Pacific nations to study FOI law

Pacific nations to study FOI law

Thursday, July 31, 2008

3:06 PM

Pacific nations to study FOI law

Published on Thursday, July 31, 2008

 

Natasha Bodden FOI Unit’s Policy Analyst

Natasha Bodden, the Freedom of Information (FOI) Unit’s Policy Analyst, shared the Cayman Islands’ experience with the Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation with Pacific nations while on an official visit to the Solomon Islands.

Ms Bodden was invited to speak at the first-ever FOI Workshop held in the Honaira region, where she told policymakers that it is imperative to localise FOI legislation and encourage public participation.

“As a small island community, we in the Cayman Islands had felt the need to adjust international legislation to suit our particular circumstances. As such we reviewed existing FOI laws worldwide and created our own, using international best practices adapted to fit our country,” she said.

Ms Bodden added that there is need for public consultation throughout the development process so that the final legislation and regulations will actually fit community needs.

Other issues needing attention include the creation of a robust records management system to ensure accurate and timely responses to requests for information, and the development of a culture of openness within the public sector so “governments will acknowledge that the information they hold is owned by the public,” Ms Bodden explained.

Following her presentation, Cook Islands Ombudsman Janet Maki commented that a study of the Cayman Islands’ experience of implementing FOI legislation has much to offer other countries undertaking the same process.

“We hope to follow similar practices when implementing our own,” she said.

Regional Governance Adviser for the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat Dr Henry Ivarature specifically thanked the Cayman Islands and Ms Bodden for travelling to the Pacific to share FOI implementation experiences.

The workshop was organised by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme’s Pacific Centre. Other participating countries were the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

 

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