Access to Information: An enabling and fundamental human right

Welcome to the African Platform on Access to Information (APAI)

Africa’s Gift to the World

Pounding Pavements, Knocking on Doors – a campaign for access to information in Africa

This is the story of the journey taken by African civil society actors and governments to guarantee access to information is recognised as a fundamental human right and commemorated as the International Day of Universal Access to Information on 28 September.

It also contains stories of challenges and successes in seeing that right recognised.

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Who we are

Who we are

The Working Group (WG) of the campaign for an African Platform on Access to Information (APAI) is a network of civil society organisations that are working on the promotion of access to information in Africa.

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14 key principles

The APAI Declaration lists a number of key principles intended to advance the right to access to information in all its dimensions, nationally, regionally, and internationally...

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APAI Declaration

The African Platform on Access to Information (APAI) Declaration was adopted at the Pan African Conference on Access to Information (PACAI) on 19 September 2011,...

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Why it matters

"Information is power. People have to realise that without information they will never be able to better their lives."
Adv. Pansy Tlakula

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African states with ATI laws

Updates

The United Nations General Assembly Proclaims 28th September as the International Day for Universal Access to Information

18. October 2019 MISA - MISA

On 15 October 2019, the 74th UN General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed 28 September as the International Day for Universal Access to Information.

The resolution was adopted by consensus following a presentation by the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Liberia to the United Nations, Ambassador Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah.  who tabled the proposal and initiated negotiations for the resolution that was co-sponsored by 29 Member States of the United Nations.

The United Nations General Assembly Proclaims 28th September as the International Day for Universal Access to Information

African states with ATI laws

  • Angola (2002)
  • Benin (2015)
  • Burkina Faso (2015)
  • Cote D'Ivoire (2014)
  • Ethiopia (2008)
  • Ghana (2019)
  • Guinea (2010)
  • Ivory Coast (2013)
  • Kenya (2016)
  • Liberia (2010)
  • Malawi (2017)
  • Morocco (2018)
  • Mozambique (2015)
  • Niger (2011)
  • Nigeria (2011)
  • Rwanda (2013)
  • Seychelles (2018)
  • Sierra Leone (2013)
  • South Africa (2000)
  • South Sudan (2013)
  • Sudan (2013)
  • Tanzania (2016)
  • Togo (2016)
  • Tunisia (2016)
  • Uganda (2005)
  • Zimbabwe (2002)