On April 13, the Chamber of Deputies of the Brazilian Congress passed historic legislation on the right to information. The bill must still be approved by the Brazilian Senate, but transparency advocates are confident that it will become law without delay.
While the 1998 Constitution contained a provision on the right to information, civil society groups argue that the lack of effective legislation to access information has meant that people cannot exercise this right in practice. A coalition of NGOs in Brazil has been working to promote transparency and raise awareness about the importance of this right in a democracy.
The bill, supported by President Lula, represents a significant step forward for transparency in Brazil. NGOs, however, are calling for more to be done, including the establishment of an independent body to consider appeals.
The Open Society Right to Information Fund and the Latin America Program support Artigo 19 and similar civil society organizations throughout the region in their efforts to expand the demand for the right to information and inform national debates about how to best ensure this right.