FCOSS And UNESCO Convene Regional Workshops To Advance Right To Information In The Pacific

Regional and national workshops will be held in Suva next week to profile the status of the right to information (RTI) globally and in the Pacific.

Co-convened by UNESCO and the Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS), the workshops will include presentations from Pacific Island experts who have successfully implemented RTI or are actively drafting RTI laws.

FCOSS President Sepesa Rasili said the organisation is excited to confirm global RTI expert Toby Mendel as the main facilitator for the two workshops.

“We are thrilled that UNESCO has ensured Toby Mendel's presence and leadership in this workshop. Mr. Mendel is the head of the Centre for Law and Democracy, a Canadian-based international human rights NGO that provides legal and capacity-building expertise on foundational rights for democracy, including the right to information, freedom of expression, the right to participate, and the rights to freedom of assembly and association,” Rasili said.

“This is not only important for us in the Pacific but especially significant for Fiji, given the recent update from the CIVICUS Monitor about the state of basic freedoms in Fiji,” he added.

The CIVICUS Monitor recently announced in a new report that it has upgraded Fiji’s civic space rating to "Narrowed" from "Obstructed," reflecting an expansion in space for civil society and the exercise of fundamental freedoms.

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Released earlier this week, the CIVICUS Monitor, a research consortium led by the global civil society alliance CIVICUS, tracked civic space conditions in 198 countries throughout the year. The findings were compiled and analysed in People Power Under Attack 2024.

Rasili acknowledged the support of the Attorney General’s Office, emphasizing the importance of political backing for the operationalisation of RTI.

“I want to commend the Attorney General’s Office for its willingness to host this event in their office. The Attorney General will also be opening the event. These are strong indications of the political will needed for the continuous improvement of civic space in this country,” he said.

Representatives from seven Pacific Island governments, civil society organisations, United Nations agencies, and the media are expected to participate in the two consecutive workshops for regional and national stakeholders of RTI.

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