Ghana to celebrate International Right to Know Day

on

September 28

Accra, Sept.

22, GNA – Ghana is to celebrate International Right to Know Day slated for

September 28 with a nation-wide public awareness crusade on individual's right

of access to government-held information.

The public

awareness crusade seeks to highlight transparency and accountability as keys to

good governance and the need to allow the people access to government-held

information as enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human

Rights.

"Everyone

has the right to freedom of opinion and expression which includes freedom to

hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information

and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers," a statement issued

by the Coalition on Right to Information (RTI), to Ghana News Agency in Accra

on Wednesday stated.

The

celebration is to raise awareness of every individual's right of access to

government-held information: the right to know how elected officials are

exercising power and how the tax-payers' money is being spent.

It is on the

theme “Information is a way to development. Your Right to Know”.

In view of the

national observance, RTI Coalition appealed to labour unions, traditional

rulers, political parties, religious bodies, civil society and non-governmental

bodies to mark the day with localised activities.

In addition it

appealed to the media, Ghana Journalists Association and National Media

Commission considered as key stakeholders in information dissemination to

create a platform for the citizenry to engage their leaders in healthy debate

on basic issues of life.

“We also call

on the Government to demonstrate its commitment to tenets of transparency and

accountability to publish reports about the current state of access to

information in Ghana,” the statement stated.

September 28,

is celebrated throughout the world as the International Right to Information

Day. This day is celebrated by Right to Information activists to symbolise the

global movement for promotion of the right to information.

The day is

marked by Civil Society groups to engage in national media campaigns to raise

awareness of the right; advocate for adoption of an access to information law

in countries which did not have.

It is also

used to help in dissemination of information about how to use access to

information laws in countries where they exist; organise seminars for local

civil society groups on how to access government held information (whether or

not a law exists in a particular country).

The Day was

first celebrated on September 28, 2003, and 2011 will be the Ninth

International Right to Know Day.