Right to Know Day around the world - UNECE Aarhus Clearinghouse for Environmental Democracy

Organizer: Aarhus Clearinghouse for Environmental Democracy
Date: September, 2006

Description: In recognition of FOIAnet's efforts to organize the 4th Annual Right to Know
Day (28 September 2006), the UNECE Aarhus Convention secretariat will
feature information on your Network and Freedom of Information Acts globally
in the Aarhus Clearinghouse for Environmental Democracy.

The Aarhus Clearinghouse for Environmental Democracy provides a forum for
the collection, dissemination and exchange of information on laws, policies
and good practices relevant to the rights of public access to information,
public participation in environmental decision-making and public access to
justice on environmental issues. Since it's launch in July 2004, the Aarhus
Clearinghouse has attracted 700,000 visits. Several thousand visitors now
regularly use the Clearinghouse to learn about good practices in the
emerging field of environmental democracy.

In addition to information related to the Convention on Access to
Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice
in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention), the Aarhus Clearinghouse also
contains other information relevant to the implementation of principle 10 of
the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, adopted at the Earth
Summit in 1992. Among the 39 Parties to the Aarhus Convention, national
FOIAs play a significant role in protecting and extending the public's right
to access information.

On 31 August 2006, the FOIAnet: Freedom of Information Advocates Network and
Overview of FOIA Countries Worldwide will be featured on the home page of
the Aarhus Clearinghouse: http://aarhusclearinghouse.unece.org.

A brief entry on FOIAnet and the Overview of FOIA Countries will also be
highlighted in the Resource Directory of the Clearinghouse:
http://aarhusclearinghouse.unece.org/resources.cfm