New Afghan law grants access to information

Afghan president Ashraf Ghani has signed the new Access to Information Act, ratifying the 6 chapters and 32 articles that deliver Afghans unprecedented transparency in the state institutions.

"It is the first time in Afghan history that citizens and journalists get access to information through state institutions," explains project manager Malek Sitez from the Danish Institute for Human Rights.

Sitez has been following the drafting of the law on first hand as the Danish Institute for Human Rights has provided support to the process.

International standards
The law lives up to international standards and will have major effects in limiting corruption, localising democracy and strentghening the people's political and social participation in state building.

People will gain access to state and public budgets, and official spokespeople will be inclined to share information with journalists and citizens.

"The working groups who worked on the draft of the law worked closely with our experts. The result is clear: The law convey the values of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and it respects the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights," Sitez says.

Putting law into practice
There is, however, still quite some way to go. Afghanistan is one of the most corrupt countries in the world, and having a great law on paper does not mean much if it is not implemented in practice.

Implementation of the law is one of the biggest challenges. A joint working force was developed between presidential office and civil society to monitor the implementation of the law.

"Our partner, the Civil Society and Human Rights Network, will advocate to create a complaint mechanism for the implementation of Access to Information law. Hopefully, this will help to make this law effectful," Malek Sitez adds.