance<br />
announced that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> regulati<strong>on</strong>s<br />
had been gazetted.<br />
This is an important, but first, step<br />
towards full implementati<strong>on</strong>. These<br />
kinds of advocacy initiatives need to<br />
be intensified to take full advantage<br />
of new opportunities in Africa to<br />
foster a culture of transparency<br />
that is entrenched in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> law and<br />
implemented in practice.