A group of civil society organizations from Latin America and the United States, members and allies of the Coalition for Human Rights in Development, sent a letter to the Inter-American Development Bank regarding the current process of revising its Access to Information Policy (AIP). The group made fifteen recommendations to the draft AIP, as well as specific comments on the text.
At the outset of the AIP review process, the Bank invited stakeholders to a public consultation process “to build a more robust and representative policy.” This document with recommendations and comments was prepared by organizations that have been advocating on this issue for some time. The observations are complementary to the participation of organizations in virtual and face-to-face consultations in Bogota, Montevideo, and Washington, D.C.
The fifteen recommendations and comments are the result of the collective work of organizations from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, El Salvador, the United States, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, and the region. Throughout the process, the organizations have demonstrated their commitment to strengthening the AIP by participating in the public consultation. The organizations expect the Bank to integrate the recommendations so that the new policy reflects the highest standards in access to information.
Recommendations from civil society organizations to the draft of the Inter-American Development Bank’s Access to Information Policy:
- Commitment to access to information as a fundamental human right.
- Implementation guidelines to be consulted with civil society.
- Implementation plan with resource allocation.
- Glossary with basic definitions for the correct interpretation of concepts.
- Commitment to maximum disclosure of information.
- Avoid ambiguity of language to prevent different interpretations.
- Specify what information is to be published proactively, disclosure times, formats, channels, and timeframes.
- Data protection and the possibility of anonymous requests for information.
- Make explicit that the ultimate decision in the management of information resides with the Bank.
- Make exceptions more precise and establish clear criteria for their application.
- Incorporate the criterion of public interest in the harm test.
- A platform to publish requests for information and their responses.
- Open data, simple language, accessible formats, and usability of the information.
- A mechanism for requesting information and a review mechanism.
- A system of indicators of transparency and effectiveness of the use of information.
Read the full document:
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