The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) joins with other information and privacy commissioners from across the country and around the world in promoting Right to Know (RTK) Week from September 23 to 29, 2024.
To mark the week, OIPC has organized a RTK 2024 Atlantic Event – a Virtual Panel Discussion on Access Rights and Democracy featuring three of Atlantic Canada’s access to information oversight offices and a representative from the Centre for Law and Democracy. The discussion will take place on September 25, 2024, from 12:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. (Newfoundland Time) and interested individuals can find more information about the event and a registration link on the OIPC website.
OIPC has also released guidance titled How to Make an Access Request in both English and French, which will be posted in the Guidance section on the OIPC website.
RTK Week in Canada evolved from International Right to Know Day, September 28, which has been marked around the world since 2002. RTK Week recognizes the importance of the right of access to information held by government and other public bodies. Access to information is essential to both democracy and good governance, and it provides individuals with the knowledge to address public issues, hold government accountable, and become active participants in the democratic process.
RTK Week also provides an opportunity to recognize the hard work of the officials in government departments, agencies, boards and commissions, educational and health care bodies and municipalities, who help process the increasing number of requests.
In Newfoundland and Labrador, the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 2015 (ATIPPA, 2015) provides a right of access to information. Since 2015, when citizens demanded that the province’s access to information system be reformed, there has been an overall increase in the number of access to information requests filed each year. While the media, businesses, and political parties use the access to information system regularly, individual Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are filing more and more access to information requests. This is extremely positive, reflecting an engaged population and a well-functioning access to information system.
OIPC is a statutory Office of the House of Assembly. OIPC has a broad range of responsibilities and powers under both ATIPPA, 2015 and PHIA. Oversight of these Acts includes investigating and attempting to resolve complaints about access to information and protection of privacy involving public bodies under ATIPPA, 2015 and custodians of personal health information under PHIA. The Commissioner may also make recommendations in order to uphold the Acts and support better compliance.
Learn more
Visit our LinkedIn page: www.linkedin.com/company/oipc-nl.
More information about Right to Know Week in Canada is also available on the Information Commissioner of Canada’s Right to Know Week website page.
-30-