BLANTYRE (MaraviPost)–The Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa Advocate Pansy Tlakula is in Malawi for advocacy mission and to appreciate progress the country has made in the enactment of an Access to Information (ATI) Law.
The Special Rapporteur, who arrived in the country on Sunday in the company of ATI experts from the Open Society Foundation and the Centre for Human Rights of the University of Pretoria, will hold meetings with various senior government officials including the Minister of Justice Samuel Tembenu, Minister of Information Tourism and Culture Kondwani Nankhumwa, the Speaker of the National Assembly Richard Msowoya and members of various Parliamentary Committees, Malawi Human Rights Commission, United Nations Resident Coordinator and civil society actors working on ATI.
Meanwhile, MISA Malawi Chairperson Thom khanje has described this high level advocacy mission as timely and imperative in the country’s efforts to have legislation on ATI.
Khanje said the Special Rapporteur’s visit does not only add impetus to local efforts for Malawi to have legislation on ATI but also demonstrates the importance of ATI in promoting good governance and citizen participation in the democratic process.
The special rapporteur was appointed pursuant to a Resolution of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights as adopted at the African Commission’s 38th Ordinary Session on 5th December, 2005.
Among others, the major focus of the rapporteur’s work has been to encourage AU Member States to adopt Access to Information laws which conform to regional and international standards. To that end, the Special Rapporteur led the process for the development of a Model Law on ATI for Africa to assist Member States in the adoption of ATI Laws that are in line with international principles and standards.
The development of the Model Law was a two and a half year long process, which culminated in its adoption by the African Commission in February 2013, and was launched on April 12 during the 53 Ordinary Session of the African Commission which took place from 9 to 23 April 2013 in Banjul, Gambia.
Malawi is one of the country’s that has used the Model Law in drafting its ATI Bill.
