Even while more governments and non-governmental forces harass, threaten and even kill journalists in the Americas, there is a glimmer of hope: Access to information laws are now on the books in half of the countries in the region. In many of those without laws on the books, draft bills are working their way through the national legislatures.
The Carter Center with the Organization of American States, Comisión Andina de Juristas and the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas held a conference in Lima, Peru, April 28-30, 2009 on Americas Regional Conference on the Right ofAccess to Information.
The 115 people in attendence agreed that governments have an obligation to disclose information related to human rights violations or corruption.
Read a summary of the event at IFEX: Access to information action plan in force in Americas
Or the full report (PDF) from the Carter Center: Americas Regional Conference on the Right ofAccess to Information