Freedom of Information Act
Category: Furtherance of Democracy | Strength: Significant
Emphasizing the importance of openness, transparency and accountability in government,
Believing that every citizen should have access to the official documents and records of their government, within reason,
The General Assembly,
- Mandates that all World Assembly (WA) member nations release any official government documents or records requested by their citizens at minimal or no charge;
- Clarifies that WA member nations may fulfill these obligations either on a per-request basis or through the general availability of one or more publications containing this information, or some combination of the two, so long as the information remains easily and readily accessible;
- Permits WA member nations and the WA itself to place restrictions on the release of official government records based on reasonable, legitimate and non-arbitrary criteria, such as the protection of privacy or national security interests;
- Requests that WA member nations redact information from documents or records restricted under the above clause rather than prevent their distribution to the public;
- Requires WA member nations to implement a fair judicial appeals process where their citizens may challenge these restrictions.
Co-authored by: Quadrimmina