Carter Center Congratulates Liberia on Passage of Freedom of Information Bill

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:

In Atlanta, Deborah Hakes, 404-420-5124

In Liberia, Alphonsus Zeon, 231-652-2916

The Carter Center congratulates the Liberian National Legislature for its unanimous passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill. The Carter Center also commends the FOI Consortium, comprised of representatives of more than 10 civil society organizations and government agencies including the Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism, for its commitment to advancing the right of access to information in Liberia. Access to information is a fundamental human right and critical for development, good governance, and for holding government accountable.

Liberia's House of Representatives passed the FOI bill on July 22, 2010, two years after the bill was submitted, and the Senate concurred on Sept. 2. The bill now moves to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for her signature. With the passage of the FOI bill, Liberia will join the international community of more than 90 countries around the world with statutory rights of access to information and is poised to become a leader in Africa. The Carter Center urges all Liberians to exercise their new right to public information when the law goes into effect.

The Carter Center Access to Information Project appreciates the opportunity to accompany the process, share its international experiences regarding such legislation, and looks forward to continuing collaboration as the Government of Liberia undertakes the difficult challenge of full and effective implementation of the law.

####

The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide. A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, the Center has helped to improve life for people in more than 70 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; improving mental health care; and teaching farmers to increase crop production.

In Liberia, the Center is currently working with government and civil society to strengthen access to justice, to advance the right of access to information, and to create a sustainable mental health system.

The Carter Center's access to information work in Liberia is supported in part by a grant from USAID through IREX.