Skip to main content
Latest news
Thumbnail

Access to Govt Info Still Restricted in Afghanistan: IWA

On Monday, the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI), Integrity Watch Afghanistan (IWA) stated that many government institutions in Afghanistan are failing to comply with the Access to Information Law.

Based on the IWA statistics, 19 government institutions were assessed in terms of their commitment to Access to Information Law, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock has acted in accordance with the law by "47 percent," but the Office of the President, the Supreme Court, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Parliament, the Ministry of Interior and eight other government institutions did "not apply the law properly" in their practices toward making information available to the public. 

“We have three categories, green, yellow and red; unfortunately, none of our institutions are operating at the green category in terms of access to information,” said Sayed Ekram Afzali, the CEO of Integrity Watch Afghanistan (IWA).

“The lack of information and the lack of a digital system with an authentic circulation system does not exist for users, this is why we are on the bottom of the list at the international level,” said Ainuddin Bahaduri, the head of the Access to Information Commission.

"Providing information does not mean that the government, institutions, and the ministries are giving someone a privilege," said Mohammad Tahir Zuhair, Minister of Information and Culture.

Afghanistan approved the Access to Information Law in 2014. The law recognizes the rights of citizens to information from all institutions.

Based on the Access to Information Law, all citizens of the country can demand information.

All government institutions under the Access to Information Law are obliged to provide information on their own initiative, or to provide communication tools giving access, or to react to requests for information.

Main Goals of the Access to Information Law:

1. Protect the rights of all citizens  to access information from institutions.

2. Ensure transparency, strengthen the culture of information-providing, promote people’s participation in good governance, ensure accountability in the conduct of institutions, and combat corruption.
3. Fulfill Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in consideration of Article 3 of the Constitution of Afghanistan.

4. Regulate the process of requesting and providing information.

The International Day for Universal Access to Information was proclaimed on October 15, 2019 at the 74th UN General Assembly to be held on September 28. Initially, the day was designated by the UNESCO General Conference. It was inaugurated in November 2015 and was first held on September 28, 2016.

Access to Govt Info Still Restricted in Afghanistan: IWA

Based on the Access to Information Law, all citizens of the country can demand information.

Thumbnail

On Monday, the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI), Integrity Watch Afghanistan (IWA) stated that many government institutions in Afghanistan are failing to comply with the Access to Information Law.

Based on the IWA statistics, 19 government institutions were assessed in terms of their commitment to Access to Information Law, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock has acted in accordance with the law by "47 percent," but the Office of the President, the Supreme Court, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Parliament, the Ministry of Interior and eight other government institutions did "not apply the law properly" in their practices toward making information available to the public. 

“We have three categories, green, yellow and red; unfortunately, none of our institutions are operating at the green category in terms of access to information,” said Sayed Ekram Afzali, the CEO of Integrity Watch Afghanistan (IWA).

“The lack of information and the lack of a digital system with an authentic circulation system does not exist for users, this is why we are on the bottom of the list at the international level,” said Ainuddin Bahaduri, the head of the Access to Information Commission.

"Providing information does not mean that the government, institutions, and the ministries are giving someone a privilege," said Mohammad Tahir Zuhair, Minister of Information and Culture.

Afghanistan approved the Access to Information Law in 2014. The law recognizes the rights of citizens to information from all institutions.

Based on the Access to Information Law, all citizens of the country can demand information.

All government institutions under the Access to Information Law are obliged to provide information on their own initiative, or to provide communication tools giving access, or to react to requests for information.

Main Goals of the Access to Information Law:

1. Protect the rights of all citizens  to access information from institutions.

2. Ensure transparency, strengthen the culture of information-providing, promote people’s participation in good governance, ensure accountability in the conduct of institutions, and combat corruption.
3. Fulfill Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in consideration of Article 3 of the Constitution of Afghanistan.

4. Regulate the process of requesting and providing information.

The International Day for Universal Access to Information was proclaimed on October 15, 2019 at the 74th UN General Assembly to be held on September 28. Initially, the day was designated by the UNESCO General Conference. It was inaugurated in November 2015 and was first held on September 28, 2016.

Share this post