To mark the International Day for Universal Access to Information, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) calls for strong legislation and due implementation to allow for meaningful access to public information. The IFJ warns that legal guarantees are of little value, when authorities essentially obstruct access to information.
Access to information is a fundamental right recognised under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which protects the freedom to “seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media”. Yet, someone having a legal right to information does not necessarily mean being able to exercise that right. Across the world, journalists and media workers continue to face delays, refusals, restrictive rules and administrative barriers when seeking information from public authorities.
More than 139 countries have adopted constitutional or legal guarantees for public access to information, according to UNESCO. However, its 2025 Report on Public Access to Information reveals wide implementation gaps, legal loopholes and administrative barriers that prevent journalists and citizens from accessing the information they need to hold public authorities to account.
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Across the world, the IFJ deplores clear mishandling of the right to information, despite it being enshrined in law.
Europe
In Europe, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) Freedom of Information Report (2025) documents the persistent obstacles that journalists face when seeking public information. In practice, access to public information can be hindered by unanswered or delayed requests, partial disclosures, broad confidentiality exemptions, and lengthy appeal procedures. These obstacles can make it difficult for journalists to obtain timely information and scrutinise public authorities.
Luxembourg is a typical illustration of the existing gaps in this field. While the country has recently adopted new legislation recognising journalists’ right to access public information, important limitations remain. The country’s legislation does not establish a maximum processing time for journalists’ requests, and public authorities may react negatively or withhold information when they consider that the omitted material has limited public value.
Americas
In Latin America and the Caribbean, theRed Voces del Sur 2025 Shadow Report documents institutional resistance and safety risks facing journalists when they seek public records, as well as the weakening of protections for freedom of expression.
In 2021, the IFJ warned about proposed changes to El Salvador’s Access to Public Information Law, raising concerns over further restrictions of access to information and additional obstacles for investigative journalism.Five years later, those concerns remain.
North America
In North America, Canada is another example of implementation loopholes. The Centre for Law and Democracy’sCanada Submission on Access to Information highlights in particular persistent processing backlogs and shortcomings in the country’s access-to-information framework. This includes the need for stronger mechanisms to ensure that public authorities document and disclose information.
Africa
The ACHPR Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa continuously emphasises the importance of improving access-to-information frameworks. The African Guidelines on Access to Data has stressed the importance of access to data for transparency, accountability, and the protection of human rights for strengthening access-to-information frameworks.
In Senegal, the country’s National Assembly adopted in August 2025 a landmark Access to Information law, which guarantees every citizen the right to access information held by public institutions and private bodies performing public functions. However, the law’s implementation falls short, particularly with regard to information held by the government.
The Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), the IFJ’s pan-African federation, highlighted the need for African countries to adopt and harmonise their access to information laws with the standards set by the African Union. The goal is to ensure that journalism flourishes, democracy prospers and, fundamentally, that the African peoples’ inalienable right to information is upheld.
Asia-Pacific
In the Asia-Pacific region, efforts to strengthen access to information face some obstacles, due to concerns over the scope and effectiveness of new legal frameworks.
South Korea is another example of a country where there is a difference between formal and practical access to information. According to IFJ’s affiliate the Journalists Association of Korea (JAK), around 1.84 million requests for information were submitted to public institutions in 2023, resulting in an official disclosure rate of 94.3%. Nevertheless, many journalists found it difficult to obtain the information they requested. Reporters frequently get non-answers or rejections dressed up as compliance, since the statistic includes routine requests that agencies were already willing to release.
Middle East and the Arab World:
While a handful of countries such as Lebanon or Morocco have adopted access-to-information laws, even the strongest legal frameworks in this region have been undermined in practice by weak enforcement and high rates of unanswered or incomplete requests.
Tunisia probably represents one of the most striking recent setbacks in this field. In August 2025, authorities closed the headquarters of INAI – the independent body created in 2016 to guarantee the right to access information. This decision has significantly hampered the right to access information for citizens and journalists.In its latest report published in August 2026, the journalists’ union in Tunisia (SNJT), strictly denounced the violations of the right to access information in the country.
Documented experiences across regions show that adopting an access-to-information law alone is insufficient, if not backed by due implementation and regular monitoring.
The IFJ therefore urges governments worldwide to strengthen access-to-information laws, by introducing at least three key safeguards:
- Clear and enforceable deadlines: Laws should establish binding time limits for public authorities to respond to information requests, with any extensions strictly limited and justified. Unjustified delays should be subject to effective remedies.
- Independent and effective oversight: Access-to-information frameworks should provide for an independent oversight body, with sufficient resources and powers to review refusals and order disclosure. Authorities should be required to justify restrictions and demonstrate that these are necessary and proportionate.
- Proactive disclosure and preservation of public records:Authorities should be required to proactively publish information of clear public interest, including budgets, public contracts, legislative documents and relevant financial or political interests. They should also have a legal duty to properly create, preserve and archive public records, including digital records, so that information cannot become inaccessible because it was not properly documented or retained.
IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: “Access to information is not a privilege granted by public authorities. It is a fundamental right and a condition for independent journalism and democratic accountability. When governments delay, restrict or hide information of public interest, they do not only obstruct journalists’ work; they prevent citizens from knowing what is done in their name. Governments must ensure that the right to information works in practice, not only on paper. We need strong regulation, not empty promises.”
