Publication: Implementing Right to Information
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Date
2013-09
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2013-09
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Over the last two decades, several developing countries have adopted right to information (RTI) laws, bringing the number of countries with such laws to more than 90. But empirical evidence on how effectively RTIs have worked, whether they have been effectively enforced, and if they have had any impact on improving accountability, is limited. This note examines how RTI laws have worked in different country contexts, drawing from an analysis of their implementation in eight countries spanning different regions, income levels, political forms, and administrative traditions. The experiences of these countries show that implementation has faced challenges across countries, but has been especially difficult in countries where the broader governance environment is weaker on dimensions such as the rule of law, government effectiveness, voice and accountability, civil liberties, and political rights. During the implementation phase, with the erosion of the initial political momentum behind the law, the incentives for officials to comply with the new legislation also tended to erode, resulting in efforts to undermine the law. The evidence suggests that as countries with challenging governance environments and capacity limitations adopt RTI laws, they will need to both devise implementation solutions that can adapt to these limitations and undertake complementary initiatives to strengthen their broader governance environment.
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“Dokeniya, Anupama. 2013. Implementing Right to Information. PREM Notes;No. 5. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/29698 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
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Publication Implementing Right to Information : Lessons from Experience(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2013-01)This implementing right to information lessons from experience has attempted to sketch out the key areas that are important to address during the implementation of Right-to-Information (RTI). In particular, it has highlighted both the imperative of setting up a number of institutions to build capacity and support for RTI in the public sector as well as the challenges in sustaining implementation institutions as political will erodes. It has highlighted the critical importance of the underlying political economy and governance environment, an area often ignored in devising reforms but that is key to whether RTI ultimately works effectively or has any impact. The number of countries with RTI laws-laws that establish citizens `right` to have access to public information or operationalize such a right found in the constitution has exploded. 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